The Power of Play: Building a Bird Dog’s Nose

Pacific Coordinator Ashley Hisey

During my puppies’ early development, I love playing fun games that encourage their natural instincts. In fact, I continue playing these games well into adulthood. Hunting breeds are naturally driven to search, making scent games an excellent activity to introduce as early as eight weeks of age.

I usually start with my puppy’s daily kibble. You can scatter their food in a patch of short grass in a small area of your yard, or, my preferred method, hide small piles of kibble throughout your home. To begin, have a helper gently hold your puppy while allowing them to watch you hide a handful of kibble in an easy-to-find location, either in a small section of the yard or in a room inside the house. Once the food is hidden, give your cue, such as “Search!” or “Find it!” and immediately release your puppy. Some puppies will initially search with their eyes, but most quickly begin using their noses to locate the food.

After just a few repetitions, you can begin fading out the visual component by hiding the kibble without letting your puppy watch. As they become more successful, gradually increase the difficulty of the game. There are several ways to do this. Expand the search area, hide multiple small piles of kibble instead of one large pile, reduce the amount of food in each hiding spot, or place the kibble in locations that require your puppy to problem-solve in order to reach it. This type of challenge helps build confidence, resilience, and persistence. You can also hide the kibble on elevated surfaces that encourage your puppy to stretch up on their hind legs to reach the reward.

Once my puppies are confidently searching for their food, I begin transitioning to other items, including their favorite toys, a small winged bumper, and eventually a dead bird. I also move the game outdoors once they remain focused and clearly understand the objective. This simple but highly rewarding nosework exercise lays an excellent foundation for future dead bird searches, tracking work, and retrieve drills. Best of all, it’s a fun way to build your puppy’s confidence while strengthening the bond between the two of you.