Fun Indoor Dog Games: "Where's your treats?" Roxy playing the game
Are you ever confused, or stuck with a sorry looking dog when the rain is pouring down outside? They've had their walk, have been dried off from the rain but still look a little bored?
Well, we've invented a little game with Roxy that keeps her mind occupied, and gets her some nice food too!
Instructions - first time playing the game:
1. Make sure the treats are HIGHLY visible as demonstrated in the video. You want your dog to be able to see them easily, and navigate to them with their eyes RATHER than with their nose - it seems counter-intuitive, but it will become clear later on. You simply want them to recognise the command and associate it with treats.
2. When the dog sees the treat, runs over to it and eats it, in a calm but positive voice state "Where's your treats? - Good boy/Girl!" - or your own phrase, essentially, they're familiarising a phrase with the idea that they've found something.
3. Once you've completed this game 're-set' the room with the treats in the same place - ALWAYS ensure the dog is out of the room when you place the treats back down again. This way, when the dog is let back in again after repeating the game for several times, they'll instinctively run to the same spot and get a treat - once they start doing this you know they've got the premise of the game.
3.1. If your dog appears to be struggling with finding a treat, ensure you provide him or her with a little support, not so much to give the game away, but stand in the general area, or point to, for example, the bed and encourage them to jump onto it whilst stating "Where's your treats?".
4. Once you've completed the game several times, now the fun really begins! You can then begin to move the treats into more obscure areas to ensure the dog is using their NOSE rather than their EYES to get their reward.
5. Once your dog is familiar with the command and is aware he is to check the room for treats, you'll be able to take it to different rooms and impress your family and friends!
6. Once your dog is particularly at ease with this little game, we've found incorporating little scent hunts onto Roxy's walk work brilliantly well. If you drop a treat in an obscure manner so as the dog cannot see it, then exclaim "Where's your treats?" the dog should start to check his or her immediate area for a treat. This really is great fun for both you and your dog.
Thanks for reading this (very large) description and instructions of how to play the game! :)