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.
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.