We are happy to be joining in the K9 Kamp fun, with our Kamp Kounselors Jack & Maggie from SlimDoggy, Ike & Kelly from Peggy’s Pet Place, and Rocco from To Dog With Love.
The challenge for this time was Doggy Hide & Seek. We were instructed to be creative with our hide and seek games by hiding treats or a favorite toy and letting the dogs find them.
What are the benefits of hide and seek for dogs (from SlimDoggy)?
1. Bonding: playing and exercising with your dog creates a strong bond between you.
2. Physical fitness: for both of you if you are playing with them.
3. Mental fitness: your dog is exercising their mind when trying to find the hidden item.
4. Sensory fitness: your dogs are using their sensory skills which need to be kept toned just like their muscles.
We were originally planning on playing some hide and seek with treats in the house (beginning “nose work”), but an unexpected turn in the weather changed our minds and we decided to play outside. With 2-3 feet of fresh snow on the ground from several storms, along with a break in the sub-zero temperatures, we wanted to get outside!
The dogs love playing with their ball, and our version of hide and seek with the ball involves throwing the ball into the fresh, untouched snow. Granted, the dogs usually see where I throw it, but it goes deep enough into the snow that they don’t know exactly where it is.
The pictures will tell the story of the fun they have trying to find it.
Cricket is best at the game, mostly because she’s more determined than Sheba and Luke.
However, Luke has caught on and always surprises the two girls when he’s the one to find it! In fact, sometimes they are still looking because they don’t realize he did!
Sheba gets impatient with Luke and Cricket if they don’t bring the ball right back to me.
Everyone ends up snow covered but Sheba gets the worst of it. Sometimes we put her purple Pawz on to keep the snowballs out of her paws….but that doesn’t help the rest of her from getting covered.
None of them are afraid to dive right into the snow.
If you try this at home, we only play for short times; partly because of Sheba getting all covered in snowballs, but we also had a couple times where after playing in the snow for too long, Cricket’s eyes were bothering her later….they were squinty. They were always fine again after a while, but we play it safe and only let them play for 30 minutes or so when she’s constantly sticking her head in the snow (she apparently keeps her eyes open to look for the ball).
Rest assured I get my workouts too. I often have to trudge through the snow to help them find the ball. Luke likes to turn hide and seek into keep away, and sometimes I’m the one chasing him to try and get the ball, if the girls are ignoring him. With all the snow we’ve been getting, I am often shoveling off the deck while playing with them. A good time and a good workout is had by all!
K9 Kamp is also part of the regular FitDog Friday blog hop. Visit our hosts and other participants through the links below.
They just looked like they were having an absolute ball. Thanks for sharing. I can’t play hide and seek with my little guy in the yard because our pet pig hunts down all the food before he can get to it, so we do it inside instead.
They do enjoy their fun in the snow! Oh, pet pig, that’s so cool! Yeah, I don’t think my beagle would be too happy with anyone who could get to the food before her! 🙂
what great gun and beautiful pictures, it looks like you have a ton of snow like us. I used to throw a tennis ball like that for the dogs into the snow and i lost more than they could find. I would go out there and take my foot and sweep the snow away and we still couldn’t find them until the snow melted in the spring so your gang did a super job!
Thank you! They do pretty well, but I think there might be one or two out there lost in the snow until Spring. I do have to help them sometimes too, but most of the time they’ll find them, even if it isn’t until later!
OMD looks like our back yard until a few days ago! Just found two balls I buried in the snow! Love Dolly
I’m pretty sure we’ve got a few things buried out there too! Sometimes we’ll lose one and give up….then later that day one of the dogs will show up at the door with it!
Hi Y’all!
I just can’t get over y’all with your entire heads buried in all that snow!
Y’all come by now,
Hawk aka BrownDog
I know, they’re crazy, right, Hawk!?
That amount of snow is mind-boggling! I would love to see how my two “southern paws” would react to snow like that! It would be a toss-up for which of us would be more freaked-out. Sheba was telling them to take the ball back to mama! Those are such cute photos! Thanks for the smiles and chuckles!
I’m so glad you enjoyed them! You might be surprised….your southern paws might just like it! You would probably enjoy it too…at first…it gets old after awhile…LOL. Luke actually came up from the south, and he’s gotten to love it.
The dogs look like they’re having a ball!
They certainly are! If you check out the videos we posted today, you can see the tail wagging in action….proof positive they’re having a good time!
We never get snow here. It looks like fun if it could come in warm.
Hahaha! My feelings exactly!
Yes, I’m with you, and M.K. too…if only snow would come in warm, it would be much more enjoyable! Good one, Jan!
Aw, love the picture of all the puppy butts up in the air while they’re searching! Very cute post, what a great way to combine mental and physical activities!
It really is so much fun watching them, and they have such a good time as well as getting much needed exercise!
Those pictures are fabulous and it looks like they had the best time. I love the ones of Sheba all covered in snow….lol. Also the one of them rooting through the snow for the ball.
It’s too funny how they’re not afraid to just plow their whole head right in there deep. I think it might be time to get Sheba groomed though! 🙂
Playing in the deep snow is so much fun and such a great workout. Mom uses the laser pointer in the snow at night if Bailie is restless. She tires out quickly after five minutes of racing through snow! Luke is getting so big and glad to see him having a blast too.
A lot of ours is getting packed down now, due to some rain and warm temps, along with all the traffic it’s getting. So they’ve been playing for longer times now, it does take longer to wear them out when they’re not plowing through the snow! The laser pointer is a great idea, we might have to try that with Luke. He is growing so fast, and he loves being out playing with the big kids!
OMD! Such wonderful photos!!! You really captured the fun they were having!!! I love this post!!!
My dogs love to bury their heads in the snow but I have never thought of throwing a ball into deep snow to make them go find it! Thanks for sharing!
((Husky hugz))
Frum our pack at love is being owned by a husky
Thank you!!! Outside action photos seem to be my best bet with the dogs….posing indoors, not so much!
You can try the game with treats too….only probably not a good idea if the snow is real deep…lol!
What fun, Mollie loves the snow, not that we get much. Thinking of you all and big hugs and love as always xxoxxxx
Mollie and Alfie
Mollie would probably love to experience diving into 2-3 feet of snow!
Thank you for thinking of us….xxxxxooooo
Looks like they had a lot of fun in the snow. Our huskies loved this years snow storms and I did not!
They sure did. Yeah, I’m not as crazy about it as the dogs are either!
Great fun. It’s the best when you can combine something fun with your workout like this…not that shoveling the deck is fun, but keep away is! Thanks for joining Kamp.
Yeah, shoveling snow is not so fun….but it is a good workout and at least is a way to get outside in the fresh air instead of being stuck inside working out. Plus I can multi-task….get some work done and exercise the dogs too!