PLAY+ Flow Theory Part 2 | The Next Now Cycle & Flow Correspondence

Emergent Engagement: Harnessing the Rhythm of Next Now

What Is the Next Now Cycle?

The Next Now cycle is the rhythm engine of PLAY+. It captures how static propositions (Now) evolve into emergent interactions (Next). Play and Flow are emergent activities that can’t be planned or trained, they can only be handled. The Next Now cycle is a dipolar map of the trick and the emergent interaction that follows–it’s the pulse of play.

NOW: The Cue sets the Tone, Aporia… creates expectancy, and the Trigger launches and affords Achievement. NEXT: As the dog engages with the opportunity, the handler prepares, reads the situation, and becomes the opportunity—initiating fluid, dynamic coupling where skill, awareness, and timing converge in real-time. After becoming the Opportunity seizes the Initiative the handler decides whether to continue flowing or reset for another rep.

Improvisational Arts: Jazz solos, improv theater, or dance begin with a theme (Now), a cue or beat break (marker/trigger), then a spontaneous riff (Next).
Team Sports: A play call (Now) sets formation; the snap or whistle (trigger) launches live, unfolding strategies (Next).
Collaborative Design: A brief or client request (Now) frames the challenge; an ideation session kickoff (marker/trigger) births evolving prototypes (Next).

Now is Training

Now is the phase of the play cycle that trainers are prepared for. The standard ABC model, in simple terms, is: give the cue (antecedent) so the dog does it (behavior) and then have a party (consequence). It’s essentially Cue–Behavior–Cookie. PLAY+ adds a pregnant pause and Trigger after the Cue to build expectancy and maintain control over the start of the action or skill. We also put the achievement and consequence into the next cycle of play.

Now is covered by Behaviorism and R+ cover quite well. This is the Studio Trick, a decoupled behavior, that is likely to start from a standard position. This is what PLAY+ would call an Action. If it required information from the environment and/or dynamic coupling with the handler or target, it would be a Skill.

Now is of the complicated domain, that means it’s mechanical and predictable. With enough information and proper behaviors we can do it. Now is an offer to try something and the dog either does it or not. The point is that Now is static and propositional,”Let’s do this thing.”

Sounds like dog training, right? But once the trick goes off what happens? What’s Next?

Next is Handling

Next is the emergent phase of the play cycle, and it’s not covered in R+ or Behaviorism.

It’s what happens after we do the thing, throw the cookie, or achieve our goal. More often than not, at this time, new trainers are having a party and experienced trainers are preparing for the next rep. It’s cool, the dog has the initiative here anyway.

Experienced handlers and PLAY+ practitioners are reading the dog and coupling to facilitate next, whether it’s another repetition for Studio Tricks and static work, or dynamic coupling in the Next phase of the play cycle to keep the flow going. Next is completely unpredictable, it is in flux and flow. This is where PLAY happens.

In the Now phase, the handler has the initiative. In the Next phase, the dog has the Initiative and the handler has to get it back from a dog who has just achieved and is currently leading the team. Handlers create opportunities that seize the initiative, they don’t grab cookies and reinforce behaviors. Which behavior?

Next Now IS Engagement

The back side of the proposition, Next, is where the action is. It’s where the novelty is. It’s where flow is. It’s where the fun is. Anyone having engagement problems is having a problem navigating the complex domain of Next. Next Now isn’t just a clever term…

What happens as you set up to train a Studio Trick like, Sit Pretty in the kitchen? What happens before you give the cue?

Next Always Precedes Now

Here’s a Next Now map with Next before Now. This is how we enter into all training and play. There is always emergent interaction before the proposition of Play. You don’t know exactly how or where you’re gonna get started until you get there. This is what is being explored and embodied in the Primal Game: Where is the Handler?

Just like Engagement starts with Dismissal, Now Springs from of Next. And the quality of Now is dependent upon the quality of the Next that led to it. How did you bring the dog into the activity? Was it fun? Was it coupled? Intentional? You yell at the dog? Get frustrated? Make several bids for Attention? Did the dog get distracted? Were you ready? Got a cookie in your hand? Did you catch that Attention? Did you have to recall?

