Impulse control games for dogs
These games make self-control fun. Each one rewards the dog for pausing instead of grabbing, and most take a minute to set up.
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Quick answer
Try the which-hand and it-is-your-choice games, doorway and bowl waits, tug with a wait and drop, food on the paw, and the flirt pole with a sit between chases. Keep sessions short, make each step easy enough to win, and stop while the dog still wants more.
Quiet games (good for winding down)
- Which hand? Food in one closed fist, both hands out. The dog noses or paws to indicate; you open the correct hand only when it is gentle.
- It is your choice. Open palm of treats. Close it if the dog dives in; open it when the dog backs off. The dog learns restraint pays.
- Food on the paw. Place a treat on the dog's paw and say "wait". Reward from your hand for holding still, then release it to eat the paw treat.
- Zen bowl. Lower a food bowl; lift it if the dog surges, lower it when the dog is still. Release with a cue.
Active games (burn energy and build control together)
- Tug with rules. Play tug, then cue "drop"; reward the release, then restart. Ask for a sit before some restarts.
- Flirt pole with pauses. Short chase, then "wait" or a sit, then chase again. Let the dog win and hold the toy at the end.
- Fetch with a wait. Throw the toy but hold the dog with a "wait"; release after a beat. Build the wait longer.
- Red light, green light. Walk together; freeze and stand still. When the dog stops and looks at you, "green light" and move again.
Doorway and greeting games
- Door waits. Open the door a crack; close it if the dog moves; open and release when it waits.
- Say hello politely. A helper approaches; they only greet when the dog has four feet on the floor or a sit. Any jump, they step back.
How to progress
- Start where the dog succeeds within a second or two
- Add one difficulty at a time: longer wait, more distraction, a more exciting reward on the table
- If the dog fails twice in a row, make it easier
- Move the skill into real life: a wait before the lead goes on, a settle when guests arrive
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FAQ
Which-hand, it-is-your-choice, bowl and doorway waits, tug with a drop cue, flirt pole with pauses, and red light, green light. All reward the dog for pausing.
Structured games that teach a dog to pause, wait and think before acting, such as it's-your-choice with treats, wait at doors and bowls, leave it, a settle on a mat, and a controlled start and stop to tug or fetch.
They build the habit of checking in and waiting rather than reacting, which helps with jumping, grabbing, barrier frustration and general over-arousal, especially when practised little and often.
It's-your-choice: hold a treat in a closed fist, wait for the dog to stop pawing and mouthing and pull back, then mark that moment and give a treat from the other hand.
A few one to two minute reps most days, worked into daily life such as before meals, at doors and before you throw a toy. Short and frequent beats long sessions.
From puppyhood, using very easy versions with short waits and quick rewards. Keep sessions tiny and build duration gradually as the puppy matures.
Games like trading and leave it can support a plan, but active resource guarding should be handled with a qualified reward-based behaviourist rather than through games alone.
The step is probably too hard. Shorten the wait to a split second, reduce distractions, reward faster, and build up in tiny increments so the dog succeeds almost every time.
They help a dog learn to disengage and check in, which supports reactivity work, but the core of that training is distance and counter-conditioning guided where needed by a behaviourist.
Train them separately at first so each can succeed, then practise with both present once they are solid, rewarding calm waiting from each.
Related guides
- Dog impulse control training
- Brain games for dogs
- How to calm an overexcited dog
- Dog focus training
- How to stop a dog jumping on people
References
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- American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior (2021). Position Statement on Humane Dog Training. View source
- American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior. Position Statement on the Use of Punishment for Behavior Modification in Animals. View source
- American Animal Hospital Association (2015). Canine and Feline Behavior Management Guidelines. View source
- WSAVA Animal Wellness and Welfare Committee (2018). Global Welfare Guidelines for companion animal practitioners. Journal of Small Animal Practice.
These references describe dogs and training in general. They are not evidence about any specific commercial program. This page is general information, not a substitute for individualised veterinary or behaviour advice. Last reviewed: 30 August 2026.