You may already know that your dog’s nose is stronger than yours. But did you know that working your dog’s nose is one of best ways to work their brain as well? So, why not use a very fun and engaging game like the ‘find it’ game! The ‘find it’ game not only works their nose and their brain but is a great training tool as well.
How To Start the ‘Find it’ Game
One of the best parts of the game is how low maintenance the activity is for you and your dog! It will help your pup focus their behavior, redirect their behavior and use their natural sniffing abilities. You’ll be surprised at how handy the cue ‘find it’ can be! The cue shouldn’t require you to stop what you’re doing or set anything up to prepare. The only thing you’ll need to have ahead of time are some tasty treats that your dog loves!
- Start by having your dog sit or stand in front of you. Make sure you have treats either in hand, in your pockets, or somewhere accessible.
- Take a treat and toss it on the ground in front of your dog. When you do, say ‘find it.’ It’s okay if your dog doesn’t know what this cue means yet.
- Naturally, your dog will sniff the ground and find the treat. More likely than not, they’ll come back to you for another round!
- Toss another treat, and another, and another all while saying “find it.” Make sure to switch up where you throw the treat, how far, and how often. This will keep your dog on their toes!
- As an added tip, practice throwing the treat directly behind you as well as your dog so they will have to completely change direction or move ahead. This can be useful in times where you need your dog to move away or towards something.
How the Game is Useful
With how simple it is, it may seem like there’s not many qualities to playing it. But in reality, it’s very useful for plenty of situations! For example, if you’re walking with your dog asking them to find a treat or a toy can distract them long enough to avoid unwanted situations. Or you can use ‘find it’ to reset a behavior that you want your dog to learn. Some examples of when the game is useful:
- If there is something ahead (squirrel, human, another dog) that you know your pup will react to, toss a treat away from the trigger, and as they find it, turn and walk away.
- If you’re training your dog to sit and they have their butt on the ground, they may not want to stand again since they know sitting gets them a reward. Throwing a treat and asking them to ‘find it’ will reset their brain and allow them to come back to sit again or practice a new behavior.
Have you ever played this game with your dog? How do you use this simple but effect tool during your training? We’d love to hear from you! Send a message to our training team and share your tips and tricks on ‘find it!’
