- This post contains affiliate links. Read more here.
- Not a substitute for professional veterinary help.
Looking for colorful eggs and cracking them open for a tasty treat isn’t an activity for kids-only. Dogs can have fun with an easter egg hunt too. In fact, hide-and-seek is a unique enrichment game for many working or sporting dogs. If you have a dog that is a hound, retriever, shepherd, collie, or setter, an easter egg hunt will not only be a great bonding experience—it’ll tire them out too!
Dogs bred for their stellar sense of smell are also more likely to find scent work mentally stimulating and fulfilling. Research shows scent work and jackpot rewards make a dog more optimistic. Jackpot rewards Scent work games often employ a “jackpot” style of reinforcement, that is an unexpected delivery of a large amount of high-value treats.
Read on for tips on setting up a canine egg hunt that will tire out your dog on Easter day—and set you both up for more enrichment-filled play.
1. Use Large Plastic Eggs
Plastic eggs filled with stinky, yummy dog treats are a great opportunity for teaching scent work. When choosing plastic eggs, make sure they are too big for your dog to swallow. You may also want to check that they don’t shatter easily under pressure. Excited dogs may accidentally break an egg into shards, turning a fun game into a dangerous event.
Make it safer: If your dog has a tendency to resource guard toys or will chew on the egg, use treats to play the “egg hunt” game.
2. Choose Soft, Smelly Dog Treats
Ingredients such as bits of cheese, hot dog, or real chicken would entice most dogs to find the source of the deliciousness. Regular dried or semi-moist dog treats will also work, though may not be as aromatic for your pup.
If this is your dog’s first foray into scent work, you can make the egg more compelling by drilling multiple small holes into the shell. This will allow the scent of the treats to come through stronger.
3. Treat Your Dog Before They Grab the Egg
After your dog successfully finds an egg, praise them and drop treats on the floor, away from the egg. Pick up the egg as they eat the treat. After they’re done eating their treat, open the egg in front of them and then deliver the treat.
Do this several times until your dog voluntarily waits for you to open the egg. From there, you may be able to use a treat-free egg—and avoid an unexpected game of keep.
4. Make the Hunt Even Easier
If your dog’s instinct is to chomp on the plastic egg, use treat dispensing toys instead. A Kong, a Busy Buddy Kibble dispenser, or a West Paw Rumbl are all great options.
Level-up: When your dog finds these toys, reward your dog by scattering treats on the floor and picking the toy up. When they’re done, hand the treat-dispensing toy back to them for another round of treats.
5. Outdoors? Keep Your Dog on a Leash
No matter how good your dog’s recall is, you’ll want to keep your dog on a leash. Keeping your dog on leash will help reduce accidents, whether it be dog-on-dog interactions, dog-and-child exchanges, or plastic egg ingestions. If you’re attending a public egg hunt, chances are you’ll need to have your dog on leash, as required by law.
Younger pups in particular may have a harder time staying focused while out and about. Keep them on leash to guide them towards the right direction of the eggs. Or set up an egg hunt indoors, where you’ve likely already puppy-proofed a space!
Safety First: Are Easter Egg Hunts Safe for Dogs?
An Easter egg hunt is great in theory but for your dog’s safety (and your sanity) there are some protocols to consider. Before you let your dog loose with a “Find it!”, make sure you can answer “No” to these questions:
- Does my dog resource guard? Before you participate in an Easter egg hunt with other people or dogs, make sure your dog is fully trained to share or is desensitized to having their food or toys taken away.
- Does your dog ignore the “leave it” or “drop” command? Plastic eggs are cute but can shatter in the grips of a strong-jawed dog. If your dog doesn’t drop or leave items alone on command, they can still participate! You just may want to reconsider the aesthetics of an Easter egg hunt and opt for hiding treats.
- Does your dog or their friends have food allergies? Nothing is sadder than winning a game and being denied the prize. If attending a public egg hunt, ask the organizers what treats they’re using. Dogs who have been trained to practice impulse control will be more willing to trade out snacks for others.
- Are you well-organized? You don’t want to leave behind any eggs for your dog to find another day—or worse accidentally throw chocolate eggs into the mix. Chocolate is toxic to dogs. Fortunately, the answer to both these scenarios is simple: label the dog-eggs, make a note of how many you hid, and make sure the number your dog finds is the same number!
And while you’re at it, watch out for any little foil candy wrappers that might get dropped during the day.
By the way, can dogs eat eggs?
Your dog can absolutely partake in some boiled egg goodness. The yolk and whites are good for a dog’s health—even the shell, which contains calcium. Colored shells should be dyed with non-toxic ingredients.
However an egg hunt with real eggs may not be that fun for your furry friend. The American Kennel Club (AKC) notes that most dogs should not eat more than one egg per day. If your dog hasn’t had egg yolk before, this also may not be the time to try it. Egg yolk is also a common allergen for some dogs.
You will also want to avoid raw eggs. Not only is this potentially messy, but raw eggs also have an increased risk of salmonella. Talk to a vet before giving eggs to your dog.
Keep the egg hunt fun and lighthearted
Don’t forget to laugh and have fun. Even if your dog doesn’t find all the eggs or prefers a game of keep away, that’s OK. The point is to have fun and bond with your dog. Over time they may just come to love the tradition and get better at finding the colorful eggs!
If this all seems like a bit more work than you’re up for, never fear. Give your pooch an Easter-themed dog toy, and they’ll feel included. You can also put them in a bunny ears headband and take lots of pictures, though they may not be as thrilled about that one.
Further Reading
For more information (and inspiration!) about celebrating Easter with your dog, check out one of the articles below.