DMT - A Dog Training Tool
DMT. It’s powerful. It can change your life and your relationship with your dog for the better.
Now… I know what you may be thinking, but don’t worry. I’m talking about a dog training game, not something out of a sci-fi movie!
Does your dog react to noises, movements, or other dogs? Do they bark, lunge, or freeze when something unexpected happens? Did you just bring home a new dog and want to help them stay neutral around distractions?
If so, Distraction-Mark-Treat (DMT) can help your dog feel calmer and more confident. This simple training tool reshapes how your dog perceives the world—let’s dive in!
Why Do Dogs React?
When something happens in the environment, your dog is either aware of it or unaware of it.
If your dog notices something, they naturally ask themselves:
"Is this important?"
- If the answer is yes, they may respond with a change in behavior—barking, lunging, freezing, biting the leash, or even running away.
- If the answer is no, they will likely ignore it and move on.
A reactive dog perceives certain things as important—even when you know they don’t need to.
Some of this comes from breeding—different breeds were developed to be hyper-aware of specific changes in their environment (and to act accordingly).
- Livestock guardians protect against predators.
- Herding dogs keep animals in line.
- Guard dogs watch for intruders.
- Hunting dogs track and alert to prey.
Even beyond genetics, experience shapes what a dog finds important.
Take my dog, Kizmo. As a puppy, he had a scary experience—a kitten knocked over a whiteboard, and it landed right on top of him! From that moment on, Kizmo was afraid of moving objects taller than him—grocery carts, brooms, bags stuck to fences, even someone carrying a mattress.
Luckily, DMT helped counter-condition those fears and build up his confidence. Nowadays, he has no concerns pushing through tight spaces or moving objects, and does so frequently in nosework class! I routinely play DMT with rescue and shelter dogs to help build resilience.
What is DMT?
DMT stands for:
- Distraction – Something in the environment that catches your dog’s attention.
- Mark! – A special word to tell your dog, “Hey, I see that too! It's nothing to worry about."
- Treat – A reward that elicits a calming emotional response.
What Counts as a Distraction?
A distraction is anything your dog notices. Your dog’s reaction will help you gauge how difficult it is for them. For some dogs, a person walking by the house is a low-level distraction; for others it is a high-level distraction!
| Distraction Level | Examples | Common Reactions |
|---|---|---|
| Low | Distant noises, slow movements, unfamiliar objects | Head turn, ears perked or pulled back, eyes widen, lip licking |
| Mid | People passing by, other dogs at a distance, sudden sounds | Staring, tail tucked or straight up in the air, change in pace, small growl |
| High | Dogs approaching or barking, excessive loud noises, stranger entering the house | Lunging, intense barking or growling, freezing in place |
How to Teach DMT in 3 Simple Steps
- Pick a Marker Word
- Choose something calm and neutral—you’ll say this a lot!
- Examples: "Nice," "It’s okay," "Gooood."
- Build the Association
- Say your marker word in a calm tone → then give your dog a treat.
- Repeat 3-8 times in a quiet, low-distraction area.
- Repeat this step several times. The goal is to help your dog learn that the calm marker word predicts something good.
- When you notice your dog turning her attention to you, expecting a treat when hearing your marker word, you know you’ve made progress!
- Apply in Real Life
- When you or your dog notices a distraction, say your marker word BEFORE they react.
- Follow up with a reward (treat, sniffing, distance from trigger).
- Important note: Start with low-level distractions and gradually work up! If your dog is too overwhelmed to eat or respond, you may need to create more space or start with easier situations.
Examples in Action
- Sue’s Lab mix lifts his head when her 5-year-old walks into the room. Sue says, “Niiiice” and hands him a treat.
- Dan is walking his dog when a car stops at a sign, making a loud squealing noise. Dan calmly says, “Niiiice” and scatters a few treats on the ground, further away from the vehicle.
- Lexi’s new dog starts barking when a neighbor walks by with their dog. Lexi says, “Niiiice. Let’s go, bud!”, walks inside to create distance, and gives her dog a treat in the house before heading back out to play after the neighbor is out of sight.
Why Does DMT Work?
DMT uses classical conditioning—pairing a stimulus (the distraction) with a positive, calming experience. Once your dog has built the DMT marker cue association, you then layer in distractions to decrease the intensity of your dog's reaction AND change how they feel about the distraction!
Layering DMT for Powerful Change
- 🧠 Your dog hears their DMT marker cue → Receives a reward.
- 🧠 The word becomes associated with a calm, pleasant state
- 🧠 Over time, distractions = calm, rather than stressful or exciting.
Pro Tip: Toss treats on the ground away from the distraction! Scatter feeding a few feet away from a distraction encourages your dog to sniff and forage—two naturally calming behaviors. In fact, scent-based activities like this have been shown to help dogs lower their heart rate and develop emotional regulation skills, contributing to reduced reactivity over time. (Learn more)
Want to dive deeper into the science? Check out:
- Intro to Classical Conditioning
- Deeper Dive into Classical Conditioning
- Real Life Classical Conditioning with Denise Fenzi
Ready to Start?
- 🎯 Step 1: Pick your DMT marker word and practice at home
- 🎯 Step 2: Start using it with low-level distractions and build up gradually
- 🎯 Step 3: Stay consistent & celebrate small wins!
- Bonus: Download the Progress Tracker to track your progress! (Or view the complete DMT workbook from Absolute Dogs.)
Need help? DMT is one of many tools I use in behavior consulting. If your dog struggles with fear, reactivity, or over-arousal, let’s work together!
Questions? Tag us on Facebook or Instagram or email katie@krdogtraining.com!
Final Thoughts
DMT is not a magic fix—but it’s a powerful tool that helps dogs learn to navigate the world with confidence.
By making distractions less important, DMT helps turn reactivity into neutrality—one calm marker word at a time.
This blog post is inspired from the Distraction-Mark-Treat (DMT) game taught by Absolute Dogs, and adapted here with additional insights from my work with rescue and shelter dogs.