Or did you become Opportunity, Connect and couple into position, mark and deliver a pregnant pause… Now you’re ready. It was smooth, flowing, fun and the dog is wondering what’s gonna happen. This is engagement.

Example: Project Liquid CupCake

This disc session with CupCake was all about the running vaults and running vaults cannot be done as Studio Tricks. They have to be coupled on the fly; a Next phase is required to hook up for these kinds of tricks. I was trying to keep things interesting and set up these 3 running vault Attempts: 1 Clockwise and 2 Counter Clock.

There is not much Now going on in this session. Now is where we implement plans, do repetitions, control and constrain behavior, and use reward schedules and reinforce behaviors. The perspective and vocabulary from R+ and behaviorism is just not germane to emergent play. Dogmatic or direct application of theory as a solution to trouble with this type of play is likely to fail.

Throughout this session I was watching and reading CupCake and she was watching and reading me. I aimed to give my cues at moments of coupling and she aimed to be aware of my cues and triggers so she could keep the flow going. You could say the cookie was Next Now on this one for sure. Crackin’ training session (Oi! Sim).

PLAY+ is All About Next! Now!

Play is an emergent activity and the Next phase is emergent interaction. To set up the play, Now is required. Play that starts with a simple, known proposition is likely to get the game off on the right foot.

Flow smoothly into Now with an Expectant Marker and pause… and the dog is likely engaged in the proposition phase. Now, Attention and patience make the game happen. Play the game well and we’ll flow.

What could be better than that?

Flow Theory Overlay

Now Is Clear Goals and Matched Challenge

We’ve covered these 4 Requirements of Flow already, but not from this vantage point. The Now phase affords the handler control to construct the desired situation, much like I was doing with CupCake using the around and with the rear cross. I was using these skills specifically to create a Matched Challenge to Skill.

I use skills that we have experience with. I’ve paid attention in the past so I know how she releases. I kind of know where I want the approach to come from. My experience and Awareness affords me the control and understanding to Match Challenge to Skill, meeting one of the key requirements for Flow Theory.

The Now phase affords a reliable situation where I can see my goals clearly. It affords a clear Aim; all I have to do is make a throw that affords the approach.

Throughout the session I use Enriched Marking to inform and motivate CupCake–to push information at her. I give cues on moments of coupling (Prospective Marker) and I use a bunch of Inceptive Marking (marking skills mid-chain, in flow). This communication helps shape her Subjective Aim (set her goals).

Next Delivers Immediate Feedback and Merges Action and Awareness

The Next phase delivers Immediate Feedback and requires the Merging of Action & Awareness. Enriched Marking is doing a lot of work here; Inceptive & Prospective Marking serves as the mechanism for Immediate Feedback and the consistent communication helps to sharpen Awareness, Actions, and Skills while flowing.

Consequent interaction and flow require the merging of Action and Awareness. Humans often have to learn how to find and pick up relevant information, while dogs do this naturally.

Flow is a product of knowing the process and how it plays out. I know how my dog releases, I know that after she achieves I gotta become Opportunity. So I watch: Awareness. Then I act.

Enriched Marking during the Next phase also helps to set Clear Goals, discloses mini-goals, and delivers clarity–even while jamming like crazy.

Takeaways

The Next Now cycle is the pulse of PLAY. It’s an infinite loop, repeating endlessly and always on the mind and in the body. It can spiral too. The skills CupCake and I did can be broken down into small little nows and tiny pulses of nexts. Every time the coupling changes it can be either Now or Next, depending on who has the initiative.

Each stage of the cycle is a moment of coupling and is available for Inceptive or Prospective Marking. Expectant Marking–mark & pause… creates expectancy, enhancing flow and bringing us into the Now.

Flow is coupled, efficient, starting and stopping and dynamic pace. It’s much more than simply keeping it moving.

Join my classes by becoming a Patron of Pawsitive Vybe - or join the substack here – it is embarrassingly cheap. Stay tuned here... This place is gonna drop some serious content even for freebie-friends, so subscribe in order to keep up with the happenings & opportunities to play.
Peace & Happy Jamming!