The Muffin Tin Puzzle — Dog Game #1

Back to home Home Top 20 Dog Games The Muffin Tin Puzzle Game # 1 · Brain & Foraging The Muffin Tin Puzzle Teaches problem-solving and uses scent tracking. What you need: Grab a 12-cup muffin tin, 12 tennis balls, and smelly treats. How to play Drop a small treat into a few of the muffin cups. Cover all 12 cups with tennis balls, hiding the treats. Place the tin on the floor. Encourage your dog to sniff out and remove the balls. Coach's notes Start with treats under only 3–4 cups so the first success comes fast. Add more baited cups every session as your dog builds confidence. If your dog dumps the whole tin, hold it steady with a foot the first few reps. Two 5-minute sessions a day is plenty — sniff work is deceptively tiring. If your dog loses interest Quick fixes when engagement drops mid-session. Losing interest? Upgrade to a smellier reward (small piece of chicken or cheese) and bait every cup for one round. If they walk away, cover only 2 cups next time — you rebuilt success too slowly. Some dogs paw instead of nose — reward whichever strategy uncovers the treat first. Why it works Scent-led foraging measurably lowers arousal and gives dogs the same kind of cognitive workout Horowitz documents in her Barnard scent-lab studies. References [ 4 ] Duranton, C., & Horowitz, A. (2019). Let me sniff! Nosework induces positive judgment bias in pet dogs. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 211, 61–66. [ 5 ] Horowitz, A. (2016). Being a Dog: Following the Dog into a World of Smell. Scribner.

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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