30/10/2024
The “Find it! Get it!”Game
This is a great game for bonding, trainer timing, slowing down a speed eater, and helping your dog celebrate his/her “dogness” and use up excess energy. It also builds value in you as the source of food and makes you pretty important to your dog. Also, it’s fun!
Try to play the game with at least one feeding each day. Once your dog catches on, it takes maybe 5 minutes. Here’s how to play:
- Measure out your dog’s food for that meal.
- Take a small amount 3-5 pieces at first, graduating to a handful once you both know how to play.
- Toss the 3-5 pieces of kibble a short distance from you and invite your dog to “Get It!” Or “Find It!”
- The exact second your dog picks up the kibble, praise her/him, do this for every piece of food. If he/she misses a piece, you can point to it (get as close as you need to the food until your dog finds it, and then praise - now you’re teaching your dog to follow a point). A simple happy “Good!” or “Yes!” Will do.
- Call your dog back to you (sneaking in some Recall work here), and then quickly toss some more kibble and give your cue. Sometimes I increase excitement by showing/teasing the kibble, asking “Ready?” And then giving the “Get It!” “Find It!” Cue and tossing the kibble while encouraging and praising for each piece picked up.
- As the game progresses, you can toss more kibble over a larger area, and alternate tossing right at your feet and then farther away. Sometimes I play this game on the grass in the yard. My dogs love this! Now your dog really has to hunt and gets even more benefit, but it’s harder for you to see if any is missed.
- Eventually, you can integrate “Wait” and “sit” and “down” into the game.
- When the food is gone, the meal and game are over and your dog is happy with life and you, and you just spent some real quality time with your dog!
- For the other meal, you can slow down your dog’s eating and still give them the pleasure of the hunt by tossing their whole meal onto a snuffle pad or into their crate/kennel amongst the blankets. This will build value in the crate/kennel and will make it a “Dog Approved” spot.
- If you have multiple dogs, teach them the game individually for the first 5 times. After they’ve got the game, you can play it with multiple dogs assuming they all eat the same food.
- In summary, ditch the dog bowl, this is a much more fun and rewarding way to share a meal!
