I'll bet
your dog is really a joy! It is amazing the
natural ability that canines have for
sniffing things out! Truly they are a
wondrous thing to watch. Many dogs love to
dig around in the water, some find rocks
thrown by their owners into the water and
actually dive under and retrieve the very
same rock with the owners scent on it!
You
can teach your dog lots of scenting games
and it will be fun for just about anyone in
your family. Try this with your dog. You
rub a stick in your hands, put the stick
among other sticks that look almost the
same. Ask your dog to get the stick. When
he picks up the stick with your scent on it
praise him/her and give lots of pets and
hugs. After practice your dog will go right
to the stick with your scent on it.
Sure you can teach your dog to find you in
your yard or at home. Your dog must be VERY
friendly, not afraid of you or strangers in
order to play this game safely. Don't play
this game if your dog nips at the legs of
people running by it or if your dog is
scared in anyway. Have an adult supervise
the game at first, and read these
instructions to you so that you know you are
getting it right.
Teaching
your dog to find you starts with a hide and
seek game. A person who is familiar or a
friend of the dog holds your dog still
(gently) while you run away, a very short
distance, holding your dog's favorite toy or
treat. Before you run, you show the toy or
treat to the dog, calls its name and runs
away from the dog, all the while calling the
dog's name and jumping up and down
enthusiastically. You hide behind a tree or
the couch if you are playing inside. The
person holding the dog says to the dog
"find-em" and then releases your dog. The
dog is excited and runs to find you. As
soon as the dog gets to you the dog gets its
favorite toy or treat and it has learned
that fun things happen when it finds
people. After your dog is used to finding
you, you can show it how it can find others
too, by playing the same game while you hold
the dog still and your friend runs and
hides.
Don't play
these games in the woods.
Only play
this hide and seek game with your dog
around your yard or house or at the
school or park where you will not get
lost FOR REAL. Even though your dog has
learned this fun game, he may not find
you if you are really lost. Search dogs
train for 2 years to be able to find
people in lots of different situations.
Being lost for real is not a game.
This
page is a
KIDS ONLY
!
You
can teach your dog lots of scenting games
and it will be fun for just about anyone in
your family. Try this with your dog. You
rub a stick in your hands, put the stick
among other sticks that look almost the
same. Ask your dog to get the stick. When
he picks up the stick with your scent on it
praise him/her and give lots of pets and
hugs. After practice your dog will go right
to the stick with your scent on it.
Teaching
your dog to find you starts with a hide and
seek game. A person who is familiar or a
friend of the dog holds your dog still
(gently) while you run away, a very short
distance, holding your dog's favorite toy or
treat. Before you run, you show the toy or
treat to the dog, calls its name and runs
away from the dog, all the while calling the
dog's name and jumping up and down
enthusiastically. You hide behind a tree or
the couch if you are playing inside. The
person holding the dog says to the dog
"find-em" and then releases your dog. The
dog is excited and runs to find you. As
soon as the dog gets to you the dog gets its
favorite toy or treat and it has learned
that fun things happen when it finds
people. After your dog is used to finding
you, you can show it how it can find others
too, by playing the same game while you hold
the dog still and your friend runs and
hides.