Impulse Control Exercises for Dogs: 5 Flirt Pole Drills
Your dog can probably hold a sit in a quiet kitchen, and then the doorbell rings and it’s gone. These five drills work on wait and drop it and recall and “leave it” while he’s all fired up about the chase, cause that’s where those have to hold. Start with Drill 1 and don’t move on till it’s clean.
By Christopher Lee Moran, working dog trainer, around 400 client dogs · Updated October 2026
Why practice self-control with a flirt pole?
No dog is born with self-control, you have to teach it. The AKC puts it this way, a lot of common behavior problems like pulling on the leash or bursting out of a crate come down to poor self-control. The problem is a lot of people only practice when nothing interesting is going on.
With a flirt pole you get to control how exciting it gets, and your dog wants that chase bad. So every wait and every drop it happens when he’s a lot closer to doorbell or squirrel excited than quiet kitchen calm. The way I see it, that’s why it has a better shot at carrying over than kitchen practice by itself.
Before Drill 1, teach these calmly: a marker word (“yes”), a release word (“get it”), a short wait, a drop it and a “leave it.” The drop it is simple. Let him hold a toy, go still, and wait for him to let go, then mark it and give the toy right back. If a cue falls apart during any drill, don’t just stand there waiting it out, make the next rep easier.
The 5 drills
Drill 1: Wait, chase, drop-it
Hold the lure still and ask for a wait, and honestly 1 or 2 seconds is plenty at first. Then let him go with “get it” and let him chase it and catch it, and trade him for a drop it. You’ve got it when he can hold a 5 to 10 second wait and drop it within a couple seconds of the cue, and that’s gonna take a few sessions. Don’t keep saying “wait” over and over while he creeps forward. Just quit talking and go still, and reset it so he gets another shot.
Drill 1 with two dogs: one holds a down and the other a sit, and they both wait for the release.
Drill 2: Waits of different lengths
Once Drill 1 is easy, mix up the wait every rep, but stay inside what he can already handle. So maybe it’s 3 seconds, then 8, then 2, then 12 and then back down to 5. It’s clean when he holds steady up to about 12 seconds and can’t guess the rhythm. Where people go wrong is using the same count every time, so he learns the timing and never learns the skill.
Drill 3: Recall off the catch
I wouldn’t try this one until your drop it is solid. Let him go into a chase and hold the lure for 2 or 3 seconds, then call him, and the second he lets go and comes to you, get the chase going again. You’re there when he drops the lure and turns to you within a couple seconds. Don’t end the session right after the recall, or he learns that coming to you ends the fun.
Drill 4: Stop mid-chase
This one waits till Drill 3 is solid and he already knows “leave it” when he’s calm. In the middle of the chase you stop the lure dead and say “leave it” one time and then just wait. When he backs off without grabbing it, mark it and start the chase back up. Clean is him backing off on the first cue. The usual mistake is rushing into it before Drill 3 and a calm “leave it” are reliable.
Tap to play: a Plott Hound learning “leave it” with the lure right in front of him.
Drill 5: Use it where it counts
Think about where your dog falls apart, like when guests show up or at the start of a walk, and pick the three hardest ones. A little before each one, do a calm, slow version of Drill 1, mostly waits and easy releases and no fast chasing. Give him a minute to settle after, then ask for the same wait in the real situation. Skip the hard play right before a trigger. All that does is wind him up, so the real moment ends up harder for him instead of easier.
The pole I use for these drills
Rugged XL Pro Kit
- One-piece pole on a static line, so when you stop, the lure stops
- 5 lures and a spare line for daily practice
- For dogs 30 lbs and up · free US shipping
30-day money-back guarantee · usually ships within 2 days
Standard
- Kevlar line rated at 450 lbs, 1 lure
- Dogs under 30 lbs · $20 shipping
This is why the static line matters here. A bungee keeps the lure bouncing after you stop, and that makes Drill 4 close to impossible.
How to fit the drills into your week
I’d keep the sessions short, like 5 to 8 minutes most days, with a lot of easy wins mixed in so he’s not getting frustrated. Work on one new drill at a time and back up a step whenever he struggles, and if you only remember one thing, end every session on a win and put the pole away.
Reactive dogs
These drills can help a reactive dog practice waiting and backing off. But they’re not a treatment for reactivity or aggression, and I’m not gonna pretend they are. I’d practice at home first and keep real triggers far enough away that he’s OK, and you really want a qualified trainer working with you on it. A good place to start is reactive dog training.
Pause the drills if he snaps at the air, starts shaking, or stops listening to cues he knows. If that happens I’d go back to an easier drill and make the session shorter, there’s no shame in backing up.
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Quick answers
What are good impulse control exercises for dogs?
The way I see it, the big ones are waiting before he gets something he wants, drop it, coming when called away from something exciting and “leave it.” If you practice them with a flirt pole you can turn up the excitement a little at a time, so there’s a better chance they hold up in real life.
How long should impulse control sessions be?
I’d keep them pretty short, about 5 to 8 minutes most days, cause a few short sessions that go well beat one long frustrating one every time.
My dog won’t drop the lure. What do I do?
A lot of times you just have to go back to the calm drop it first. Let him hold a toy and go completely still and wait for him to let go, then mark it and give the toy right back, and once that’s easy you can try it with the flirt pole, just keep the chase slow.
Can these drills help a reactive dog?
They can help a reactive dog practice waiting and backing off, but by themselves they’re not a treatment and I’m not gonna tell you they are. Keep triggers at a distance he can handle and get a qualified trainer involved.
Do I need a flirt pole for impulse control training?
You don’t need one, but honestly it helps a lot. Your dog really wants that chase, so you get to practice self-control when he’s a lot more excited than food or a ball usually gets him, and that’s a lot closer to real life.
Control first. Then the chase.
Try it for 30 days. If it’s not a fit for your dog, email me for a refund, and return shipping is on you unless the pole failed. I’m a one-man company and I want you happy with it, so I’ll work with you.
Get the Pro Kit, $129.95Smaller dog? See the Standard, $55.95
Based on my own experience training dogs. Not veterinary advice. Exercise disclaimer.
