Hide-and-Seek – a Fun Game for Dogs That Promotes Health

Looking for a game for dogs that’s both fun to play and good for their health? How about the old favorite, hide-and-seek. Besides being a pet activity that dogs love, hide-and-seek does wonders for fulfilling a dog’s needs and providing him with mental and physical stimulation.

But playing the hide-and-seek game for dogs takes a little know-how – for both dogs and their human playmates. Here are the proper rules of this beneficial game for dogs, as well as the reasons why it’s one of the best pet activities around:

Object of Hide-and-Seek Game

The object of hide-and-seek for dogs is similar to the childhood game: after one (or more) player hides, another player tries to find him or her. But in the canine version, dogs are always the seekers. And their goal doesn’t have to be their owner. In fact, the hidden objects or hiders in a hide-and-seek game for dogs can be any of the following:

• toy or ball
• treat
• familiar person (other than the main caretaker)
• another pet
• anything else a dog is interested in finding

Hide-and-Seek Game Rules

Hide-and-seek is most successful with a dog who has had some formal obedience training and can be put in a sit-stay; however it’s also a good way to practice obedience skills.

1. Begin the game by choosing what to hide. If it’s a toy or other object, show it to the dog, then drop it out of sight (but keep it close by – behind the back, for example) and ask the dog to find it, using the object’s name.
2. Continue to show and hide the object, slowly making the hiding places more challenging. Be sure to give lots of praise when the dog finds the hidden object. Always keep the game positive, even when the dog is slow to catch on.
3. If finding a person is the dog’s goal, begin by asking the dog to “go find” the person (if it’s not you) when not hiding. Then, distract the dog or put him in a sit-stay while the hider (or you) hides. Next, ask the dog to find the person (or make a soft noise from a hiding spot), giving praise for success.
4. Once the dog has mastered the basic hide-and-seek game, increase the number of hidden objects or players and make the hiding places more difficult. The more complex the game becomes, the more fun and rewarding for the dog.

How Hide-and-Seek Promotes Dogs’ Health and Well Being

The best thing about hide-and-seek for dogs is that it never grows old. A dog has fun playing the game every bit as much as the time before – which is good because hide-and-seek offers many benefits that promote dogs’ health and well being, including:

• good exercise
• review of recall
• challenging work for mind and body
• use of different senses
• bonding with owner
• confidence building
• indoor and outdoor activity
• sense of purpose
• hunting practice

Ready to play the hide-and-seek game for dogs? It’s a pet activity that’s easy to learn, challenging to play, and sure to please and benefit both dogs and owners – time and time again!