Egg hunts have long been one of the favoured activities carried out on Easter Sunday. So why not create an Easter egg hunt for your four-legged friend and let them take part in the tradition too! Here’s how to do it…
1. Choose the eggs
Firstly, you need to buy some fillable plastic eggs to put doggie treats inside. Often these have been designed specifically for Easter egg hunts but other plastic containers, such as the inner eggs found in Kinder Surprise’s can work just as well. All you’ll need to do is poke a hole in them so your canine can sniff out the yummy surprise you put in!
However, you do want to ensure the plastic eggs are large enough so that it would be difficult for your dog to swallow. Some dogs will catch onto this game quickly and you don’t want them choking on the egg in excitement. If you do have reservations, you can leave the treats au natural – your canine will still have fun hunting them out!
2. Hide the eggs
A great game to play inside or outside, once you’ve filled up your eggs with some strong-smelling treats you can begin to hide them. For your dog’s first egg hunt we recommend hiding the eggs on a flat surface or in mowed grass so they’re easy to find. Once you four-legged friend becomes the experienced hunter, you can have some fun and hide them in more difficult places!
Don’t hide the eggs in places that are too high or inside objects your dog will have to knock or tip over. You don’t want to encourage bad habits, such as jumping up or climbing in search of food.
3. Hunt the eggs!
Now the fun part! If you’re in a public area, it’s best to keep your dog on their lead and guide them to the eggs. However, if you’re in your own garden you can let your pup run free and sniff out the eggs on their own.
Our top tips:
- Always supervise your dog when they’re hunting – you don’t want them to hurt themselves if they crack the plastic egg into pieces!
- If you’re using plastic eggs for your dog’s hunt, fill them up in front of your pooch so they know there is food inside – ideal for the first timers.
- After playing this a few times with your canine, they’ll probably assume all plastic eggs contain dog treats so keep them away from human egg hunts. You don’t want them eating chocolate or sweets they’re not supposed to!
- Ensure you count the treats and help your dog find the eggs they miss. Treats left for long periods of time could attract unwanted critters, such as mice or foxes.