Everyone knows that dogs need physical exercise. However, our canines need plenty of mental stimulation too. Most breeds were bred for a specific purpose, but in our modern world, more and more dogs are kept as purely companion animals. They often spend a lot of their time doing nothing, which can lead to boredom.
A bored dog is often not a good dog. They may try to make their own fun, which may lead to destruction and misbehavior. To avoid this, you should provide your dog with plenty of stimulating activities.
For practically all dogs, nose work games can provide this stimulation. Of course, these games may interest hounds the most, as they were bred to use their sniffers. However, all dogs have a much better nose than humans and may benefit from these games.
The 6 Simple Nose Work Games to Play With Your Dog
1. Guess Which Hand
You can play a fairly simple game using only your hands and some smelly treats. This game is a variation of one we probably all played in the schoolyard at some point. Simply put your hands behind your back, and place a treat in one of them. Then, present both hands closed to your dog. The idea is that they should smell your hands and signal which one has the treat in it.
You don’t need to train an official signal for this purpose. Instead, you only need to let your dog indicate which one has the treat (by licking, sniffing, or even pawing). Then, open your hand and let them have their reward. If your dog guesses wrong, open your hand to show them that it is empty. Then, put your hands behind your back, and wait for 3–5 seconds before you let them try again. You want your dog to learn that guessing correctly is required to get the reward.
Be sure to switch hands regularly to prevent your dog from simply assuming that one hand is always right.
2. Find It
This nose work game is also fairly easy (and you may have even played it before without knowing it). Simply toss a treat onto the floor in front of your dog, and let them find it. Most of the time, the dog will find it very easily. However, once the dog figures out what’s going on, you can start to increase the difficulty. Throw the treat farther away, and use smaller pieces to encourage your dog to use their nose.
We love to use this game as a warmup to more difficult games. It’s also a good place to start for younger dogs. Canines that aren’t hounds may also find this game a bit more on their level.
3. Cups
This game is similar to the cup guessing game at the carnival. You’ll need three different paper cups, though you should start with only one cup, as you need to first teach your dog what to do. Place a treat on a flat surface, ideally at your dog’s height. Cover it with the upside-down cup. The moment that your dog touches the cup to sniff it, lift it and let them have the treat. Repeat this until the dog learns that they should touch the cup to get the treat. You can then introduce the second cup, but you should place the treat under only one of them and move the cups around so they aren’t in their original places. Let your dog sniff the cups to figure out which one contains the treats.
If your dog picks correctly, let them eat the treats. If not, try again. This is a bit of an advanced game, so you may need to give your dog multiple tries. We also recommend using smelly treats, especially when first teaching the game. Once the dog is successful with two cups, you can introduce a third one.
4. Empty Boxes
For this game, you’ll need several different boxes. Cardboard boxes work best, though you can technically use any container that isn’t translucent.
First, simply leave all the boxes open. Lay them on the floor near each other and place a treat in one of them. Your dog should sniff the boxes until they find the treat inside. Be sure that your dog instantly gets the reward.
Next, you can close the boxes or add lids. Once your dog signals the correct box, open it and let them have their reward. As with other games, only provide a treat when your dog guesses at the right box. Otherwise, they may just start picking random boxes for their reward.
5. Muffin Tin Game
This game is very simple. Grab a muffin tin and some smelly treats. Then, place the treats in some of the cups on the muffin tin, and let your dog get sniffing. In the beginning, this should be very simple. Your dog shouldn’t have to work hard for the treats.
However, you should then increase the difficulty by adding a barrier. Tennis balls work well in most muffin tins. You want your dog to be able to smell the treats and move the appropriate barrier.
This game is fairly simple, but it can provide a fun introduction to nose work.
6. Hide-and-Seek
An advanced (but very fun) game is hide-and-seek. You’ll need two people for this game—one to work as the handler and one to hide. Children love playing this game with their canine companions, so be sure to give them the chance to play if they’re interested.
First, put your dog in a sit-and-stay position. Then, have the other person go and hide. Make the first spot very easy, such as just on the other side of a doorway. Once the person is ready, let them call for the dog. They should have treats on hand to praise the dog for finding them.
Once successful, praise your dog and give them the treat. Once the dog understands the game, we recommend making it more difficult. You can begin to hide in more difficult places. Just be sure your dog can actually access them.
You can also take this game outside to work on your dog’s recall. If your dog will come when you call while hiding, they will likely come when you aren’t hiding too.
Conclusion
Nose work games can be very fulfilling for all dogs, especially hounds. Therefore, we highly recommend all dogs partake in nose work. Those that are commonly bored will probably benefit the most from these games, though.
The only way to know if your dog will like these nose-work games is to give them a try. Since all dogs are curious sniffers, we bet that most will enjoy them!
We’ve provided several different options at different difficulty levels to help you decide which one is best for your canine. However, if possible, we do recommend trying more than one game out.
Featured Image Credit: olginaa84, Pixabay
