Monday, March 29th, 2010
Go Find: A game that involves sharpening your dog’s natural drive to for scenting. Dogs love to use their noses, it’s a natural talent and you can keep them mentally focused by teaching them a new game.
• Take a tiny treat make your dog sit next to you and toss the treat to the right at the same time tell your dog “go find”. Repeat the process tossing one to the left, “go find” and to the right each time placing your dog in a sit/stay.
• Then put your dog on leash and tell them to sit/stay, walk about 10 feet, then place the treat in view. Return to
their side, wait a moment and then say “go find”. If you need to, help them out a bit, walk over and point at it,
repeat this step ten times or so.
• Now have your dog sit/stay and place the treat in an obvious place, (in view of them) behind a coffee table, or
next to a potted plant, then return to their side and tell them “go find” encourage them help them out if you
need to, go point at it. Repeat this step placing the treat in obvious areas.
• This time place your dog on a sit/stay, hide a treat in two or three places (in view). Tell then “go find” now
you need to let them figure it out, you can repeat the “go find” and point but let them go get it and work to
find it.
• As they get better, hide the treats in a more difficult place so they really have to search. Under objects, inside containers that they can open, make sure they can get at it all the while hiding the treat in view of your dog.
• Last step, put him in another room and go hide some treats in an areas, bring him back to the room and tell
him to “go find”. Hopeful it provides you with some entertainment and is good mental stimulation for your
dog.
Dogs 4 Life Training and Wellness. St. Charles IL
Chrisitne Johnson