Go Fetch! Finding and Retrieving Tricks Part 3

Locating the remote

“Where’s the remote?” is, perhaps, the most often-asked question in U.S.

households — and your doggy detective always knows the answer!

To do this trick, your dog should know “Sniff” and “Find” (see the earlier section

“The basics: ‘Sniff’ and ‘Find’”). Line up the treats and your clicker, and

follow these steps:

Place the remote in the center of a small, uncluttered room, such as a bathroom.

Click/praise and reward any interest. Progressively click greater interactions,

saying “Remote” once your dog interacts with the remote reliably.

Now progress to the next phase of training:

1. Let your dog have a good sniff of the remote.

Enhance the smell of the remote control with something memorable,

such as baby powder. Though you can phase off the powder after your

dog has learned to find the remote, the scent will linger on it for many

months. By then your remote won’t need an auxiliary scent — it will

smell like your dog!

2. Leave the dog in a “Stay” and place the remote a few feet away.

3. Release your dog with “Find the remote,” and reinforce any contact.

Continue to increase the distance, then begin to hide it in the usual lostremote

locations.