"Find it " BC game 2

[Bart]

Actually I like to call these canine games or behaviors. The next game we play at home requires two skills. One they have to have a solid retrieve and two you need to teach them to use their nose to find one of their toys. Start by putting your BC on a down on one side of a wall maybe a few feet back. Then show her a stuffed toy, tell her to stay and then say "ready". Now you put the toy on the floor and kick it around to the other side of the wall maybe two or three feet down in plain sight. Go back and tell him to "find it". Then wait and see, she will do one of the following:

1) sit there and look at you because she doesn't know what you want. - then you will start moving towards the end of the wall and when she starts to follow say find it again. Do this until she sees the toy and gets it. Make her bring it back to where you started. Keep this up until you don't have to go with her.

2) she won't move and doesn't seem to get it, you will then resort to food and place a trail of treats to help her get to the toy - I only do this to help her understand what I am wanting her to do. This is not a treat motivated behavior - the reward is doing it. My dogs go nuts whenever they hear the words find it in any sentence.

3) she takes off and goes right to the toy the first time - congratulate yourself on having a smart dog

 

As soon as she is finding the toy on the other side of the wall in plain site, start hiding it behind a chair or under something so she starts using her nose more than his eyes.

 

Keep me posted on her progress and I can help you through email.

[emma and bailey's mom]

Someone had taught me this one a while back, but I had forgotten it, so thanks for the reminder! My lab remembered it immediately, and my new BC caught on right quick.

 

OK...what else ya got??

[Bart]

I assume they can now work outdoors. You need at least 3 toys (or any three different objects). Let me know when they can find all three in succession with you putting the first and second toy back in the same position they found it. Therefore when they search for toy 2 they have to ignore toy 1. And when you get to toy 3 they have to ignore toy 1 and 2.