Scent games for dogs are an important part of maintaining a healthy lifestyle.
Did you know? Our canine friends have 300 million olfactory receptors! Compared to our measly 6 million, sniffing is basically a dog's superpower.
Dogs also have an entire part of their brain dedicated to smell that’s 40 times bigger than ours - this is why it's important as pet parents and petpreneurs to nurture this (and have fun!)
Here are 5 fun scent games to play with your pup...
1. Memory Muffin Tin
This is a perfect DIY brain game for memory.
Set up a muffin tin and place treats in just a few of the holes. Place tennis balls on top and let your dog sniff out the treats.
Reset the game when they’ve got all the treats, but this time put the treats in different holes.
The goal is to encourage your dog to use their nose, whilst using their brain to learn where the treats are.
2. Spin the Bottle
This is so fun! Poke holes through each side of the bottles, then run the string through the holes.
Fill the bottles with treats. Tie one end of the string to one chair and the other end to another chair. Make sure it’s around the same height as your dog's head.
Watch as your dog spends AGES trying to spin the treats out of the bottles!
3. Which Cup?
Grab three cups upside down and place a treat under one.
Move the cups around to move the treat. Allow your dog to follow with sight and use their nose. Easy peasy!
Remember to start slow for dogs new to scent training.
4. Hide & Seek Scent Game
What’s one of your dogs' favourite scents? You!
You can play a literal game of hide and seek with your dog and they love it.
There’s nothing more that a pet loves than finding their owner and being reunited with them.
You can play this in the house, in the garden and even make it more challenging on woodland walks. Remember to reward them positively when they find you.
5. Hansel & Gretel - Follow the trail!
Just like Hansel & Gretel... leave a trail of treats behind you as you walk.
This not only encourages their sniffing but is positively rewards them for staying close to you. Win-win!
You can also throw handfuls of treats into grassy fields - your dog
It’s important to have fun playing games with your dog. Remember to keep sessions short to start and build them up. If you find your dog is becoming over-excited, take a break.