The Shell Game — Dog Game #11

Back to home Home Top 20 Dog Games The Shell Game Game # 11 · Brain & Foraging The Shell Game Boosts focus and relies heavily on scent discrimination. What you need: Three plastic, non-see-through cups and a highly aromatic treat. How to play Let your dog watch you put a treat under one cup. Tell them to find it, and lift the cup when they point or paw at it. Slowly start moving the cups around slightly to mix them up. Let them use their nose to detect which cup holds the hidden treat. Coach's notes Start with 2 cups; add the third only once they're 5-for-5. Keep your eyes neutral — dogs will read your gaze before their nose. If they fail twice in a row, drop back a level. This is a version of the exact Two Cups task used in Dognition's assessment. If your dog loses interest Quick fixes when engagement drops mid-session. Wrong cup every time? Slow down and let them watch you place the treat with the cup lifted higher. If they lose focus, start with 2 cups instead of 3 for a few rounds. Some dogs paw all cups — reward the first-cup indication with a jackpot to shape a single choice. Why it works The Two Cups paradigm is a validated laboratory measure of communication and memory — the same one Dr. Hare pioneered at Duke. References [ 1 ] Hare, B., Brown, M., Williamson, C., & Tomasello, M. (2002). The domestication of social cognition in dogs. Science 298, 1634–1636. [ 9 ] Kaminski, J., Call, J., & Fischer, J. (2004). Word learning in a domestic dog: Evidence for 'fast mapping'. Science 304, 1682–1683.

10 Chasing Games (The Reverse Chase) # 12 Cardboard Box Shredding

Which cognitive muscle is your dog's strongest? Run the same science-based tasks from Duke in your living room and get your dog's full cognitive profile. Discover your dog's profile See all 20 games