Rewarding games, fun engagement and positive interaction helps us to develop strong relationships with our dogs. Oh and faster recalls! One way I do this is by using a PENCIL CASE!
First, find one of those soft, zippy pencil case types and empty out your HBs, your highlighters and rubbers; we're not doing any writing or drawing now!
With it empty fill it up with some of the tasty, smelly treats your dog loves. We're talking cheese cubes, hot dog, dried sprats, chicken and beef! Shake it up and show it your dog, let them sniff and even take a few samples before zipping it back up again. You tease!
Repeat this a few times : Sniff, eat, zip 🤐 REPEAT
Now, with your dog on a longish lead, drop the pencil case to the floor a little away and encourage them to go after it. If they do praise them and get down to unzip the case as before and feed one or two treats from inside.
Soon your dog will start to pick it up and if you have natural, they might bring it back to you for the unzipping to begin, no problem. If not, let them have a little explore with it first and praise them for any pick ups. Use the lead to gently limit any 1 player games, chewing or parading behaviours by encouraging them back to you or moving closer so you can unzip and reward.
We want the dog to understand that the tasty inside bits are only released by your involvement in the game.
Build this up until you can throw out the pencil case a distance away and have your dog go out and bring it back to you for a heap load of praise and access to the rewards. This game not only encourages your dog to go away from you, pick things up and return, but it also builds confidence in them being able to give items of value back to you.
The possibilities with this are endless and with each step as rewarding as the last it's perfect for:
Toy enjoyment and play
Building confidence around hands, toys and food
Scent work : Hide it in the garden to tap into your dogs natural seeking, searching and sniffing behaviour
Sharpening up your recall
Building impulse control
And more...
You'll love it that much that, soon WH smiths and Wilkinsons' will need to get in extra stock!
TIP | You could of course use a dedicated prey dummy, but the pencil case is an easy to find alternative that fits snug in your pocket out on walks.
Good luck and Happy training everyone !
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