Cycle 3: Impulse Control & Precision
Duration: January 21 - February 20, 2026 (30 days)
Goal: By February 20th, Melon has rock-solid impulse control. She can wait patiently for food, hold behaviors with distractions, and work through frustrating challenges without quitting. She’s ready for advanced obedience work.
Outcome: Patience under pressure, frustration tolerance, reliability and precision in behavior.
The 5 Games
1. Pause for Food Challenge (Week 1)
What: Impulse control with high-value reward - wait before eating despite wanting to Why: Foundation for impulse control, patience, ability to delay gratification Week 1 Goal: Waits patiently without stealing food
2. Stack an Object (Week 2)
What: Precision + sustained focus - carefully stack or arrange an object Why: Builds precision, sustained focus, problem-solving under pressure Week 2 Goal: Can stack object reliably (this one takes time to perfect)
3. Crawl Under Obstacles (Week 3)
What: Body control + patience - crawl under low objects slowly without rushing Why: Body awareness, controlled movement, patience, precision Week 3 Goal: Crawls under table, chair, low obstacles calmly
4. Ignore That (Week 4)
What: Delayed gratification - looks at you despite visible food elsewhere Why: Advanced impulse control, handler focus over environment Week 4 Goal: Pays attention to you even when food is visible
5. Integration & Assessment (Week 5)
What: Run all Cycle 3 games in sequence under pressure Why: Prove patience and impulse control are solid Week 5 Goal: All games work with distractions and pressure
Weekly Game Focus
| Week | Dates | Game | What You’re Building |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jan 21-27 | Pause for Food | Impulse control with high-value reward |
| 2 | Jan 28 - Feb 3 | Stack an Object | Precision + sustained focus |
| 3 | Feb 4-10 | Crawl Under Obstacles | Body control + patience |
| 4 | Feb 11-17 | Ignore That | Delayed gratification |
| 5 | Feb 18-20 | Integration & Assessment | Patience under pressure |
Week 1: Pause for Food Challenge (Jan 21-27)
Goal
She waits patiently for food without stealing, even with high-value treats visible.
Daily Training Plan
| Session | What to Do | Success Metric |
|---|---|---|
| 3pm Courtyard | Marker + Engagement (standard) | Consistent check-ins |
| Bonus Session | Pause for Food (10-15 min) | See weekly progression |
Progression
| Days | Focus | Goal |
|---|---|---|
| 1-2 | Bowl in hand, wait for her to pause, then release | She waits 3-5 seconds |
| 3-4 | Increase duration, hand gets closer to her | She doesn’t steal |
| 5-6 | Set bowl on ground at distance first | She waits before moving toward it |
| 7 | Bowl on ground nearby, she waits | Rock-solid pause |
Success Metric
She waits patiently without stealing, even with high-value treats visible.
Week 2: Stack an Object (Jan 28 - Feb 3)
Goal
She can stack/arrange an object reliably. (Note: This one takes time to perfect.)
What Stacking Looks Like
Arrange an object (blocks, rings, items) in a pattern. She nudges/moves/stacks them following your guidance.
Progression
| Days | Focus | Goal |
|---|---|---|
| 1-2 | Shape toward nose-touching one object | She makes contact |
| 3-4 | Lure movement, shape into arrangement | She’s starting to interact |
| 5-6 | Practice arrangement pattern | Building familiarity |
| 7 | Reliable stacking attempts | Making progress |
Important Note
Stack is a complex behavior. You might not get a perfect stack by Week 2’s end, and that’s fine. The goal is progress and building the foundation.
Success Metric
She’s making reliable progress toward stacking. She understands she needs to interact with the objects in a specific way.
Week 3: Crawl Under Obstacles (Feb 4-10)
Goal
She crawls under tables, chairs, and low obstacles calmly without rushing.
What Crawl Looks Like
She goes under obstacles slowly, controlled, without panicking or rushing. Body low, careful movement.
