This is the simplest of all scent work games for dogs. With food or a toy in only one hand, present both closed hands to the dog. Ask him, "Which one?" You may improve upon this game by insisting he touch with a paw or scratch lightly at the correct hand before receiving his treat, or simply have his nose bump your hand. If he gets it wrong, show him the correct hand but DO NOT give the treat! Just try again. Add lots of dramatic flair to this dogs love for a good show.
Athletic field marker cones can be found at Amazon or any sporting goods store. They are brilliant for scattering around your house or yard with toys or food hidden under them. Boxes or Tupperware containers, right-side up, also work in the same way.
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As you are walking, discreetly drop an object you have been carrying or had in your pocket. Continue walking for 10–15 steps, then stop as if mildly concerned, patting your pockets, and looking around. Here's your chance to really put on a performance! Ask the dog, "Where is it? Can you help me? Can you FIND IT?"
Begin walking back towards the spot where you dropped the article, encouraging the dog to sniff the ground by pointing and telling him to FIND IT. As you get closer to the object, give the dog a little room so that he can find it all by himself. If he needs help, try a subtle kick of the object (after all, you are the klutz who dropped it, why not go ahead and trip over it too?) to bring it to his attention while you pretend not to notice. Once the dog indicates the article, make a huge fuss over this genius who has saved you from dropping an old glove! Vary the type of article you use and be sure to include metal objects such as car keys, a crumpled soda can, even a ring or bracelet you have worn.
Obviously, be careful when you drop these and be sure you can find them again! Your dog's ability and willingness to work on metal could come in very handy someday should you lose your car keys.
NOTE: Metal/hard objects do not hold scent as well as fabric or leather. This does not mean that your dog can't find them, just that his reaction may be different, and he will probably have to work closer to the object before locating it.
This is a more advanced dog nose work training game, but extremely fun. Start this with a toy your dog really likes. Play with the dog for several minutes with the One & Only object you'll want the dog to find. This allows your scent (as well as lots of good dog spit) to thoroughly cover the object. Then move off to an area where you have planted several similar objects.
Throw the One & Only into that area and send your dog in with a “find it” or “search”. If the dog picks up an incorrect object, say nothing as you take it and put it down or pocket it, but with enthusiasm, give the FIND IT command again, leading the dog back to the general area to be searched if needed. Obviously, when the dog gets it right, reward this with a minute or two of play before repeating ONE & ONLY again.
I’m going to suggest something that will feel a bit like sacrilege if you are as big a fan of Kong as I am! I’m going to ask you to chop one up! Get a baby-sized red Kong and cut it into different sized chunks. Then play Indicate the Quarter (see next) but use a piece of Kong instead of a quarter. Once your dog is reliably indicating on the piece of Kong, you can start putting it in vertical surfaces and sending your dog to search/find it.
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This game is a fun way to begin teaching your dog to hover over something that you’ve sent them to search for. Be prepared with a bait pouch full of small treats (cheese, hotdog, etc). Drop a quarter on the ground and the second your dog investigates, drop a treat from above. Anytime your dog has their nose over the quarter, drop a treat from above (extra points if you hit the quarter with the treat).
Once your dog is reliably hovering over the quarter, you can slowly increase the duration. If, after getting a treat, your dog starts to focus on you (many dogs will start throwing a bunch of behaviors to see which one it was that worked), you can pick up the quarter and drop it again or simply point at it with your toe. It won’t take too many repetitions of hover = treat for your dog to learn to love quarters. BTW, my dog has played Indicate the Quarter a bunch and he has been known to point out coins to me on walks.
These fun canine enrichment activities are a fantastic way to introduce dog nose work training at home. Engage your dog’s natural abilities with these entertaining scent work games for dogs and make every training session fun and rewarding!
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