If your dog normally loves treats but suddenly refuses them on a walk or around other dogs, I don’t see that as “stubbornness”—I see it as information. In this video, Wallace and I work near a dog park, and I show you how the environment can be so interesting or overwhelming that food just isn’t valuable in that moment. That’s your cue your dog may be over threshold, taking in new smells, sights, and sounds, and they need help getting back to a place where they can learn. I cover two things that actually work right away. First, change the picture by increasing distance from the distraction so your dog can recalibrate—watch their body language and take their cues. Second, give them a few minutes to absorb and observe, because sometimes that alone lowers arousal enough for focus to return. Once your dog is under threshold, the reward has to be worth it, and I talk about using truly high-value reinforcers—treats and even quick games like tug or fetch—because your dog decides what’s reinforcing. I also explain why practicing skills like “leave it” and “stay” in lots of contexts is how you build real-world attention around distractions.