Goal for the Game
When you first bring Companion into your home, Companion begins building relationship with your dog and teaching them agency as they learn that their behavior controls Companion.
How we Teach It
Your dog will first learn that the marker word “Yes!” means a treat is coming in response to their behavior.
They also learned to navigate the interaction zone. If your dog moves away, we pause and wait for them to come back. But it's totally okay if your dog walks away; our training is opt-in, giving your dog the choice of whether or not they want to train.
If your dog is too close, we wait until they move further away before launching another treat. As your dog progresses through the foundations, we slowly increase the launcher noise to acclimate your dog to the maximum launch distance.
The game is responsive, so if we ever see your dog looking a little unsure, we immediately slow down to give your dog time to process. Occasionally we will wait longer between launches to make sure your dog chooses to stay in front of companion eager for their next treat. The last step of foundations teaches your dog to be attentive, providing a treat when your dog looks at Companion.
Your dog will spend a few sessions on the foundations until they have learned the interaction zone, are attentive, and are comfortable with all launch distances and directions.
Read more about other Companion games here
