Stray Thoughts Summer 2020
Ask the Trainer
Hide and Seek = Fun and Learning
Hide and seek is a great game to play with your dog.
Not only is it fun for both of you, but it is great
exercise and gives your pup a lot of mental stimulation!
Hide and seek requires your dog to use their brain in a way
that they don’t often do. They have to think critically and
also learn to use their nose. This helps tire them out on a
day-to-day basis and also helps with their development as
they grow.
Let’s get started with the rules of the game and how to
play! It is just like the game you played as a child. You are
going to hide from your dog and have them find you. Of
course your dog can’t count out loud to 30, so you are
going to have to tell them when they can come and find
you. The game can be played with one or multiple dogs.
Unlike traditional Hide and Seek if there are multiple dogs,
there will be multiple seekers, not hiders.
To start playing with a pup that has never played before
you will either need to teach your pup a rock solid sit stay
or have a helper hold them while you hide. Either option
is fine and it really just depends where you are with your
training efforts. If you try the stay method and the dog
keeps getting up and coming to you before you hide you
can keep training on the stay or simply switch and have
someone hold them.
It is important to start easy so that the dog can build
up their confidence and excitement toward the game.
I would recommend starting the game inside of your
home. Start by going one room away and standing in the
middle of the room. When ready simply encourage your
dog to find you by saying a phrase that you will repeat
each time you play. We like to say the dog’s name and
then “come and get me!” There are a million different
options you can choose from. Another great one is
“where is daddy/mommy?” When they find you, shower
them with praise for a job well done. This will keep them
excited about playing the game going forward.
Each time you play you can hide in a harder and harder
place. Pretty soon you will be hiding on a different floor
of the house in some pretty sneaky places. Some of our
favorites are closets and showers with the curtains shut.
Another really fun option is laying under a blanket on the
floor or a couch where a blanket would normally be. This
usually gets the dogs really worked up and excited when
they realize you are under it!
Anytime your dog seems to be stumped while playing
the game you should call out their name along with the
phrase that you chose to start the game. This will keep the
game moving and the dog’s interest heightened. As you
increase the challenge your pup will start to use their nose
more and more which is great for building brain power.
Just like with hiding locations, the better your dog gets
at the game, the more silent you can be. We like to stop
reusing the “come and get me” phrase and switch to just
making a light tapping noise or something else that will
keep the dog interested, but not fully give away your great
hiding spot.
If you master this game in your home you can even start
to play in the yard or at the dog park. This is one of our
favorite games to play with puppies and we hope that you
enjoy it too!
Visit www.suburban-k9.com or call (847) 232-1269
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