Hide and Seek

Teach your dog to play hide and seek – teach him to use his brain and his nose to seek you out!

If your dog has a rock solid sit, stay you can play alone – otherwise you will need a helper to hang onto your dog while you hide! Begin this game by making it easy for him, ask him to sit and stay, or have your helper stay with him. Hide just behind the door or round the corner in the next room. You can call out to your dog, or have your helper ask your dog to ‘go find!’. This one should be easy – he should come straight around the corner and find you – give him lots of happy praise when he does!

Play the game at this simple level for a while your dog gets the idea, then you can start to make it more challenging for him. Hide further away, behind objects or under things. When your dog

understands that the aim of the game is to seek you out he will search the house looking for you – or he will sniff you out!  Always greet him with happy praise and a treat if you have one. When your dog is a master at this game try different variations – hiding with all the lights out so that he has to use his nose, hiding in the garden, or hiding under a towel or blanket. This game is

stimulating for your dog – and lots of fun when he finds you. Try teaching your dog the names of family with the help of this game. Present a member of the family to the dog and say their name a couple of times ‘Judy, Judy’ then ask your dog to wait while they hide in the next room, ask your dog to ‘Find Judy’. Repeat a couple of times, and then move on to another family member ‘David… Find David’. Your dog should be familiar with the ‘Find’ command from playing hide and seek. Soon he will make the connection between the name ‘Judy’ or ‘David’ and the family member he has to find.