By: The Charlee Bear Staff
With canine enrichment becoming a more popular topic over the years, everyone is on the lookout for new, engaging ways to keep their pets entertained. Scent work is a great and underutilized way to fulfill a pet’s enrichment needs and build confidence. Not only is scent work mentally stimulating for dogs, but it also provides an outlet for them to burn off excess energy in a way that’s productive and strengthens the bond between themselves and their owners. And the best part is that any breed of dog can do it!
With several different scent work training exercises out there, it can be difficult to know where to start. Here’s a list of simple activities your clients can try out at home with their pups to get them started on their scent work training journey!
1. Muffin Tin Puzzle
For this easy scent work activity, all your client will need is a muffin tin, some tasty dog treats and tennis balls. While out of their dog’s sight, the client should place one treat in two to three different holes in the muffin tin and then cover each of the holes with a tennis ball. Afterwards, the client can place the tin on the floor and allow their pet to sniff to try to find which tennis balls have a treat hidden under them. For this exercise, we recommend using Charlee Bear’s Grain Free Crunch treats because they’re a light snack that are less than 3 calories each, meaning this activity can be repeated as many times as needed without having to worry about excessive rewarding!
Once the client’s dog successfully finds a treat under the tennis ball, they should be praised to positively reinforce this behavior. Not only will this activity help prevent boredom, but it’s also a great, quick mental exercise that all dogs can enjoy.
2. Hide and Seek with Treats
This activity is the most simple and efficient of all since it only requires one thing – some delicious smelling dog treats! A great treat option for this activity is Charlee Bear’s Meaty Bites. These treats are freeze-dried to preserve their aroma and flavor and are offered in a variety of animal protein options like salmon, chicken or beef, making them a snack that’s both yummy and easy to track by their scent. Simply take the treat and touch or drag it across items around the house and hide it somewhere the dog can’t immediately spot. Clients should make sure that their dog isn’t in the same room as them while they’re creating the scent trail and ensure that the trail is linear so that it leads directly to the treat.
This exercise is versatile because it can be done both indoors and outdoors with any nearby items, and your clients’ dogs are sure to feel accomplished when they find the mouth-watering snack! With practice, clients can begin to increase the difficulty level such as hiding the treat inside of items or making the scent trail less linear.
3. Shell Game
Everyone has played the classic shell game in which three cups are shuffled around and someone has to guess which cup has a hidden item underneath it. Did you know that dogs can have fun playing this game too?! All that’s needed are some dog treats and two bowls. To start, clients should allow the dog to see the treat be placed under one of the bowls. Then, the client can shuffle the bowls around a couple of times before allowing the dog to sniff to try and find which one has a treat hidden underneath. If the client’s pet points its nose or paws at the wrong bowl, the client should lift it to show that there’s no treat under it, and then allow the dog to sniff the other bowl and receive the hidden snack.
This activity will take some practice, as many dogs may not be able to immediately identify which bowl has a treat underneath it after it’s been shuffled. But as your client’s dog starts to get the hang of it, more bowls can be added for a higher level of difficulty.
As seen by this list of exercises, scent work is very versatile and can be done with items that are easily found in any client’s home, making it the perfect go-to training activity for those who want to add some enrichment to their pup’s daily routine. While scent work is beneficial for dogs because it allows them to tap into their hunting instincts and feel a sense of accomplishment, it’s also great for clients who want to improve on the communication and connection they share with their pets!
