Nose work games for dogs at home: a treasure hunt for rainy days

Key points

• The treasure hunt is taught in four levels: treats in plain sight, hidden in one room, all over the house and, finally, a specific toy.
• Always hide things on the floor or at nose height: nothing that makes them jump, climb or squeeze under furniture.
• Stay well away from outlets, cords, plant pots, bags and trash cans.
• Count the treats you hide and pick up any they don't find.
• Treats come out of their daily allowance: use some of their kibble and just a few homemade treats.

Nose work games for dogs at home are the best plan when rain cuts the walk down to ten minutes. The simplest is the treasure hunt: you hide treats or some of their kibble around the house and teach your dog to find them with one word, "find it." You don't need to make anything, and most dogs learn it in a couple of afternoons.

Dogs explore the world with their nose, and what they miss most on a rainy day isn't the miles but the smells. A stretch of searching makes them think, tires them out more than you'd expect and usually leaves them settled for the rest of the afternoon, without any need to race up and down the hallway.

Why sniffing is so tiring

Sniffing is mental work: your dog has to locate the scent, follow it, rule out false leads and decide. That's why ten or fifteen minutes of searching usually tires them out more than the same time spent chasing a ball down the hallway, and without the risk of slipping and skidding on the floors at home.

Searching doesn't replace the walk. Even when it rains, go out for a while so they can relieve themselves and smell the street, even if it's a shorter outing. If your dog is small, short-coated or older, they may need a coat: we explain it in is my dog cold. When you get back, dry their paws and belly well, and then play find it indoors.

Where to hide treats and where never to

Before you start, close the kitchen, put away any food that's out and move anything you don't want them investigating. Then pick hiding spots they can reach with their nose without any effort.

Good hiding spots

• Behind a chair leg or a door.
• Under a folded towel or a cushion on the floor.
• Inside an open cardboard box or a cardboard tube with the ends folded in.
• Along the edge of a rug, with one corner lifted.
• Next to the baseboard, in a corner of the hallway.

Never

• Near outlets, cords and power strips, or behind the TV or computer.
• In plant pots or next to plants: the soil may contain fertilizer and some houseplants are toxic.
• Inside bags, backpacks or coats: they may contain medication or gum with xylitol, and you'd be teaching your dog to rummage through them.
• Under the couch, the bed or low furniture where they could get stuck or hurt themselves digging.
• On top of furniture or in high places that invite them to climb or jump.
• Near space heaters, fireplaces or the trash.

Only hide things in places where you're happy for them to sniff around later: if you don't want their nose between the couch cushions, don't hide anything there.

Four search games to keep things varied

The treasure hunt

The main game, explained in the steps. Start with treats in plain sight and end up hiding them across several rooms.

Boxes in a row

Set out five to eight open cardboard boxes on the floor, such as shoe boxes or cereal boxes without the inner bag, and put a treat in only two or three of them. Your dog has to sniff each box and decide. Remove staples, tape and plastic first, and take the boxes away if they start eating the cardboard. If they like it, the cardboard surprise box is a version with paper.

Find the toy

Hide their favorite toy instead of food and celebrate with a bit of play when they find it. It's the first step toward teaching them the names of their toys.

The breadcrumb trail

Lay a line of small treats along the hallway, one every meter (about 3 feet), ending in a slightly bigger treat hidden behind a door. It teaches them to follow a trail with their nose down, the basis of scent tracking.

On days when you're short on space, the cup game or a DIY snuffle mat fit in a corner.

Which treats to use and how many

Ideally, use pieces the size of a chickpea or smaller, dry and strong-smelling: they're easier to find and don't leave marks. Between 10 and 20 pieces per game is usually enough.

• Their kibble or their dry homemade food is the option with the fewest extra calories: set aside a handful from their dinner portion.
• Baked sardine treats or oat and chicken treats, broken into small pieces.
• Liver treats, very smelly for the harder levels, but only a few because of their vitamin A.

Everything they eat while playing counts: treats shouldn't go over 10% of their daily calories. For small or overweight dogs, play with their kibble only.

Puppies, older dogs and multi-dog homes

• Puppies: stick to levels 1 and 2, with sessions of three or four minutes and their own kibble as the reward so you don't upset their stomach.
• Older dogs or dogs with arthritis: hide everything on the floor, on a single level of the house and on non-slip rugs. It's one of the best games for them; you'll find more ideas in games for senior dogs at home.
• Dogs with poor eyesight: their nose works just the same. Use strong-smelling treats and don't move the furniture around.
• Several dogs: play with one at a time and leave the others in another room. Searching for food at the same time can trigger fights, even between dogs that get along well.

What you need

• Small, strong-smelling treats or a handful of their kibble (10-20 pieces)
• Optional: five to eight open cardboard boxes, with no staples or tape
• Optional: an old towel or a cushion to cover hiding spots
• Their favorite toy, for level 4

Step by step

1. Get the house ready

   Close the kitchen, put away food, bags and backpacks, and move any cords and plant pots that are at their height. Decide which rooms are part of the game.

2. Level 1: treats in plain sight

   Ask your dog to wait, or have someone gently hold them by the harness. Put four or five treats on the floor where they can see them, say "find it" and let them go. Celebrate each find in a happy voice. Repeat three or four rounds.

3. Level 2: hidden in the same room

   With your dog watching, hide the treats half covered: behind a chair leg, under the edge of a towel. Say "find it." If they're stuck for more than a minute, go over and point to the area.

4. Level 3: all over the house

   Leave your dog in another room while you hide the treats, starting with two rooms and easy spots. Release them with "find it" and go along with them without giving hints unless they give up.

5. Level 4: find the toy

   Hide their favorite toy in an easy spot. When they find it, play with it for a minute or give them a treat. Hide it a little better in each new round.

6. Wrap up and tidy away

   Ten or fifteen minutes is enough. Finish with an easy search, count the treats they've found and pick up any that are missing so they don't turn up days later.

Frequently asked questions

How do I keep my dog entertained at home when it rains?

With games that make them use their nose and their brain: hiding treats around the house, boxes in a row, the cup game or a stuffable toy with part of their food. Ten or fifteen minutes of searching is very tiring. Even so, take them outside for a while to relieve themselves and sniff around, even if the walk is shorter.

How long should nose work games last?

Between five and fifteen minutes per session for an adult dog, and three or four minutes for a puppy. Focused sniffing is more tiring than it looks, so two short sessions a day are better than one long one. Always finish with an easy search so they end on a success and want to play again.

Is it OK to hide food around the house for my dog?

Yes, as long as you do it as a game with a clear start and finish: you give the "find it" cue, hide things in safe places and pick up whatever they don't find. That way they learn the search starts when you say so. If you do it haphazardly, they may get used to turning the house upside down looking for leftovers, and forgotten treats go bad.

Should I walk my dog in the rain?

Yes, even if the walk is shorter. They need to go out to relieve themselves and to sniff the street, which is part of their well-being. If your dog is small, short-coated or older, a raincoat or a coat will help. When you get back, dry them well, especially their paws and belly, and make up for the short walk with nose work games at home.