Teach your dog peekaboo!

Scary sausage is actually just a lot of fun: we are going to teach your dog to stick his head into a bucket at the signal "Boo!". Needed for this Halloween game: your dog, a bucket and some cubes of delicious Prins NatureCare sausage.

https://player.vimeo.com/video/143711883

Watch the video above to see how peekaboo goes!

We're using a Halloween candy bucket here for the right feeling, but any other bucket is fine too. Make sure the bucket you use doesn’t have any protuberances that your dog can hurt himself with.

Always cut the Prins NatureCare sausage into small cubes before use. You only need very small pieces for this game, as you can see in the pictures below.

Drop a cube into the bucket that your dog can then eat out of. Repeat this a number of times. If necessary, you can use your finger to point to the cube of sausage.

Does your dog always put his head in the bucket without any effort? Then you can start linking a signal to it: say "Boo!" exactly at the moment he has his head in the bucket. After a few times practice you can slightly earlier "Boo!" say, just before the dog puts his head in the bucket.

Some dogs find it quite a bit exciting to put their head in something, especially if the bucket when picking up the sausage something will tilt or slide. Give your dog in that case some time to get used to the bucket. Never force anything on them!

Is it going well? Wait a while before putting a cube of sausage in the bucket. Big chance that your dog will look at you questioningly: say, where is my goodie? Give him some time to think. There’s a good chance that he will now offer the desired behavior, putting his head in the bucket, to get something nice.

Reward him!

Does he do that? Great! Reward him for this with a cube of sausage, which you will no longer drop into the bucket, but from now on give from your hand. Does your dog still not fully understand the game? Just go one step back and practice again.

When you’ve got it al under control, you can put on a Halloween act for your family and friends: Put the bucket down and say "Boo!" and your dog will be startled (not really, of course!) and stick his head into the bucket.

Challenge!

Can you teach your dog to keep his head in the bucket a little longer and longer? And an even bigger challenge: use two buckets. Can you teach him to alternate between "Boo left!" and "Boo right!"?

Did you know this?

Peekaboo can be played standing up, sitting down or lying down, ideal for dogs who cannot or shouldn’t move around much because of their age or because of an operation or injury. The dog must be able to use his head and neck properly. Thinking makes you quite tired! Therefore, practice shortly and stop when your dog still likes it. The only way he can indicate that he doesn’t want to do it anymore is by looking away or walking away. Better luck next time, having fun together is more important than the result. Happy Halloween!

Caution!

Don’t play this game with more than one dog at a time, this can unintentionally provoke competition and aggression. Always cut the sausage into small pieces before use.