Seek & Find

Well, this game is exactly what it says. In their natural habitat dogs will spend most of the day foraging for food, so this game satisfies their quest, can be played indoors or out and gives the dog mental stimulation.  So, how do we teach the dog to 'find'?

Walk a few strides with the dog and discretely drop a piece of sausage (or treat) behind you. Take a few strides more with the dog, turn him round and ask him to find, at the same time as leading him the where the treat is. After just a few repetitions he will soon get the hang of it. After a couple of days, you can then make the game harder by hiding the treat around the house or garden.  But he will soon get used to the usual places and then he will rely just on looking rather than using his sense of smell as well.  So, now, we can make the game harder still by 'hiding' the treat under a piece of kitchen paper, or a pair of slippers etc.

Remember with this game that the dog must always find the treat -- if he is struggling now and then, you need to help him out a bit else he'll get bored and not want to play the game again.