How to Train Your Dog to Find Things

Have you ever seen an old movie, where a sniffer dog tracks down the lost toddler and saves the day? Just imagine how amazing it would be, if your dog could do something similar and 'find' things when you give the 'Go find' command. In truth, teaching this command is akin to teaching a dog to follow a scent... making it all the more impressive when he does just that.

As well as retrieving hidden toys on command, teaching a dog to find things has a practical side. While your dog may not graduate to being a fully fledged tracker dog, learning to use his nose is a fantastic skill.

Imagine putting down your car keys and not being able to find them. Because keys are handled a lot and smell of the owner, they make a great object for a dog to find. When he's used to finding your sock, hat, or T-shirt, then you can simply give him a piece of clothing to sniff then tell him "Go find." He then helpfully sniffs out and tracks down the missing keys. Result!

Training a dog to find things is a form of scent tracking. It involves identifying an object and then hiding it, such that the dog has to go and find it. This can either be done by giving the dog the object to sniff before it is hidden, or showing the dog the object and then hiding it. 

This is a great training game to play with an adult dog. It's helpful if he already has a grasp of basic commands such as Sit and Stay, and has learned to listen to your commands. While it's not impossible to teach a puppy to find things, he's far more likely to be scatterbrained and easily distracted by other objects in the room. 

Some dog breeds, such as beagles and bloodhounds, have a natural talent for sniffing. Teaching them to find things using scent feeds into their strengths and provided they listen, they will pick things up quickly. But of course, all dogs have a good sense of smell and so this trick should be within the grasp of most dogs, given enough time and patience. 

You'll need something for the dog to find, either a favorite toy or something that smells strongly of you. Also, you need treats to reward the dog and plenty of patience.

• A favorite toy

• A hat or T-shirt with your scent on it

• Treats

• A collar and leash, or a friend to hold the dog

Make this into a game, so that the dog is playing rather than working. When searching for a toy, it helps if the dog already knows the 'name' or word for the toy, so he knows what he's looking for. When searching by scent, this is less important as you let the dog sniff the object he is seeking ahead of hiding it.