Wrapped sausage, let’s play! We're going to wrap up something delicious for your dog, creating a super fun game where your dog learns to unroll a mat that has been turned into a 'sausage-wrap'. Before you start: don't play this game with multiple dogs at once, it may trigger competition and aggression. Always cut the NatureCare sausage into small pieces before use.
What do you need
Some small pieces of Prins NatureCare sausage and a rollable mat, for example a non-slip camping mat, as you can see on the picture or, for small dogs, a rollable placemat.
This is how it works
- Roll out the mat and place, in a straight line across the middle, some cubes of sausage on it.
- Roll the mat with the sausage pieces up again. Your sausage wrap is ready!
- Make sure that one piece of sausage remains visible for your dog, who can start searching for it at your instruction. This requires some self-control! Reward your dog with a treat from your hand if he continues to wait for your signal.
Let your dog follow his nose! He will soon realize that in order to find the sausage cubes, he must unroll the mat with his snout. If desired, help him a little with the unrolling of the mat and, if necessary, point out the pieces of sausage that appear in the process.
This game can also be played lying down, great for seniors or dogs with an injury!
If your dog understands the game, you can reduce the number of sausage cubes that you use, until there is only one piece left at the end of the rolled out 'wrap'.
Challenge: Can you also teach your dog to roll up the mat? To do this, place a number of sausage cubes on the ground in a straight line and lay the unrolled mat over them. Leave the last part of the mat slightly rolled up in the process, so that your dog has a "starting point" to put his nose up against. Now, instead of unrolling the mat to get to the treat inside, he must roll it up to get to the treat underneath.
Caution!
Your dog should not use its paws or mouth to work the mat to get to the treat. Therefore, only play this game under supervision. Teach your dog that the more controlled he is with his nose rolling down the mat, the more successful he will be.
Annerike from the CareTeam
Questions about your pet's behaviour? The CareTeam loves to help you with free advice!