Progression
| Days | Focus | Goal |
|---|---|---|
| 1-2 | Lure under low table, very short distance | She goes under willingly |
| 3-4 | Longer distance, still very low | She moves slowly |
| 5-6 | Different obstacles, add slight height | Works under various obstacles |
| 7 | Multiple obstacles, generalize | Crawls calmly anywhere |
Success Metric
She crawls under low obstacles calmly and controlled, without rushing or panicking.
Week 4: Ignore That (Feb 11-17)
Goal
She pays attention to you even when visible food/toys are present elsewhere.
What Ignore That Looks Like
Put food or toy on ground nearby. She looks at you instead of the food. She focuses on you despite the temptation.
Progression
| Days | Focus | Goal |
|---|---|---|
| 1-2 | Food visible, she makes eye contact with you | She looks at you first |
| 3-4 | Food closer, wait longer for eye contact | She still chooses you |
| 5-6 | Toy or food slightly more tempting | She stays focused on you |
| 7 | High-value item visible, she ignores it | Solid eye contact, ignores item |
Success Metric
She consistently pays attention to you and makes eye contact, even when high-value food or toys are visible.
Week 5: Integration & Assessment (Feb 18-20)
Goal
Run all 5 Cycle 3 games in sequence and assess impulse control progress.
Assessment: Impulse Control Test
Run all 5 games with escalating difficulty/distractions:
- Pause for Food - With high-value treat visible nearby
- Stack an Object - With her favorite toy visible
- Crawl Under - With another dog or person present
- Ignore That - Multiple items visible, high-value stuff
- Integration - All in sequence under pressure
Reflection Questions
- Does she wait patiently for food?
- Can she work through frustration (Stack)?
- Can she maintain control under pressure (Crawl)?
- Does she choose you over environment (Ignore)?
- Is she rock-solid on impulse control?
Outcome
By end of this week, she should have rock-solid impulse control across all games.
Key Principles for Cycle 3
Patience Is Teachable
- Some dogs learn it faster than others
- Consistency is key
- She needs to learn patience = reward
Frustration Is the Enemy (And Also the Teacher)
- She’ll get frustrated with harder challenges
- Your job is to manage her frustration level
- Make it hard enough to build resilience, not so hard she gives up
Precision Matters
- These games teach HOW to think
- Not just the behavior, but the mindset
- Patience, impulse control, and precision are life skills
Real-World Application
- These games translate to:
- Waiting at doors
- Not counter-surfing
- Settling during vet visits
- Respecting other dogs’ space
- Paying attention despite distractions
Troubleshooting Cycle 3
If She Breaks and Steals Food
- Go back to shorter waits
- Increase distance (food further away)
- Build foundation more gradually
If Stack is Too Frustrating
- Break it into smaller steps
- Make it easier (fewer objects)
- Increase frequency of rewards
If She Rushes Through Crawl
- Lure more slowly
- Reward heavily for slow movement
- Practice in confined space first
If She Can’t Ignore the Item
- Start with lower-value items
- Increase distance (item further away)
- Build up gradually
Celebrating Cycle 3 Completion & 90-Day Milestone
When all 5 games are complete and she shows rock-solid impulse control across contexts, you’ve completed Cycle 3 AND the entire 90-Day Foundations Program!
You now have:
✅ Bulletproof marker response ✅ Default handler focus ✅ Complete arousal regulation ✅ Rock-solid impulse control ✅ 15 games mastered across all 3 cycles ✅ Confidence and problem-solving ✅ Real-world reliability
What’s Next: The 150-Day Timeline
You’re now 90 days in. The next phase includes:
- Foundation skill deepening (Down with duration, distance, distractions)
- Advanced cycles (continued game progressions)
- Real-world generalization (parks, cafes, busy environments)
- Prep for sport/advanced work (if desired)
See Full Integrated Training Timeline for the complete 150-day arc.
Celebrating Yourself
You did it. 90 days. 15 games. A completely transformed dog.
You built:
- A training habit
- A thinking dog
- A reliable partner
- Real skills
Celebrate this. You earned it.
🐾