The Possession Games is a pillar in Ivan’s Training Without Conflict™ training system. While traditional trainers spend a lot of time using food to reward behaviors, Ivan focuses his efforts on teaching and playing games with his dogs. 

Imagine playing basketball without the baskets, or football without goals, it would be quite pointless, but unfortunately this is how trainers interact with their dogs. 

Most trainers use some form of play as a reward for behaviors, but this is not even remotely close to the type of games Ivan teaches in this lesson.

Possession Games is not a simple game that offers reward bites for behaviors, it is not an “activity” that focuses on bite presentations and “misses”! 

Possession Games are highly interactive, purpose driven games that develop communication skills, mental and physical endurance, self-confidence, reliability and much more! There is a balance between authority, friendship, freedom and obligation that governs the relationship between dog and trainer. 

Ivan’s Possession Games maintains and repairs (when needed) this balance which is far more important than rewarding simple behaviors in the Training Without Conflict™ system. 

All dogs and trainers, including pet dogs, shy dogs, aggressive dogs, service dogs, detection dogs, sport dogs, etc... will improve their level of focus, motivation, self-confidence, communication skills, mental and physical endurance. 

As a trainer if you learn how to teach a game, and create the right level of competition, with its objectives, rules, penalties you will be accomplishing something much deeper than just teaching and rewarding behaviors!