3 Easy Scenting Games For Dogs
Throughout the week, I love to do different enrichment activities for my dogs to keep them busy and to provide some fun, mentally stimulating exercises for them! Some days I like to work on their obedience and trick training, while other days I bring out my favorite enrichment toys for dogs like their Lickimats, KONG’s, Toppls, snuffle mats or some DIY puzzle toys and enrichment games for dogs that I’ll be sharing about today.
A great dog enrichment activity that you can do are dog scent training games! Scenting games for dogs encourage dogs to use their natural sense of smell to sniff out the hidden reward that you’ve designed them to find. Scenting games for dogs are great boredom busters for dogs, especially if you’re looking for something to keep your dog busy while working from home or on rainy, snowy days.
In this post, I’m sharing 3 easy scenting games for dogs, all that are made from items in your own home, along with a few additional ways that you can add some extra challenges to create even more fun for your dog!
1. Egg Carton Scenting Game For Dogs
The first scenting game for dogs uses an item everyone probably has in their home, an empty egg carton! This is a great all around nose work game for dogs because it can be extremely simple or you can make it harder with a few extra steps. Below is how to make and play the egg carton scenting game for dogs:
Step 1: Grab an empty egg carton and a high value treat (A high value dog treat is a super smelly and tasty treat that your dog will essentially lose their mind over!). I personally like to use something that I can really smell, whether that’s a fish type treat (I love Polkadog!) or again, something you know they love and will find easily.
Step 2: Show your dog their high value treat and have them sniff it before putting it into the egg carton.
Pro Tip: When you’re doing this for the first time, I recommend doing everything in front of them (i.e. filling the egg carton with their high value dog treats).
Step 3: Close the egg carton and give to your dog to solve
Your dog could go a few different routes with this. They might use their nose to push around the egg carton until it opens or they might start ripping it apart to get the treats out. No way is the wrong way to solve because they’re using their nose to find the reward! Of course with all of these scent games, make sure to watch your dog so that they’re not sitting there eating the egg carton.
Added Challenge: To begin making this dog scent training game even harder, follow the steps as before but then place the egg carton in a different part of the room and then a different room of the house instead of in front of them. This will encourage them to really think and use their nose in order to find the reward.
2. Shoebox Scenting Game For Dogs
The second scenting game for dogs uses 1-2 shoeboxes or any similar size boxes like a Barkbox, Amazon package, Benebone box, etc.! Here’s how to make and play the shoebox scenting game for dogs:
Step 1: Grab 2 shoeboxes and high-value dog treats.
Optional: Leave any tissue paper, add in some toys or the harder paper that sometimes comes in packages for your dog to sniff through.
Step 2: Start by grabbing a pair of scissors and poke holes in both boxes. This will create the scent holes for your dog to smell the reward inside.
Step 3: Show your dog the high value dog treat, allow them to sniff and grab only one box and fill with the high value dog treats.
Step 4: Place both boxes on the ground for your dog to solve.
The first time I did this with Annie, I actually ended up taking the tops off the boxes because she’s not one who always likes to rip things apart (and I forgot the more smelly treats I wanted to bring, which REALLY makes a difference!). If you see that your dog is having a harder time, check and try 3 things:
- Are my treats smelly enough?
- Make the scent holes a little bigger.
- Take the tops off the boxes and then over time go back to using boxes with the tops on!
Added Challenge: Increase the amount of boxes in the room and/or spread the boxes around the house. Remember not to fill all the boxes with treats so your dog has to check each individual box. This will send your dog on a dog scent game extravaganza and they’ll have a blast looking for all of their favorite treats. If you do choose to spread the boxes around the house, just remember where you placed them all just in case your dog doesn’t find them all, and if you used really smelly treats, ha!
3. Hide-N-Seek Scenting Game For Dogs
The third scenting game for dogs requires only your high value dog treats! Similar to the shoebox nose work game for dogs, this game can also turn into a fun scavenger hunt that your dog will love! Here’s how to play the Hide-N-Seek scent game for dogs:
Step 1: Grab your high value dog treats and show them to your dog, allowing them to sniff.
Step 2: Place your dog in a sit and tell them to stay (or wait). This is just so they don’t immediately run to the treats until told to do so.
Step 3: In plain sight near your dog, place a few treats on the floor
Step 4: Ask your dog to “Find It” and praise them when the find the treats on the floor.
Step 5: Repeat this a few times and then begin adding multiple piles throughout the room to encourage your dog to begin searching in a larger area.
This is one of my favorite dog scent training games because it can be as easy or as hard as you make it and it’s a great way to introduce nose work to your dog as a whole.
Additional Challenge: To make this more fun for your dog, start hiding the treats in new areas like:
- Under rugs
- Behind doors
- In a shoe (maybe avoid if you’re using fish treats, ha!)
- On the couch
Isn’t it cool how many dog enrichment ideas you can do with items you already have in your own home? While I love using my dog enrichment toys, it’s always fun to do some DIY dog puzzle toys and scenting games for dogs that are extra fun and super affordable!
If you loved these nose work games for dogs and are a huge fan of dog enrichment activities, check out some of my favorite posts featuring some fun DIY dog enrichment ideas, Lickimat recipes and KONG filling ideas, and other enrichment activities for dogs:
- 3 Easy Dog Lick Mat Ideas
- 3 DIY Dog Enrichment Ideas To Combat Dog Cabin Fever
- 3 DIY Puzzle Toys For Dogs
- 3 Ingredient Yogurt Dog Treat Recipe With Lickimat Soother
- 3 Snuffle Toys For Dogs
- DIY Snuffle Mat Ball: JW HOLEE Roller Ball Dog Toy Idea
Plus, don’t forget to check out some of my most recent posts below & subscribe to my newsletter to get more dog lick mat ideas delivered straight to your inbox:
Photography: Kate Kelley Collection