Concept Training Explained: Engagement aka Can I Have Your Attention Please?

Welcome to this episode of the Sexier than a Squirrel podcast, the podcast that brings you real-life dog training results, and sometimes human training ones too! This week, we’re continuing our new series of episodes exploring what concept training actually is and how it shows up in real life with your dog. We’ll be taking concepts you may have heard us talk about before, breaking them down, and making them practical, relatable, and easy to spot in your own training sessions and day-to-day interactions with your dog. This time, Lauren is joined by the brilliant Linda to unpack one of the most important concepts in all of dog training: engagement. Engagement isn’t just about your dog looking at you. It’s about your dog choosing you. Choosing to check in. Choosing to stay connected. Choosing to come back mentally, even when the world is busy, exciting, distracting, or full of things that normally pull their attention away. Lauren and Linda explain why engagement underpins so many other skills - recall, agility, obedience, heelwork, calm walks, even day-to-day life in the house - and highlight the importance of the moments we often miss: the ones where your dog asks, “What next?” You’ll hear why rewarding re-engagement changes everything and how building a strong reinforcement history helps your dog learn to seek connection rather than waiting to cued repeatedly. They also talk about fading food rewards sensibly, why you don’t need to carry treats forever, and how value, timing, and consistency shape habits over time. Play gets a huge spotlight too, because engagement should feel good for both ends of the lead. Lauren and Linda discuss using toys, movement, celebration, and genuine interaction to build motivation and excitement in training - while also recognising that different dogs enjoy different styles of reinforcement. Lauren and Linda also consider the balance between engagement and appropriate disengagement. Because the goal isn’t a dog who pesters you endlessly for work - it’s a dog who understands when the game is on, when the game is finished, and how to switch between focus and relaxation successfully. Ready to grow a dog who chooses you more often? Check out 10 Days to a Toy Motivated Dog here: ​​https://absolutedogs.me/toymotivateddog Or check out 10 Days to a Food Motivated Dog here: https://absolutedogs.me/foodmotivateddog Or why not grab the £1 Games Club trial and get both courses, plus all our other 10 Days courses, included! https://absolutedogs.me/7daytrial SUPPORT THE SHOW! 🐿️ If you’re enjoying the podcast, please leave a review for us, and don’t forget to hit share and post your biggest lightbulb moment! Remember, no matter what struggles you might be facing with your dog, there is always a game for that! 💪✨ 🔗 https://absolutedogs.me/podcast DON’T MISS A MOMENT! 🔔 Make sure you SUBSCRIBE for more weekly YOUTUBE videos you will LOVE! 🔗 https://www.youtube.com/c/absoluteDog... READY TO DISCOVER MORE? 👀 Follow us on Facebook for REGULAR LIVE training advice and resources: 🔗   / absolutedogs   If you’re loving the podcast, you’ll love our NEW Sexier than a Squirrel Dog Training Challenge even more! Get transformational dog training today for only £27! 🎯🐾 🔗 https://absolutedogs.me/startnow