How To Train A Dog To Search The Garden
This tutorial is part of The Ultimate List Of Dog Trick Ideas which contains 99 other tricks like this!
Searching the garden for a toy is a great trick particularly at barbeques where your dog can show off his expertise in style.
- Have someone hold your dog or tether him safely.
- Show him the toy and move around the garden pretending to hide it, touch a few areas because this will change the scent in the areas and encourage him to use his nose.
- Go back to your dog and release him whilst giving him the command word.
- Reinforce and reward when your dog finds the toy and progress onto more complicated hiding places.
- With practice your dog will search purely on hearing the command word for this trick.
Top tip; when a dog first scents a search item his behavior will change slightly, his tail may wag harder or he may sniff the air or check pace back into an area. If this happens just encourage him with your voice.
Dog trainers love this trick, it’s great for stamina, focus and any dog that can search is a crowd pleaser.
