Dog’s brains need stimulation while inside

By Beth Leermakers

Is your active dog bouncing off the walls on these 100 degree days? My nine-month-old lab foster puppy sure is! Mini and I walk for 20 minutes and play fetch early in the morning, but then we stay inside the rest of the day to avoid heatstroke. At 10 p.m. it’s still 90 degrees — far too hot to spend more than a couple minutes outside. 

Mini uses a Kong or puzzle toy (Kong Wobbler or Buster Cube) to eat her meals and snacks, but that only takes a few minutes — about as long as I can stand hearing the toy banging into the walls and furniture. It’s time for new enrichment games to tire out my Energizer puppy — nose work. 

Ever wonder why your dog can smell a cheeseburger from three rooms away? Dogs have up to 300 million olfactory receptors, compared to six million in people. And the part of the brain that analyzes smells is 40 times bigger in dogs than humans. 

Let’s put that terrific sense of smell to work. 

Whether you have a high-energy puppy, an aging senior, or a dog recovering from an injury, nose work provides many benefits. It gives energetic dogs a productive outlet, provides mental stimulation, reduces boredom that can lead to destructive behavior, builds confidence in shy or anxious dogs, and strengthens the bond between you and your dog. Best of all, you can play these games indoors with very little equipment.

Nose work is more tiring than it seems, so keep your sessions short. Three or four short searches — lasting up to five minutes each — are often enough to give your dog’s brain a good workout. Watch your dog’s enthusiasm and end the session while they’re still having fun. Allow breaks between games.

Three Simple Nose Work Games to Play at Home

Here are a few nose work games that don’t involve hiding treats under cardboard boxes. While that game is a classic, Mini is likely to shred the boxes.  

Find the food. This simple game involves hiding treats around your house that your dog will find by smelling them. While your dog is out of the room, place one or two treats down in full view. Then call her into the room and encourage her to “find it” or “search.” She will eat the treats happily and look for more. Repeat this process but start placing the treats in less obvious places: in a corner, below a sofa or coffee table, or even partially under her dog bed. If your dog is struggling to find the treats, help her — and praise her when she finds them.

Pick the hand. Start by getting some small, tasty/smelly treats (cheese, turkey or hot dogs work well) that fit in your hand. Put a treat in your palm and make a loose, palm-down fist (so your dog can’t see the treat). With your dog sitting in front of you, show her that fist, say “find it!” and let her sniff. After she sniffs your hand, open it and give her the treat, saying “Good find it!” Repeat this a few times, then add your other empty fist. Don’t let your dog see which hand you place the treat in. Move your closed hands back and forth, then offer both hands to her, saying “Find it!” When she sniffs at the treat hand, say, “Good find it!” Repeat this, alternating the hand in which you place the treat.

Hide and seek. This game uses you as the treat. While your dog is distracted somewhere in your house (maybe eating a meal), hide in a closet, under a bed or somewhere your dog wouldn’t expect you to be. Then just wait for your dog to start searching for you, using her nose. Praise and reward her (with treats or play time) when she finds you. 

When it’s cool enough, you can take this game outside to a safe off-leash area (e.g., a large, fenced yard; check out the Sniffspot app to rent a private yard). Have a friend hold your dog while you hide. After 30 seconds, your friend should release your dog and say “Where’s (your name)?” With her nose to the ground, your dog should quickly find you. Praise and reward her when she does. Gradually hide farther away.  

If your dog enjoys nose work games, you may want to test her skills in Nosework competition. Nosework is a fun, fast-growing sport where dogs search for essential oil, similar to drug or bomb detection dogs. Check out Lucky Dog Training Center in Keller for classes (luckydogkeller.com/nosework.