It’s the thrill of the chase that dogs live for—the-wind-in-the-hair moments. While fetching, running and eating treats may be a few of your dog’s favorite activities—why not combine all three into one adventure? A scavenger hunt for your dog can be a great way to spend time together, while keeping them active and fit. With a little planning and a few toys, you and your pooch will be on your way to a brand new activity. Here are a few tips to get started.
The Indoor Scavenger Hunt
If the weather is keeping you inside all day, a scavenger hunt around the house will give your pooch some much-needed exercise and a break from boredom. Begin this scavenger hunt by hiding a few toys around the house while your dog isn’t paying attention. It’s best to hide them in various rooms, adding to the hunt and chase around the house. If a few of the toys are particularly hard to find, hide one of their favorite treats near or on the toy. This way your dog can use his excellent scent skills to find the missing toy. Encourage your dog by praise every time they find one of the toys to keep them excited about what they might find next.
What to Do Outside?
If you are planning an outside scavenger hunt, pick a designated area that would be safe to hide and find toys. Whether this would be behind trees or under leaves, be sure your dog is safe from any harmful situations. When outside, it works best to hide their favorite rawhide bone or treat-filled toys so they can smell their way to their treasure. Your dog is likely to get sidetracked outdoors by other scents and friends, so it’s important to keep your dog’s attention and make the hunt a little easier.
PetFinder.com published a great how-to video on how set up a treat treasure hunt for your dog. In the video, they use an open sandbox and bury a few toys, encouraging the pup to dig them out. As noted in the video, this is a great way to teach your pooch not to dig in other areas of your yard and that the sandbox is their designated place to find toys.
Cues
In a normal game of fetch, your dog is automatically interested because they are watching you throw the toy. In a scavenger hunt, you will have to give your dog cues to “find it” or “go get it” while you are in a particular area. They will rely on your cues to find these toys, especially if hidden out of sight. Be sure to pay attention to where your dog is searching and to provide help when needed. Regardless on where you play, or how many toys your dog fetches, it’s all about the game for them, and I’m sure a few treats along the way won’t hurt.
Do you have other ideas for dog scavenger hunts? Send them our way. We love to hear how to make you and your dog’s adventure together even better.
