Red light, green light for dogs: how to play
Walk together on "Green light", freeze into a sit on "Red light". A fun way to practise stopping when excited.
- Time
- 5 min
- Energy
- Medium
- Space
- A room
You'll need
- treats
- leash (for the walking version)
Set up
Your dog should know sit. Start in a quiet room or garden.
How to play
Say "Green light" and walk or jog a few steps. Your dog follows.
Say "Red light", stop, and ask for a sit. Treat the sit.
Wait 2 seconds, then "Green light" and go again.
Mix up the timing: sometimes 3 steps, sometimes 10.
Make green faster (jog, skip) as your dog gets good at stopping.
Play 2 to 3 minutes, ending on a green-light jog to a toy.
House rules
- Red light means stop and sit; green light means move.
- If your dog misses the sit, slow down green, not louder red.
- Make it easier
- Walk slowly on green, and stop with a treat at your dog's nose to lure the sit.
- Make it harder
- Use down instead of sit, add a toy to chase on green, or play off leash in a fenced garden. Kids can call the lights from the side.
Signs it's having fun
Bright eyes on you, quick sits, bouncing on green.
Stop if you see
Your dog nips, jumps, or stops listening. The game's too exciting: slow it down.
Safety
Safety- Play on grass or carpet, not slippery floors.
- Keep jogs short for puppies.
Sources
Written from these sources and checked against vet and trainer guidance. General guidance, not veterinary advice.
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