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Haley Deecken taught her dogs, Duncan and Splash, to play a color-matching version of Uno using their limited color vision and short, focused training sessions
She gradually expanded their skills to more challenging gameplay and hopes to teach them number recognition next
Deecken’s viral TikToks showcase her dogs’ playful bond and clever tricks, drawing over 2.6 million followers
When most people think of playing Uno, they imagine friends or family gathered around a table for a competitive, and likely heated, card game. However, for New York resident Haley Deecken, her game mates are her dogs, and yes, they also have strong thoughts about +2 cards.
In a viral TikTok video, Deecken plays a colorful game of Uno with her dogs, 10-year-old Duncan and 2-year-old Splash, where the pups follow the game’s rules with ease. What appears to be simple card flipping is actually the result of a carefully crafted training process that taps into the dogs’ unique vision and learning abilities.
“I started with just two colors — blue and yellow — because those are the colors they can see best,” Deecken explains in an exclusive interview with PEOPLE. “I’d place most cards as the correct color, like four blue cards around a blue one in the middle, then one yellow to set them up for success. Every time they picked the blue card, they got a reward.”
Deecken then gradually introduced the more challenging colors, red and green — colors that dogs have a harder time distinguishing. “Red looks almost like a dark grayish green to them, and green is a bit darker too,” she notes. So to guide them, Deecken would point to the cards they could choose, sometimes offering multiple options to keep the game surprising for everyone playing.
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Haley Deecken
Duncan playing Uno
Deecken shares, “Sometimes they struggle a bit with red and green, but considering those colors look pretty similar to them, they do an amazing job picking the right ones.”
The proud dog parent adds that eventually, she wants to teach her Uno-playing pooches pattern recognition, like matching the numbers on the cards, to have an even more robust game session.
Haley Deecken
Splash (left) and Duncan (right) sitting outdoors with Valentines Day decorations and flowers
While Deecken admits her dogs don’t grasp the complete rules of Uno as humans do, she believes they understand the core concept of matching colors. “They know it’s a fun game where you have to match shades,” she says. “That’s the big picture for them.”
To get the pups to this level of gaming, Deecken says she kept the training sessions short — about 15 minutes each — to maintain the dogs’ focus and enthusiasm. She estimates they did around seven or eight play sessions total before they got the hang of it.
“Dogs’ attention spans can wear down if you go too long, but short, frequent sessions keep them wanting to learn more,” she explains.
Deecken’s canine companions are no strangers to the spotlight either. Duncan, a Labrador retriever/pit bull mix, and Splash, a German shepherd/Australian shepherd/Labrador/husky mix, affectionately nicknamed “Moldy Duncan,” both work in media, appearing in commercials, movies, and television shows.
“Their experience on camera gave us a big advantage,” Deecken says. “They’re used to challenges and learning quickly while being filmed.”
Haley Deecken
Duncan (left) and Splash (right) running outdoors on a textured surface with trees in the background
And Uno isn’t the dogs’ only trick. Duncan can also play Tic-Tac-toe — a talent Deecken proudly showcases in other videos — and can even perform a playful “dropkick.” Splash has a viral trick where she pretends to take wallets out of people’s pockets when Deecken points to them (although Deecken reassures it’s all in good fun).
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Deecken’s playful training and genuine bond with Duncan and Splash have inspired many to see the surprising intelligence and adaptability of dogs. Her TikTok account, currently resting at 2.6 million followers, has grown steadily as fans tune in to witness the trio’s unique games and tricks.
“It’s really about having fun and connecting with them,” Deecken says with a joyous laugh. “If they’re enjoying it and learning something new, that’s a win for all of us.”
Read the original article on People
