Dogs familiarize themselves with the world through scent. Your dog’s nose is always hard at work. Providing scent games to stimulate your dog’s mind can offer enrichment and purpose for your pup’s schnoz and brain. This guide provides insight into the importance of nose work for your dog and some scent games to try.
The Sense Behind Scent Games
Our dogs can learn so much from smells but can’t always communicate this information to their owners. Introducing scent games into your daily habits can help teach your dog how to translate this information to you. Humans have 6 million olfactory receptors; dogs have 300 million. This is why dogs are so good at search and rescue and can alert us to things far before we are aware of them. Organizing scent games at home will help you exercise and hone this skill while giving your pup a little mental stimulation. Here are some great scent games to get you started:
Hiding Food
One of the simplest scent games you can play is hiding food throughout your space and challenging your dog to find it. Since this game requires virtually no setup, you can easily do it at home or while traveling. Start by placing a few pieces of food out in the open—like the middle of the living room. Once your dog gets a good whiff (and a taste), place pieces of food in other spots around the house. As your dog gets more experienced with the game, vary your hiding places and the time of day you play to keep her on her toes (or paws).
A Homemade Food Puzzle
While there are plenty of excellent food puzzle options to buy, you probably have all you need at home to make one that is just as effective. Simply place a few treats into a couple of holes in a muffin tin. Then, cover every hole with a tennis ball (twelve total). Your dog must find the food by moving the balls out of the way. Mix up the game each time you play by using a different amount of treats in various locations.
Hide and Seek
As your dog advances with scent games, you can make them more challenging by using yourself as the bait. Wait until your dog is distracted or in another room to find a hiding place, then wait until your pup comes looking. When she finds you, be sure to offer her a reward and plenty of praise. Try it outdoors if you want to take the game to the next level. Just be sure you’re in a dog-friendly spot, and you have a friend or family member with you for safety.
You can play many nose-work scent games with your dog. The American Kennel Club lists a few more, and there are plenty of ideas online.
Union Lake Pet Services is here for you if your pet needs a little help learning a new skill. Our impressive selection of training classes means that you can find the one that teaches your dog the skills he or she really needs. Call (248) 363-6262 to learn more about our training, boarding, and daycare services.