Playing Hide 'n Seek with your PitBull

I mentioned the game "Find It" in a previous post.  In this game you hide a toy or other article and have your pit find it.  It is quite fun and will keep your dog entertained for at least of few minutes.  The game comes from the early stages of teaching search and rescue.  The book Search and Rescue Dogs: Training the K-9 Hero has more thorough instructions on training for search and rescue.

It's easiest to start by having someone the dogs knows hide.  This should be the person the dog is most attached to.  A helper holds the dog on a leash and gives you a few minutes to hide.  Then they release the dog telling the dog to find you, e.g. "Dakota, find daddy!  Where's daddy!  Find him!"  Give the dog a few seconds and then call her.  You should make it fairly easy at first.

When the dog finds you get real excited, pet her, and tell her what a wonderful dog she is.  If she has a favorite toy, reward her with a short play session.  Gradually you can transition to hiding the toy.  I highly recommend the book Search and Rescue Dogs.  Even if you're not going to do real search and rescue, it still makes for some fun and games.

Playing "Find It!" with Dakota