Engage/Disengage vs. Look at That Game

Ever hear trainers talk about “Look at That” vs. “Engage/Disengage” and wonder what the difference actually is?

They’re closely related, and both incredibly useful, but they’re not quite the same.

Look at That (LAT)

This game comes from Leslie McDevitt’s Control Unleashed program. The idea is simple:

- Your dog looks at a trigger (another dog, person, etc.)

- You mark (“yes” or click) the moment they look

-  Then reinforce

The goal is to teach your dog that noticing the trigger is safe and predicts good things. Over time, you get a dog who can calmly look at something that used to cause a reaction.

Engage/Disengage

This is more of a progression of that same idea.

-  First, your dog engages (looks at the trigger)

-  Then, they choose to disengage (look back at you)

At first, you may mark both the look and the look away—but the real goal is this:

Your dog starts to automatically check in with you after noticing something interesting or concerning.

So what’s the key difference?

LAT focuses on reinforcing the act of looking.

Engage/Disengage focuses on reinforcing the choice to look away and reconnect with you.

Why does this matter?

Because LAT helps change your dog’s emotional response to triggers, while Engage/Disengage builds real-life skills—like choosing you over the environment.

Both are powerful. And when used together? That’s where the magic really happens.

If you’ve got a dog who struggles with reactivity, these are absolute game-changers.