How to Put Together the Perfect Easter Egg Hunt for Your Dog in Four Easy Steps

Many of us have fond memories of rubbing our sleepy eyes on Easter morning and walking into a living room with baskets full of delicious candies, later following up on the fun with an afternoon Easter egg hunt.

Chances are that if you have children of your own, you will be recapturing some of that childhood magic by setting out Easter baskets and putting together an Easter egg hunt for your little ones. However, if you have a dog, you can double the fun by setting up an Easter egg hunt for him as well!

Follow these four steps to set up an Easter egg hunt for your dog:

Step 1:

Gather your supplies: grab a handful of plastic egg shells (the kind that open from the center), and make sure that the eggs are large enough so that your dog will be unable to swallow them by accident.  Also, find some treats that carry a strong enough odor that your dog should be able to pick up their scent and track them down from their hidden locations. Fragrant cheese can be a good choice, as well as canine-friendly meats (no bones, low-fat). Of course, it’s also likely that you can find the perfect prize in your dog’s favorite bag of treats.

Step 2:

Place the treats inside the eggs. It may be a good idea to keep one of the treats behind so you can let your dog have a sniff and try a sample before going after the eggs.

Step 3:

Hide the eggs either inside the house or around the backyard. Make sure the difficulty and distance of the hiding locations will match the abilities of your dog (although, if your dog gets stuck, it’s okay to give him a little help). When you hide the eggs, don’t close the eggshells around the treats completely. This way, your dog will be able to nudge the eggs open with his nose and get to the treats all by himself.

Alternatively, if you would like your dog to collect the eggs—making for an easier cleanup once the hunt is over—make sure the plastic shells have holes to allow the scent to escape outside of the egg. This way, your pup can pick up the scent of the treats through the closed shells, and—depending on your dog’s training level—can then bring the eggs back to you for opening.

Step 4

Let your dog go after the eggs, and then sit back and watch him have fun. And if you have children, they can help the family pet seek out those Easter goodies!

Happy Easter from everybody here at CKC!