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Writer's pictureMelissa Hartnack

How to teach 'Find It'


Playing find it games is a great way to bond with your dog and gets them using their nose.



This fun game is a great way to build motivation when teaching your dog Scentwork. Scentwork is a new fun dog sport where you teach your dog to find a specific scent i.e. clove, gun oil, cat nip (some of the most popular scents).


At Cambridge Dog Services we teach Scentwork classes at East Barnwell Scout Centre, CB5 8NG on Thursday evenings; as well as a weekly Scent Club class on Tuesday evenings, where each week like minded dog owners work on building up their dog's scentwork skills, encourage each other and have fun with their dogs. For more information on scentwork please click here.


Playing find it games with your dog's favourite toy is a great alternative to playing fetch. Too much fetch can be damaging to our dog's physical and mental health. For more information on why playing too much fetch with your dog can become a problem please see my previous blog post The problem with playing fetch. Playing a find it game is a great way to bond with your dog, spice up your dog walks, and is a brilliant alternative to long walks on a hot or rainy day.



How to play 'Find It' with a ball


  1. Wait for your dog to walk slightly away from you. Drop the ball on the floor right next to your leg.

  2. Standing next to the ball say the cue “find it” and point to the ball.

  3. As soon as your dog picks up the ball make sure you praise your dog and give them lots of fuss.

  4. Once your dog starts to use their nose as soon as you say the cue "find it" that is a good sign that your dog now knows what they need to do when they hear the cue.

  5. Start hiding the ball in slightly harder spots like behind a partially closed door or in slightly long grass. These semi-blind repetitions are the foundational work for scentwork skills.


Increasing the difficulty:


Once you and your dog have done a variety of repetitions and your dog is able to find all the hides, try a blind hide. This is when your dog is out of the room or garden while you hide the toy. If your dog starts to struggle with finding the toy, don't be tempted to point it out or repeat the "find it" cue. Instead give your dog lots of verbal encouragment and allow their powerful nose to kick in.


Your dog's first blind hide is a big deal so make sure you celebrate their success with a game of tug before hiding the toy again.


You will need your dog’s favourite toy, or you can use food in a clam


It is brilliant for your dog’s mental stimulation, helping to focus their energy onto something positive and rewarding

We would love to know how you and your dog got on with this fun game. Use #cambridgedogtraining on instagram.


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