Play+ | The Process Philosophy of Play Podcast

I break down why most of my work with dogs isn’t building behaviors but exploring the solution space —where achievement and earned opportunities become intrinsically motivating rather than cookie-dependent. You’ll learn how Initiative Transfers (taking turns, passing the ball) structure every interaction whether you acknowledge them or not, why most engagement problems stem from poor initiative tr...

I explore prospective reading —using perceptual information that specifies future states to stay ahead of the action—and why handlers need to develop the same awareness skills dogs naturally use for coupling. You’ll learn how awareness precedes and governs attention (rather than the reverse), why attention collapses awareness and shrinks your ability to pick up relevant information, and how shared...

I break down Csikszentmihalyi’s Flow Theory —the four requirements and four feelings —showing how they map onto PLAY+’s physical-mental dipolar structure and why they naturally emerge from enriched marking and intentional play. You’ll learn how to use the Flow map to diagnose your dog’s subjective tone (bored, anxious, worried, aroused, control, relaxed, apathy, or flow), then aim toward the flow...

I break down the dipolar structure of play —Now as the static proposition (cue-aporia-trigger) where handlers have initiative, and Next as emergent interaction where dogs lead and handlers must become opportunity. You’ll learn why engagement problems are really Next phase problems, how Next always precedes Now (you enter training through emergent interaction, not static setup), and why traditional...

I break down the four PLAY+ markers—Inceptive, Expectant, Prospective, and Terminal—showing how each serves distinct functions beyond traditional operant conditioning. You’ll learn how Inceptive Markers highlight coupling moments without breaking flow, how Expectant Markers build drama and leverage expectancy, how Prospective Markers enable dogs to finish skills with intent toward the next action,...

Why does your dog do what they do? “For the cookie” hides an entire layer of reality. This episode explores Subjective Aim—what you and your dog are actually trying to accomplish—and why misaligned aims create most training problems. I break down how synthetic success fools us into thinking we’re aligned, why “because that’s where the cookies happen” dismisses your dog’s actual decision-making, an...

I break down the Cue-Trigger process, why the pause matters for controlling energy and flow, and how attuned cuing enables prospective control—your dog staying ahead of the action instead of just reacting. You’ll learn why matching your markers to your dog’s subjective tone matters, how awareness harnesses attention for seamless coordination, and the mechanics of split-second teamwork. MerkiDu, Ke...

I crack open Reinforcement - the black box hiding nine intrinsic properties that create meaning between dog and handler. You’ll discover why high-value treats can punish behavior, how consistency kills motivation, and what your dog actually experiences beyond simple stimulus-response. These properties reveal agency, understanding, and partnership that behaviorism systematically obscures. By the en...

Here’s an audio rendition of the Black Boxes of Meaning series . This is the first 5 chapters of my recent blog series over on Substack read by yours truly. This lays out the background required to actually see what’s happening with the PLAY+ Primal Games. The Primal Games are simple, easy, and fun, but if you’re not prepared, you’ll only see what you already know how to do. That’s been a stumblin...

Here’s an audio version of the first piece in the PLAY+ Flow Theory series. Check it out in text and images here: This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit playplus.substack.com/subscribe

Flatwork in disc dog freestyle is a dynamic form of coupling. Dog and handler adopt and maintain a coupled relationship of team movement. This coupled relationship is often hidden or overwhelmed by the “flatwork maneuver”, the interpretation of flatwork as a trick or series of tricks: Front Cross, Rear Cross (Squib), Flank, and Pass. Coupling is not well understood in general, and it’s absolutely...

Watching this and it just looks like good dog training. Not great, maybe not even good. I’m sure you could “get it” faster. But get what? What exactly did you see here? Was it what we did? Did you see what we were trying to do? What were we trying to do anyway? Questions Come Before Answers It’s true, LuLu Du and I were working the pedestal. She Gave Attention. We jumped the gap. I told her Off, a...