How My Disobedient Puppy Led Me from Dog Training to Game Design

The Agony of the “Simple” Command

I remember the day I brought Leo home.

He was a whirlwind of black-and-white fluff, a Border Collie mix with eyes so intelligent they seemed to be solving complex equations.

I was ready.

I had read the books, watched the videos, and bookmarked dozens of articles.

I was going to be the perfect puppy parent, and our first order of business was the cornerstone of all dog obedience: the “sit.” It was, according to every resource, one of the first and most important skills any owner should teach.¹

It seemed so simple.

My confidence lasted about five minutes.

I knelt on my living room floor, armed with a pocketful of high-value treats and a heart full of optimism.

“Leo, sit!” I’d say, holding a treat to his nose and lifting it over his head, just as the guides instructed.²

What was supposed to happen was a neat little see-saw motion: as his head went up to follow the treat, his rear would naturally lower to the ground.⁴

What actually happened was a series of frustrating failures.

Leo would leap into the air, trying to snatch the treat from my hand.⁵

Or he would walk backward, his head craned awkwardly, until he bumped into the couch.⁵

On the rare occasion I managed to lure him into a sit, a new problem emerged.

Leo, my brilliant little equation-solver, had figured something out, but it wasn’t what I intended.

He learned that the sight of the treat in my luring hand was the cue, not my hand motion or the word “sit.” The moment I tried the motion with an empty hand, he would just stare at me blankly.

I had inadvertently fallen into the most common trap of lure-reward training: I wasn’t teaching, I was bribing.⁷

He would only perform if he saw the payment upfront.

The frustration was a slow burn that quickly escalated.

Every training session felt like a battle of wills.

I tried different treats, different times of day, different levels of enthusiasm in my voice.

The advice was always to be patient and positive, to never push the dog’s rear end down as it could be intimidating and confusing.¹

But patience wears thin when you feel like you’re failing at the most basic task.

I could feel my own mood souring, a dangerous thing when training, as dogs are highly attuned to their handler’s emotions and can become stressed or shut down if they sense you’re upset.⁹

I started to feel that his behavior was a direct reflection of my own incompetence as an owner.⁹

The final straw was the complete failure of generalization.

Any shaky “sit” we achieved in the sterile, quiet environment of our living room evaporated the second we stepped outside.⁵

The park, with its symphony of smells, sounds, other dogs, and people, was too much.

My “sit” command was white noise.

He would blow me off completely.⁵

I was stuck in a loop of failure, frustration, and self-doubt.

I had followed the recipes, the step-by-step guides, and the expert advice to the letter, yet I was getting nowhere.

It forced me to ask a question that would change everything: Why is the “easiest” command in the world so impossibly hard? What fundamental piece of the puzzle was I missing?

The Epiphany – Your Dog Isn’t Stubborn, You’re Just a Bad Game Designer

The breakthrough didn’t come from a dog training manual.

It came from a video game.

After a particularly demoralizing session with Leo that ended with me slumping onto the couch in defeat, I found myself watching my young nephew, completely mesmerized by a game on his tablet.

He was exploring a vibrant, blocky world, building structures, fighting cartoonish monsters, and discovering secrets.

At first, I dismissed it as just a game.

But as I watched, something clicked.

I saw him fail, repeatedly.

A creeper would blow up his carefully constructed house.

He’d fall into a lava P.T. But he never got truly frustrated.

He never quit.

Why? Because the game was designed to be engaging.

I started deconstructing the experience, and in doing so, I deconstructed my own training failures.

Clear Goals & Instant Feedback: The game gave my nephew crystal-clear objectives.

“Collect 10 wood.” “Craft a sword.” When he completed a task, the feedback was immediate and satisfying—a new item appeared in his inventory, a pleasant sound effect played, a progress bar filled up.¹⁰

My command “sit” was apparently not as clear as I thought, and my feedback was inconsistent and clouded by my own frustration.

A Balanced Difficulty Curve: The game didn’t throw the final boss at him on level one.

It started with simple tasks in a safe area, gradually introducing new tools, tougher enemies, and more complex challenges as his skills grew.¹¹

This is what game designers call a balanced difficulty curve, and it’s essential for keeping a player in the “flow state”—that perfect zone between boredom and frustration.¹²

I, on the other hand, had been taking Leo from the “tutorial level” (my living room) straight to the “final boss battle” (the busy park) and wondering why he was failing.

