How to you help a dog learn emotional and physical self-control?

One way to teach the dog emotional and physical self-control is to use 'distractions' so the dog learns to ignore the 'distractions' and instead do the job at hand.

Here is Bella, a white uncropped, undocked white Boxer rescue who came initially as an 'aggressive' dog.  Bella's owner, Ethan, has been a stellar student, followed the homework religiously, asked excellent questions, posted videos so the Instructor's can review and is a top graduate of the Elementary Class. 

Ethan and Bella are now in the Middle School Class and here in the below photo sequence Bella is doing the Sit for Exam.  She breaks her Sit/Stay so we help her learn emotional and physical self-control by adding 'distractions' i.e two humans walking close to her in many directions, until she opts to ignore us completely. By the time we finished, the two humans were doing the child game of "Patty Cake" directly behind Bella who ignored our silly game totally. 

Atta girl, Bella...you are learning!

 

 First attempt at a Sit for Exam

 

 
 

Bella breaks on the Sit for Exam

 





 

Bella needs extra help, so we add 'distraction's in the form of more humans approaching her.

The final test?

 

"Patty cake, Patty cake, Baker's Man,

Make me a cake as fast as you can..."

 

Of course, Bella thinks we are NUTS, but she held her Sit/Stay regardless of our silly games.