We’re sharing 5 game ideas you can play to entertain your dog at home.
- Which Hand Do I Have the Treat in?
This involves hiding your dog’s favorite treat in one hand. Then, place both hands in front of your puppy and allow them to choose a hand. If they sniff, or if they’re experienced in the game and paw at the correct hand, open your hand and give them the treat. - Chase the Prey
This is a game for dogs in which, using a flirt pole (a rod, cane, or long stick with a string attached), you tie a toy or other lure to the string. The idea is to start dragging it slowly and stop occasionally, rather than waving it quickly. Slow chasing helps your dog learn to focus.
Let them catch the lure occasionally as a reward, as if you don’t let them do it occasionally, they could get discouraged and lose interest in the game.
- Shells
For this game, you’ll need three cups, glasses, or something similar. Place a treat under one of the cups and allow the dog to select the cup where they think the treat is.
You can wait and not reveal the treat to see if your dog gives you some kind of response, such as coming forward to sniff or touching it with their paw. At that moment, we recommend revealing the treat to teach them the correct choice.
Once they’ve learned the rules of the game, you can start moving the shells so they lose their visual reference and have to work with their nose.
- Hide and Seek
Hide and seek is a great mental game for dogs. Hide a treat in a hard-to-reach place and leave a scent trail by rubbing it in certain spots along the way.
Use words like “hot” and “cold” as the dog moves toward or away from the treat. Change the tone from “cool” (calm) to “warm” and “hot” (more energetic); this will also develop their listening comprehension.
Just like Hide the Treat, hide-and-seek will also put their scent-tracking skills into play. It also gives you the opportunity to practice commands like “stay” and “come.”
Have your dog stay while you hide. When you’re in position, tell them to come and praise them when they find you. If they don’t know how to stay yet, have someone distract them until you call them.
- Find the Treats
Hide some treats for your puppy in different places around a room (remember to place them in places you won’t mind the dog searching for). Ask them to stay while you do this or let them wait outside the room. At first, hide 3 or 4 treats in easy-to-find places. Once your puppy can find them easily, gradually open up rooms and place more treats throughout the house.
To make it more challenging, you can place the treats at different heights (i.e., not all on the floor). Remember, the key is to encourage your puppy to use their nose to find the treats, not their eyes.
You’re now ready for a fun-filled day with your puppy! See you next time for more tips.