Intrinsic Motivation: My nephew wasn’t just playing for some external reward; he was driven by intrinsic motivation—the sheer joy of exploration, creation, and mastery.¹⁰

The game was designed to be inherently fun.

I had made training a chore, something Leo only endured for the extrinsic motivation of a piece of chicken.

Player Experience (PX): This was the biggest revelation.

The entire game—every sound, every color, every mechanic—was meticulously crafted around the player’s experience.

It was designed to be empowering, fair, and delightful.

I had been so focused on the outcome—getting Leo’s butt on the ground—that I had completely ignored his experience of the process.

Was it fun for him? Was it clear? Did he feel successful? The answer to all of these questions was a resounding “No.”

The epiphany hit me with the force of a lightning bolt.

Leo wasn’t being stubborn.

I was just a terrible game designer.

My job wasn’t to be a drill sergeant, barking commands and expecting compliance.

My job was to be a game designer.

I needed to stop trying to train a dog and start designing a game so clear, so rewarding, and so ridiculously fun that Leo would be begging me to play.

This single shift in perspective was the key.

It gave me a whole new language and a powerful new framework for understanding not just how to teach a “sit,” but how to build a joyful, cooperative relationship with my dog.

The principles of good game design, I soon learned, are not just a cute metaphor; they are a direct application of the same behavioral and cognitive psychology that underpins all modern, humane animal training and even early childhood education.¹⁰

It was time to design “The Sit Game.”

Pillar 1: Designing the “Core Gameplay Loop” (Getting the Behavior)

Every great video game is built around a “core gameplay loop”—the primary action the player performs over and over, like jumping in Mario or shooting in Call of Duty.¹⁵

This loop has to be satisfying and reliable.

In “The Sit Game,” our core loop is the physical act of getting the puppy’s butt to touch the floor.

My old approach was to use one method, fail, and get frustrated.

My new “Game Designer” approach was to understand that there isn’t just one way to build a core mechanic.

There are different “design patterns,” each suited for a different type of player.

I had to choose the right pattern for my specific player: Leo.

There are three primary patterns for getting the “sit” behavior.

Design Pattern A: Luring (The Guided Tutorial)

This is the most common method, and for good reason.

Luring is the game’s “guided tutorial.” You use a high-value reward (the lure) to physically guide the player through the mechanic for the first time, making it almost impossible to fail and building initial confidence.⁷

• The Mechanics: You hold a desirable treat near your puppy’s nose to get their attention. Then, you slowly move the treat up and back over their head. As their nose follows the treat upward, their rear end naturally lowers to the floor, like a see-saw.² The moment their butt touches the ground, you mark the behavior with a “Yes!” or a click, and give them the treat.¹
• The Psychology: This method is fantastic for brand-new puppies because it clearly communicates what you want without any force or pressure. It’s a clear, easy “win” that starts the game on a positive note.
• Common Bugs & Patches: Like any game, this pattern has potential bugs.

• The “Jumping” Bug: If the puppy jumps up, you’re likely holding the lure too high or moving it too fast. Keep the treat just a few inches above their nose.³
• The “Backing Up” Bug: If the puppy walks backward instead of sitting, try playing the game with them backed up against a wall or a piece of furniture. This physical boundary prevents them from backing up and encourages the downward motion.⁵
• The “Disinterest” Bug: If the puppy isn’t following the lure, your “reward” might not be valuable enough. Try a higher-value treat—something extra smelly and delicious that they can’t resist.⁴

Design Pattern B: Capturing (The “Easter Egg” Discovery)

Capturing is a more passive but incredibly powerful design pattern.

It’s like placing a hidden “Easter egg” in the game world that the player discovers through their own actions.

