If you are one of the owners of an outdoorsy-type dog, then you certainly know how much fun you can have with him on random adventures like swimming, hiking, retrieving, and many other activities. A treasure hunt can be lots of fun, especially for the dog, so let’s see what the steps for teaching this skill are, and then relax and play some treasure trails.
Basic Training for Treasure Hunt
For teaching your dog the hunt game, we must first begin with learning how to “sit,” “heel,” and “stay,” which are basic commands. Also, now is the perfect time to teach him what right and wrong mean, as well. A good approach here would be to reward his general good behavior by using visual excitement, treats, and praise. There are never too many treats in teaching how to treasure hunt. Make sure you always admonish the bad behaviors and show what you want him/her to do and not to do.
If you are persistent with this practice, your dog will follow all your commands, happily and loyally.
Introduce Nature
A treasure hunt is organized outdoors, so your dog has to feel comfortable and learn how to navigate efficiently. The good idea is to start getting him used to long walks in nature, preferably on your hunting properties or other preserve areas and nature trails.
The main idea is that, for a treasure hunt, the dog needs to have learned the areas beforehand, and if you keep this routine for long enough, he/she will learn the land even better than yourself. Also, as a side bonus, because your dogs will get the exercise they need, they will sleep better and will be calmer and more agreeable with the other people.
Knowing nature, they will find it easier to retrieve the treasure hunt clues that you hid in nature.
Introduce Water
If you chose to go for the waterfowl, then your dog will have to understand how to associate water. And treasure hunters want the water to be associated with praise, fun, and rewards, of course. It can be possible for dogs to develop a fear of water, which is why you have to take this step seriously if you plan to go for waterfowl hunting.
Nature and water have to be the dog’s best friend before having decided to learn how to organize a treasure hunt.
If collecting water birds is among your treasure hunt ideas, it is recommended you start the teaching process very early on, as young as possible. Show him how to enjoy the water in general. The best way would be to buy a wading pool and place it in your backyard. Eventually, you will be taking him to rivers and streams to waddle in.
The last step of the treasure hunt process is to teach him to dash into the water, by fetching balls or sticks thrown in the water. Once you achieve all of this, you will be one step closer to finding lost treasure hunters.
Teach Your Dog about Decoys and Real Things
This step can turn out to be quite a challenge when preparing for a treasure hunt, as it can be difficult to teach how to deal with the decoys. It is a common occurrence for the dog to view a decoy as a toy that they should pick and chew on, especially if it has your scent.
This step is the secret a treasure hunt enthusiast must get right, as you wouldn’t want to be tossing around dead ducks, to teach your dog how to treasure hunt. So learning how to treat decoys is a must in this process, before moving on to the prey treasure hunt.
As a result, you want to spread out multiple regular decoys and then, only spray one decoy with scent, so the dog can understand what you want when you tell him to fetch. Remember to use gestures of retrieving as much as possible when on a treasure hunt. This will make the dog retrieve the treasure hunt ducks as he knows that will make you happy.
Train the Dog to Relax in Hunting Strongholds
No matter you plan to treasure hunt waterfowl from your boat or blind, one thing is for sure: the dog will have to lay down and learn how to relax, while you can quietly scan the area for ducks.
For achieving the perfect mood, the dog has to be trained properly for this kind of treasure hunt activity.
An important aspect is that you take enough food and water on your treasure hunt, especially if you plan to spend all day out in the field. Or if you choose to do so from a boat, then what needs to be exercised is climbing on the boat and getting out of it. The final step would be to learn how to leap overboard and retrieve all the dummies that you placed out on the water.
Conclusion:
Organizing a successful treasure hunt requires very carefully trained dogs that be your companion and retrieve the catches. A treasure hunt will require you to start training your dog as early as possible, as all the reflexes that you develop in him will stick with him for years. Remember to make a strict difference between good rewarding behavior and admonish a bad one, as the dog will remember this his whole life. What tips and tricks did you use when you trained your dog to treasure hunt? Feel free to share your treasure hunt stories and advice with the other lost treasure hunters out there that want to have adventures with their dogs.
Author’s Bio:
Thomas Quarry is a passionate data scientist and journalist who loves to write content. Thomas loves outdoor activities, such as fishing and hunting, and tries to go on such adventures as often as possible. He plans to buy a pond for him and his friends to enjoy.
