Scavenger Hunts - A Fun Way to Build Confidence!

Dogs tend to be scavengers by nature, and they use their sense of smell to track down all sorts of what they consider to be treasures.  Why not exercise your dog's right to perform this natural dog behavior in a way that can also be fun for you? 

Scavenger hunts can be a great way to get your dog out and about in different environments, having exposures to novelties he doesn’t experience at home.  When done the right way, this can have a huge benefit on his confidence – dogs that mostly stay in their small "comfort bubbles" can have a tendency to be more anxious and stressed in changing or novel situations, and/or become more reactive or aggressive as a result of fear/lack of confidence.  Going on a scavenger hunt provides mental stimulation too!  

​Rather than racing against the clock and competing with other teams for clues, a safer bet for a scavenger hunt that can help your dog build confidence is by doing a photo challenge: make it your mission to show your dog these novelties and then snap a picture of your dog looking oh-so-cute and proud of his new accomplishment!  This is an activity the whole family can join - no skills required, just a cell phone camera and the items list!   

Here are some Doggy Scavenger Hunts with some common community items (but not-so-common everyday items that your dog may already have access to at home)...

Here's my Scout enjoying some of his Scavenger Hunt challenges!