You wait for the puppy to perform the behavior naturally, on their own, and then you mark and reward it.²

• The Mechanics: This requires you to be an observant game designer. Keep treats in your pocket or in jars around the house. The moment you see your puppy sit on their own—whether it’s while waiting for their dinner or just settling down for a moment—you mark it with a cheerful “Yes!” and give them a treat.¹
• The Psychology: This is profoundly empowering for the puppy. They aren’t being told what to do; they are actively figuring out the rules of the game themselves. This “Aha!” moment builds incredible problem-solving skills and encourages the dog to become an active, thinking participant in their training.¹⁹ After a few repetitions, the puppy will start “offering” sits to you, trying to earn a reward. This is the foundation for turning “sit” into a default, polite behavior.²
• Implementation: This method turns your entire home into the game world. Every spontaneous sit is an opportunity for a “win.” It’s especially effective for puppies who already tend to sit a lot on their own.

Design Pattern C: Shaping (The Epic Quest Chain)

Shaping is the most advanced and nuanced design pattern.

It’s like creating a complex, multi-stage quest.

Instead of expecting the final behavior all at once, you reward “successive approximations”—small baby steps that lead toward the final goal.²⁰

• The Mechanics: For a “sit,” you might start by marking and rewarding just a backward shift in weight. Once the puppy is offering that reliably, you “raise the criteria” and only reward a slight crouch. Then a deeper crouch. Then, finally, the full sit. You are building the behavior piece by piece.²⁰ A great example of a shaping plan is teaching a “wave,” where you’d first reward any paw lift, then a higher lift, then a movement of the paw, and so on.²⁰
• The Psychology: Shaping is the ultimate problem-solving game. It is fantastic for teaching complex behaviors or for dogs who might be fearful or sensitive and don’t respond well to the more interactive luring method.²⁰ It teaches the dog to experiment and offer new behaviors, turning them into a “shaping-savvy” player who is a creative and engaged learner.²⁰
• Critical Skills: This pattern requires the most skill from the game designer (you). You need patience, keen observation, and excellent timing. The biggest mistake is “lumping”—trying to move ahead too quickly and raising the criteria too high, which can frustrate the player.²² You must break the quest down into small, easily achievable milestones to keep your puppy engaged and feeling successful.

Choosing the right design pattern is the first step.

I realized I had been stuck on Luring, when perhaps a combination of Capturing (for those moments Leo sat on his own) and a more patient application of Luring would have been a better design for him.

The Three Paths to “Sit”: A Game Designer’s Guide
Design Pattern	Game Analogy	How It Works	Pros	Cons	Best For…
Luring	The Guided Tutorial	Use a treat to guide the puppy’s nose up and back, causing their rear to lower into a sit.	Fast for simple behaviors; Easy for beginners to learn; Builds initial confidence.	High risk of becoming a bribe; Puppy can become dependent on the lure; Doesn’t teach problem-solving.	Brand new puppies; Teaching simple positions quickly; Handlers new to training.
Capturing	The Easter Egg Discovery	Wait for the puppy to sit on their own, then immediately mark and reward the behavior.	Builds strong understanding; Empowers the puppy to think and offer behaviors; Creates a default behavior.	Can be slow if the puppy doesn’t offer the behavior often; Requires constant observation from the handler.	Puppies who already offer the behavior naturally; Building a polite “please” behavior; Turning the whole environment into a training opportunity.
Shaping	The Epic Quest Chain	Reward small, incremental steps (successive approximations) toward the final “sit” behavior.	Excellent for complex or multi-step behaviors; Builds incredible confidence and problem-solving skills; Great for fearful or sensitive dogs.	Requires significant patience, timing, and skill from the handler; Can be slower than luring for simple behaviors.	Fearful or anxious dogs; Teaching complex tricks; Dogs who don’t respond well to luring; Building a “thinking” dog.

Pillar 2: The “Feedback & Reward System” (Building Motivation)

A game can have a great core mechanic, but if the feedback and rewards aren’t satisfying, players will quit.

This was the heart of my “bribery” problem.

I had designed a game where the only way to win was to see the prize beforehand.

To fix this, I had to completely overhaul my game’s economy of motivation, moving from a system of bribery to one of true reinforcement.

From Bribery to Reinforcement: Fixing a Broken Game Mechanic

The line between a lure and a bribe is razor-thin but critically important.⁸

A lure is a temporary tool to

teach a motion.

A bribe is a permanent contingency where the dog will only work if they see the reward first.

The goal is to make the lure disappear as quickly as possible, so the dog learns to respond to the cue, not the sight of the food.⁷

The process of “fading the lure” is the single most important step in lure-reward training.

