DOG GAMES

Dog Games: Find It!

Find It! is an amazing way to channel your dog’s love for sniffing while providing mental enrichment. Read to learn how you can teach your dog this canine enrichment game!
Table of contents
We often forget that our dogs perceive the world less visually, and more through their sense of smell. In fact, our dogs’ noses are said to be about 10,000 to 100,000 times better than ours at sniffing. It is no wonder that they excel at scent and detection work. While our companion dogs may not need to be trained to have that level of olfactory proficiency, it is ideal to give them a good outlet for their sniffing & scenting impulses.
“Find It” is a good canine enrichment game that helps teach your dog to put their nose to work. It is especially ideal to keep scent hound breeds such as Beagles, Dachshunds, Basset hounds, or even our Indies busy. As you practise the game more and more with your dog, you can progress to teaching them to not only find treats but also non-food items like your socks or toys, and gradually also take the game in an outdoor environment!

Difficulty: Medium to Difficult
 
Ingredients: Your dog’s treats and toys

How to Play This Canine Enrichment Game

Level 1
  1. Begin with having your dog in a Stay/Wait position. If your dog does not know these commands, you can hold your dog on its leash.
  2. Get some bite-sized but high-value treats in your hand and show them to your dog.
  3. Scatter the treats on the ground in front of them, say “Find it” and allow your dog to get them. Praise them once they get it.
  4. Do this twice or thrice, gradually increasing the distance from your dog.

Level 2
  1. Get your dog back in the Stay/Wait position.
  2. Show them a treat in your hand and while they are watching, place it at a short distance behind some furniture that is easily accessible.
  3. Say your cue word “Find It” and allow them to go get it.
  4. Repeat this exercise a few times, hiding the treat in different but visible spots while your dog is watching. Remember to say “Find it” each time before they are asked to go get the treat.

Level 3
Once your dog understands the rules of the game, pretend to hide the treats in one spot. But actually, hide it in another close by. Now ask your dog to “Find It!”
And just like that, watch the magic of your dog using their nose!

Level 4
Once your dog masters the “Find it” with treats, you can up their scenting game by teaching them to find their favourite toys or small objects like old socks, etc. To introduce scenting to your dog, follow the same steps mentioned above. Before you begin the game, however, build up the excitement towards the toy by being excited and teasing your dog with the toy before.

Level 5
Take your “Find it” game to new heights by changing the surroundings you practise it in, be it in a different room, to begin with, to have small sessions on your walks outside. The more you challenge your dog, the more your dog is likely to be better at it.

Voila! Your dog is on its way to being the next best detection hound in town!

Points to Remember

  1. As it goes with most canine enrichment games, remember to increase the difficulty levels of the game only after your dog is comfortable and finds it easy to find the treats at the level they are at.
  2. Always have your dog on a leash, or a long leash while practising outdoors. 
Watch Shobhit and Drogo demonstrate what a good game of “Find It” looks like!
So, what are you waiting for? Try out Find It with your dog today. Share videos with us @thepack.in to be featured on our Instagram page!
Happy Pet Parenting!
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