Inclement Weather Activities Series: Hide and Seek

Back again for more Inclement Weather Activities! Who knew "Hot and Humid" would turn out to be inclement??  With that said, heat can be particularly oppressive especially for certain breeds of dogs!  Here is a a fun game you and your dog can play in the convenience of your comfortably air conditioned home. 

The Find It Game 

This extremely easy game is just how it sounds... "Find It”! Not too many things are as fun as sniffing out food as far as your dog is concerned. Start by showing your dog a piece of dry food or a tiny treat. Say “Find it!” and toss the food on the ground. Some dogs may need you to start by dropping the treat right in front of them. As they catch on you can toss the treat farther and farther away.  For really active dogs you can feed them their entire meal this way should you choose to.  If your dog already has a good handle on stay you can now teach your dog a more challenging version of this game.

Time to play!  

1. Ask your dog for a Sit or a Down before you begin the game.   
2. Put your dog in a Stay while you hide the treat behind or under something ( make sure not to hide the treat in or under things that you don't want your dog to normally play with, like your favorite shoes or bag).  
3. Come back, release your dog from the stay, and say "FIND IT"!

I like to give my dogs feedback, so whenever they find a treat successfully, I let them know I approve of what they're doing by saying, "Yes!"

Remember, always make rules to any game and if your dog doesn't want to play by the rules the game should end for a bit.  When your dog and you get really good at this game you can advance to making the hidden item in “Find It”  a person or a toy, this turns the game into "Hide-and-Seek". Enlist a family member or a friend to play — one to go hide, the other to stay with the dog and encourage them to find the one who’s hiding. Make a big deal over your dog's success and I promise you and your dog never had such fun.  Keep visiting the Zen Dog Training Blog for more Inclement Weather Activities!

For more information on dog training the Zen Dog way, visit Zen Dog Training Online.