It’s a systematic process that helps the dog understand that the hand motion is the signal and that the reward is a separate event that comes after a successful “win.” The most effective method involves three distinct steps ⁷:

1. Lure and Reward from the Same Hand: Start by luring the puppy into a sit with a treat in your hand. When they sit, give them that exact treat as the reward. Do this for just a few successful repetitions.
2. Lure with Treat, Reward from Other Hand: Now, lure the puppy into a sit with a treat in your hand, but when they succeed, praise them and give them a different treat from your other hand (or your pocket). This is a crucial intermediate step. It begins to break the association that the luring hand is the source of all good things.
3. Lure with Empty Hand, Reward from Other Hand: This is the final, critical transition. Make the exact same luring motion with your hand, but this time, your hand is empty. The motion itself becomes the hand signal. When your puppy follows your empty hand and sits, mark it and then reward them with a treat from your other hand.

If your dog struggles with this transition, you’re not alone.

You can “patch” this bug by rubbing a stinky treat on your luring fingers so your hand still smells enticing, or by keeping treats hidden in a treat pouch so the puppy can’t predict where the reward is coming from.⁷

This entire process is about shifting the dog’s focus from “Show me the money!” to “What do I need to do to win?”

The “Success!” Sound Effect: The Power of Markers

In a video game, you know you’ve done something right because of an immediate sound effect—a “ding,” a chime, a celebratory fanfare.

It’s instant, precise feedback.¹⁰

In dog training, this is the role of a “marker,” which can be a clicker or a consistent verbal cue like “Yes!”.¹

A marker word or click does one thing: it pinpoints the exact moment the puppy performed the correct action.

It’s a promise that a reward is coming.

This precision is vital.

If you say “sit,” your puppy sits, and then you fumble for a treat, by the time you deliver it, your puppy might have already stood up.

In that case, you’ve just rewarded standing up.

The click or “Yes!” bridges that gap, marking the butt-on-floor moment with perfect clarity, even if the treat arrives a second or two later.²³

It makes the feedback loop tight, clear, and unambiguous.

Diversifying the “Loot Drops”: The Magic of Life Rewards

The best games don’t just give out one type of reward.

You get experience points, new gear, access to new levels, and story progression.

Relying solely on food treats is like a game that only gives out bronze coins.

It gets boring.

To create a truly engaging game, you need to diversify your “loot drops” by using “life rewards”.²⁴

A life reward is anything your puppy wants in their daily life.

Access to these things can become the most powerful rewards in your arsenal.

This concept, based on the Premack Principle, suggests using a high-probability behavior (something the dog wants to do) to reinforce a low-probability behavior (something you want the dog to do).

Instead of just training in formal sessions, you integrate the “sit” game into the fabric of your life together ²⁴:

• Want to go outside? Sit at the door first. The reward is the door opening.
• Want your dinner? Sit politely while I put the bowl down. The reward is getting to eat.
• Want me to throw your favorite ball? Sit first. The reward is the game of fetch.
• Want to greet that friendly person on our walk? Sit calmly. The reward is getting to say hello.
• Want to get on the couch for a cuddle? Sit first. The reward is the tummy rub.

By doing this, you are doing something profound.

You are teaching your puppy that polite behavior is the key that unlocks all the best things in life.

The “sit” is no longer just a trick performed for a treat; it becomes their way of saying “please”.²

This is how you move from a dog who performs a command to a dog who is a well-mannered, thoughtful partner.

Pillar 3: “Level Design & The Difficulty Curve” (Proofing & Generalization)

This was my biggest downfall.

I had a puppy who could perform the core mechanic in the “tutorial zone” (my living room) but failed spectacularly the moment we entered the “open world.” I was a game designer who had forgotten the most crucial rule of level design: you must have a fair and balanced difficulty curve.¹¹

Dogs are notoriously poor at generalization.⁵

They don’t understand that “sit” on the rug means the same thing as “sit” on the grass, or “sit” at the vet’s office.

To them, each new environment is a completely new level with new sights, sounds, and smells.

Your job as the game designer is to create a series of progressively challenging levels that teach your player how to perform the core skill under increasingly difficult conditions.

This process is called “proofing.”

Level 1: The Training Den (The Safe Zone)

All great games start in a safe, controlled area where the player can learn the rules without being overwhelmed.

