Best Way to Train Your Dog to “Find It”

“Find it” is a truly dog-centered game because it gives your dog a chance to use his fabulous sense of smell. I also like teaching this game to beginning dogs because, in order to play, which they are instantly motivated to do, they have to do a nifty off-leash “Sit/stay.” So, once again, more bang for your buck.

Put your dog on a “Sit/stay.” Let him sniff but not scarf a dog biscuit, telling him “Smell it.” Warn him once with a second “Sta-a-y,” place the biscuit a few feet in front of him, count one chimpanzee and tell him “Okay, find it.”

Big deal, you’re thinking. How could he not find it? It’s right in front of his nose.

Exactly. This is the hook. Once he’s hooked, as you have seen before, the game gets more interesting.

Suppose, to start, your greased pig won’t stay. First he tries to eat the biscuit and the hand. Next he breaks before the biscuit even touches the ground. Easy. Start him on leash. Hold the leash taut, not tight. Palm the biscuit when his mouth opens. Make him stay by using the leash, or better yet, having a spouse, offspring or friend hold the leash, count one chimpanzee and as you tell him “Okay, find it,” give him enough slack on the leash to do just that.

I have taught this game to hundreds of dogs, mostly real begin­ners, and even the lowest sneak thief in the bunch has learned to stay in order to play. Trust me: Dogs love this game.

Inching ahead slowly, as your dog catches on, obeying the rules of the game and waiting for the command before pouncing on the biscuit, begin to ask more of him. First, move the biscuit farther away. When that goes well, place the biscuit just out of sight—behind a chair, in the hall or just beyond a doorway—still easy to find.

As the weeks pass, take the biscuit farther, deeper into the next room, then finally, onto a low shelf or end table, something your dog can reach. If your dog fails to make a find, help him. Walk near where you hid the cookie, encouraging him by saying “Find it, good dog, find it.”

Once your dog can find his biscuit in another room, up on the dresser or on the bed, assuming he’s tall enough to reach there with a gentle “Paws up,” you can begin to have fun and save time using this game.

Instead of or as part of a meal, hide dog biscuits all around the house, sending your trained dog to find them. Even if your dog is in an adjoining room, you’ll hear the sniffing and you can call out your encouragement, “Find it, good dog, find it.” When you hear the crunching, praise like crazy. And as soon as the crunching stops, repeat “Find it, find another one.”

Years ago I had a little Golden Retriever, Fanny, who on her own escalated the game to finding out-of-place objects. Whenever I was busy getting dressed, cleaning up or making dinner, I’d send Fanny on a “Find it,” her way. She’d bring the socks I’d dropped near the bed the night before, a magazine from a chair, a pencil that had rolled under the couch. Fanny would even pick up money and drop it into my hand. She loved to be busy. It made her happy. And for the little bit of work this fine game takes, your dog can be busy too, even as you toss the salad, brush your teeth or watch TV.

Playing with your dog gives him more than exercise for his fer­tile mind and strong body. It gives him contact, time with you and fun. And it will remind you, each time you play, even if it’s only for a few minutes, why you got a dog in the first place.