Blog Scent Games Your Dog Will Love
Playing scent games with your pooch can deliver dog entertainment while teaching your pup skills to unlock the power of his nose. Explore some fun games for dogs that can help develop your pet’s sense of smell.
Finding a Treat
This is one of the simplest ways to train your dog’s nose, and you probably already have everything you need. It’s as simple as hiding a treat and encouraging your pooch to find it with his nose.
But you can add extra layers to this game to complement your dog training. For example, have your dog sit and wait for you to give him a release command before he can search.
You can also find even harder hiding spots for the treats in the future. Just remember that this game will go best with treats having a stronger smell.
Choose a Hand
Choosing a hand is a variation of finding a treat and one of the nose work exercises for dogs. First, you show your pup a treat in your hand. Put your hands behind your back and move the treat to the other hand.
Bring your hands back to the front and have your furry friend sniff to figure out which hand the treat is in. When your pup paws at or noses your hand, open your hand to show if your dog found the treat.
Choose a Cup
Yet another variation of finding a treat is to use cups. Grab three identical cups and put them face down. Put a treat under one of them and move the cups around while your pup watches. You want him to find the treat. If he does, he gets to eat it.
Muffin Tin Puzzles
You can also provide dog entertainment by hiding treats in a muffin tin. Put treats into a few muffin spaces in your muffin tin. Then, cover each empty muffin hole with a tennis ball.
Your dog’s nose will help him find the tin’s holes with treats, so he knows which balls to move. Remember to put treats in different spaces next time.
Hide and Seek
Hide and seek isn’t just for kids. It is also one of the fun games for dogs to teach them a few important things. To start, it develops your dog’s sense of smell by having him find you with your scent.
It also does wonders for reinforcing basic training any animal lover should teach their pet. It will reinforce the “stay” command. It will also improve recall, meaning your pup’s willingness to come when called. Both skills will keep your pup safe and make life easier for staff members at dog boarding in West Palm Beach or anywhere else.
Nose Work With Essential Oils and Cotton Balls
If you want to go beyond smelling treats and people, you can use some official nose work exercises for dogs. The simplest method to do at home is to get three identical jars or bars. Then, put a few drops of essential oil on a cotton ball and put the cotton ball in one of the containers.
When your pup chooses the right jar, reward him with a treat or one of his favorite dog toys. You can even make this harder by spreading the jars out or adding additional scents and rewarding your pooch for focusing on a specific one.
Conclusion
With these scent games for your furry friends, you will be on your way to developing your dog’s sense of smell. As a bonus, you will keep him entertained, so he’s happy and won’t get into trouble.
Sources:
https://www.akc.org/expert-advice/training/indoor-scent-games-for-dogs/