For puppy training, this is your “Training Den”—a quiet room in your house with minimal distractions.⁶

This is where you first install the “sit” behavior using your chosen design pattern (luring, capturing, or shaping).

You don’t leave this level until the puppy is winning consistently.

Introducing “Mini-Bosses”: The 3 Ds of Difficulty

Once your puppy has mastered the basic “sit” in the Training Den, it’s time to increase the difficulty.

But you don’t do it all at once.

You introduce the “Three Ds” of proofing—Duration, Distance, and Distraction—one at a time, like a series of mini-bosses.²⁷

• Duration (The “Hold” Challenge): Ask your puppy to sit, and instead of rewarding immediately, wait one second. Then mark and reward. Gradually increase the time to two seconds, then five, and so on. This is like a “channeling” spell in a game that the player has to hold. For longer durations, you can even give multiple small treats during the stay to keep them engaged.²⁷
• Distance (The “Ranged” Challenge): Once your dog can hold a sit for a reasonable time (e.g., 10-15 seconds) while you’re right next to them, start adding distance. Ask for the sit, take one step back, immediately step forward again, and reward. Then try two steps. Slowly increase the distance, always returning to your dog to deliver the reward.²⁷
• Distraction (The “Chaos” Challenge): This is the toughest mini-boss. Start with very low-level distractions. While your dog is in a sit, clap your hands softly. Or have another person walk calmly across the room. Gradually build up to bigger distractions, like tossing a toy, jogging on the spot, or another dog being present.²⁷

Here is the most critical, often-missed rule of level design: When you increase the difficulty of one “D,” you must temporarily decrease the difficulty of the others. If your dog can hold a 30-second sit while you’re 10 feet away in a quiet room, you cannot expect them to do the same thing when you add a major distraction.

That’s an unfair difficulty spike that will cause the player to fail and become frustrated.¹²

When you introduce a distraction, go back to asking for a one-second sit with you standing right next to them.

You are balancing the game to ensure your player can still win.

World Expansion: Taking the Game on the Road

Once your puppy can handle the 3 Ds inside the Training Den, it’s time to expand the game world.

But for each new level, you must remember the cardinal rule: start the tutorial over.

• Level 2: The Backyard. This is a new environment with new smells and sounds. Don’t ask for a 30-second sit-stay. Ask for a simple, immediate sit, just like you did on day one in the living room. Reward lavishly for this simple success in a new place.⁶
• Level 3: The Quiet Sidewalk. More distractions. Again, reset the difficulty.
• Level 4: The Pet-Friendly Store Entrance.
• Level 5: The Edge of the Busy Park.

By treating each new location as a new level and resetting the difficulty each time, you are building a ladder of success for your puppy.

You are systematically teaching them that the rules of “The Sit Game” apply everywhere, building a truly reliable, generalized command.

You’re not just “practicing everywhere”; you are thoughtfully designing a world-class training progression.

Pillar 4: Optimizing the “Player Experience (PX)” (The Puppy’s Mindset)

We’ve designed the core mechanic, the reward system, and the level progression.

But there’s one final, overarching pillar that holds it all together: the Player Experience, or PX.

A game can be technically perfect, but if the player isn’t having fun, it has failed.

The same is true for dog training.

The ultimate goal is not a dog who performs commands like a robot, but a dog who is a joyful, confident, and engaged partner.

This means focusing on their emotional and psychological state throughout the entire process.

This is where the parallels between puppy training and creating a supportive learning environment for young children become incredibly clear.

Both puppies and toddlers are learning how the world works, and their ability to learn is directly tied to how safe and supported they feel.²⁸

Creating a Safe and Supportive “Game World”

A positive learning environment is one that is predictable, nurturing, and emotionally safe.³⁰

For our puppies, this means our training sessions—our “game world”—must be a source of joy and confidence, not stress or confusion.

When a puppy feels secure, they are more willing to take the “intellectual risks” required to try new things and solve problems, just as a child in a supportive classroom feels safe to ask questions and explore.²⁸

Our role as the game designer is to be the benevolent guide who makes the world feel safe enough to play in.

Managing Player Energy and Attention

You wouldn’t force a toddler to do calculus after they’ve missed their N.P. Likewise, you can’t expect a puppy to learn effectively when they are exhausted or overstimulated.

