Espresso Dog Training

This game is awesome, and pretty easy to start. It doesn’t require too much work at all, but it can be very useful.

Your dog’s nose is a powerful organ. But more than that, sniffing can actually help relax your dog’s brain. That makes the Find It Game useful for dogs who are more fearful. This isn’t a cure-all, and working with fear requires much more than this game, but it’s a great addition to a good behavior modification program.

Let’s get to it: How do you teach Find It?

STEP ONE: SCATTER FEED
Basically, you’re just gonna drop some treats or kibble on the floor and say “Find it” – you want to make sure it’s super super easy at first. Eventually, this will be done in the grass, but to start with, just on the floor inside is fine. Repeat this step a few times until your dog starts to understand that “Find it” means food in the ground.

STEP TWO: SCATTER FEED IN THE GRASS
Again, the treats/kibble should be pretty easy for your dog to find. Drop some treats/kibble in the grass and tell your dog to “Find it.” You want your dog to be sniffing around and searching for kibble pieces, but you want to make sure your dog isn’t giving up because it’s too hard. Do this plenty of times. You can make it harder by tossing treats further away. As you make it harder, observe your dog and decide if you should make it a little easier, or if you can move on to Step Three.

STEP THREE: THROW OR HIDE FOOD AROUND THE YARD
Really start working out your dog’s brain! Doing this can be a great way to add easy mental stimulation! With more fearful dogs, you don’t need to worry about this step right now – it’s more important to make sure your fearful dog feels comfortable, and if this is too difficult for them, especially around their triggers (or things that scare them) then don’t push them! But for dogs who are more hyper and need help slowing down to think, this step can be a great addition!

As always, watch your dog and use your best judgement before moving on to the next step – if your dog isn’t ready to move to the next step, you’ll both just be frustrated! Training shouldn’t be frustrating or stressful for you or your dog, and this game especially should be fun.

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