 |
| How to start training your puppy to track |
Smell is one of the most powerful senses in dogs. Learn more about how to train your dog to track using our guide and helpful tips.
For owners who want to work
on the quality of their relationship with their dog to the highest level, one
of the best ways to do this is to look at the probably most underestimated
meaning in dogs: its incredible flair.
It is probably because we do
not use smell as much as sight to enjoy the world that we do not understand the
importance of smell for our dogs. Because of this, we miss opportunities
to interact with and stimulate them. It is estimated that the dog's
olfactory brain is 40 times larger than ours. Knowing that we only have 5
million olfactory receptors while a Saint-Hubert dog has 300 million, our sense
of smell seems rather ridiculous in comparison!
Smell is incredibly
important to dogs: as much, if not more, than sight and hearing. Smell
teaches them a lot more about their environment than we can ever
imagine. If we can integrate smell into games and educational exercises,
we will discover new ways to interact with our dogs.
Many flair exercises are
easier to do outdoors, but some can be done indoors or in the garden. So
the whole family can practice, whatever the weather!
To play hide and seek
It's about combining
tracking work with basic problem solving (some dogs just try and make
mistakes!), But it's a fun place to start!
Have someone hold your dog
(or have your dog wait if they can agree to not see you again), then go and
hide somewhere in the house. Don't go too far at first until your dog is
used to this fun new game. You can leave behind a trail of kibble or
treats to make things easier at first. When you are ready, your friend can
let go of your dog and he will then use his nose to follow the trail and find out
where you are hiding. When your dog finds you, give him his favorite treat
or, if he prefers games, play a little with him. Then go hide somewhere
else where there is no trace of you or treats, and repeat the exercise.
There are many variations of
this exercise that you can practice in the garden and even elsewhere (holding
your dog with a lanyard if its obedience to the recall is not good). For
example, you can take your dog's favorite toy, get him excited, and then ask
someone to hold your dog again so he can't see where you're going; walk a
little and put the toy on the ground (at the beginning, do not go too far and
do not hide it in a too difficult place). Go back exactly on your steps
towards your dog (to leave only one trace) then let go of the dog and encourage
him to find the toy.
Again, at the start, put the
toy down so that the dog eventually uses a different sense than smell to find
it. Then increase the difficulty by hiding it further and in a harder to
find place, always new. You will see your dog follow the track with his
nose, which is always impressive to observe and makes the exercise very fun!
Find the treats
In this other easy game, you
hide treats in a room so your puppy can find them by sniffing. Always the
same, start by highlighting them and then you can hide them under a sheet of
newspaper or in a plastic flowerpot, in the interior of an old roll of toilet
paper or paper towel, under a towel, etc. Be creative but avoid hiding
them on sofas or chairs or your dog may get into the habit of climbing on your
furniture. Better to play at ground level, especially if your dog is
tempted to chew on furniture or if you want to keep your interior spotless!
You can also leave a trace
of kibble leading to a toy dispenser of treats, which can be hidden in a less
accessible place (such as a bucket without a handle). However, always make
sure that what you are doing is not dangerous and watch your
dog. Encourage him to make it a shared game he enjoys.
You can also do this in the
garden or use a "snuffle mat" (a sort of mat that can be garnished
with treats in the straps). If you are very lazy, just spread a handful of
kibble in the grass and let your dog find them.
Note: in the house, you will
find an incredible number of used objects that you can transform into odorous
toys for your dog. Some dogs, especially terriers, also take great
pleasure in tearing cardboard tubes, paper or light boxes to get the treats
inside. So be on the lookout for objects that you can use to stimulate
your dog and turn them into interactive toys.
When you start having your
dog practice these simple tracking games, you will better realize what a
wonderful smell he has. With certain breeds and individuals, these
exercises can become extremely fun for both of you, giving you new
opportunities to interact. And often without leaving your stay!
However, when you are outside, remember how
incredible your dog's smell is and how important it is to him to understand the
world. Let it spend time sniffing, even if you don't understand why! Discover
more exercises to teach your puppy and
other games to share with him to keep him
active and healthy.
Read also:
Read also:
تعليقات
إرسال تعليق