Puppies have notoriously short attention spans and bursts of wild energy.²⁵

A masterful game designer knows how to manage the player’s energy and attention.

• Keep Sessions Short and Sweet: For a young puppy, training sessions should be just five to ten minutes long. It’s far better to have three fun, successful 5-minute sessions than one frustrating 15-minute slog.²⁵
• Always End on a High Note: This is a golden rule. End the session before your puppy gets bored or tired. The best time to end is immediately after a particularly great repetition—a “jackpot” moment. Give them a bunch of treats, praise them enthusiastically, and declare “Game Over!” for now.²⁵ This leaves them with a positive memory and makes them eager to play again next time. It’s the “Victory!” screen that builds a love for the game.
• Recognize “Cranky Puppy” Syndrome: A tired puppy is a “cranky” puppy. They might get nippy, distracted, or seem to forget everything they’ve learned. This isn’t defiance; it’s exhaustion.²⁵ This is the time for a nap in their crate, not more training.

When the Designer Gets Frustrated (“Rage Quitting”)

This brings my story full circle, back to my own frustration.

As the game designer, your emotional state is the single most influential factor in the game world.

If you get frustrated, the player will feel it.⁹

They might shut down, become anxious, or get frantic.

Training while you are frustrated is never productive.⁹

So, what do you do when you feel that “rage quit” moment welling up?

1. Acknowledge It: Recognize that it’s okay and normal to feel frustrated. Puppies are hard work.³²
2. Take a Timeout: This is for you, not the puppy. Put the puppy in a safe, secure place like their crate or a playpen, and walk away. Scream into a pillow, take a walk, do whatever you need to do to calm down. It is always better to end a session than to push through it with a bad attitude.³²
3. Use the “Reset” Strategy: If you feel a session going south, don’t keep hammering away at the skill you’re struggling with. Ask your puppy for a very simple behavior you know they can do easily—a “guaranteed win.” When they do it, praise them lavishly, give them a treat, and end the session on that positive note.⁹ This protects both your confidence and your puppy’s.

The Real “High Score”

In the end, I realized that teaching a “sit” was never really the point.

Some trainers even argue that focusing on basic obedience commands like “sit” in early puppyhood is a waste of valuable time that could be spent on building foundational life skills like confidence, impulse control, and a positive worldview.³⁴

They have a point.

The “sit” itself is not the prize.

The prize is the process.

Using the “sit” as our training game, we learn how to communicate clearly, how to motivate positively, how to build resilience through fair challenges, and how to create a relationship built on trust and joy.

The real high score isn’t a perfect, immediate sit.

It’s a confident, happy, engaged dog who sees you as their favorite playmate and trusts you to lead them on the next great adventure.

Conclusion: Press Start on Your Adventure

My journey with Leo started with a simple command and a world of frustration.

I thought the problem was him—his stubbornness, his energy, his intelligence working against me.

The truth was, the problem was my framework.

By letting go of the rigid, linear “trainer” mindset and embracing the creative, empathetic, and systematic role of a “game designer,” I transformed everything.

The four pillars of this new paradigm became my guide:

• The Core Gameplay Loop: Choosing the right way to introduce the behavior—be it the guided tutorial of Luring, the discovery of Capturing, or the epic quest of Shaping.
• The Feedback & Reward System: Moving beyond bribery to build true motivation with clear markers and a rich economy of life rewards.
• The Level Design: Methodically building reliability by proofing against the 3 Ds and treating every new location as a new level with a fair difficulty curve.
• The Player Experience: Prioritizing my puppy’s emotional well-being, keeping the game fun, and managing my own frustration to create a safe and joyful learning environment.

Leo now has a rock-solid “sit” in almost any situation.

But that’s the least important thing we gained.

By learning to think like a game designer, I learned to see the world from his perspective.

I learned to celebrate small wins, to make challenges fair, and to find joy in the process of learning together.

If you’re struggling with your puppy, I urge you to put down the old rulebook.

Stop seeing your dog as a project to be programmed or a subordinate to be commanded.

See them for what they are: an intelligent, enthusiastic, and loving co-op partner.

They are ready and waiting for you to design a great game for them to play.

Your adventure is just beginning.

Press start.

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