How Playing Hide-and-Seek Can Boost Your Dog’s Intelligence
Boost memory, recall and mental health – no equipment needed
Hide-and-seek is one of those games that sounds almost embarrassingly simple, but turns out to be one of the best things you can do for your dog’s brain. Whether you’ve got a bouncy puppy or a dog who’s been around the block a few times, hide-and-seek delivers on pretty much every front: mental stimulation, recall training, nose work, separation anxiety support and – honestly – it’s just really good fun.
A 2018 study from the University of Veterinary Medicineopens in new tab in Vienna found that mental problem-solving games like hide-and-seek can help combat cognitive decline in dogs in much the same way they do in humans, boosting dopamine, motivation and memory. So next time someone catches you whispering “shhh” from inside a wardrobe, you can tell them you’re doing it for the neuroscience.
The science behind why dogs love to seek
A dog’s understanding of object permanenceopens in new tab is equivalent to that of a 1–2 year old child. In this sense, the benefits of playing hide-and-seek with your dog are much the same as when playing it with children – it builds independence, emotional resilience, confidence and, depending on where and how you’re playing it, can enhance physical skills such as balance and co-ordination too. But one key area where dogs differ from humans is in their ‘Predatory Motor Sequence’ (PMS) instinct, which is biologically designed for hunting, killing and eating prey.
This sequence, which follows the pattern of orient → eye → stalk → chase → grab-bite → kill-bite → dissect → consume, is more obvious in some dogs than others, with breeds such as Collies, Terriers and Malinois often showcasing theirs loud and proud when playing with toys or working and hunting for their parents.
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But whether your dog obviously exhibits this unique set of skills or not, it can be very helpful to acknowledge and safely nurture these instincts in a safe, controlled manner, to limit the risk of them showing up in other scenarios where your dog might be triggered by a fast moving object, like a bicycle, car or... squirrel.
When this hard-wired instinct goes unsatisfied, it can result in destructive, disruptive and potentially dangerous behaviours such as the tearing up of furniture, barking, lunging and even the “predatory drift” – when a dog directs these behaviours at a person or animal.
Fortunately, it’s very easy to provide an outlet for the PMS instincts, through games such as tug of war, fetch and hide-and-seek. Unlike some other game choices, hide-and-seek allows you to guide your dog through almost all the motions in the sequence, particularly if you allow them to find a toy or treat at the end.
The cognitive benefits of hide-and-seek for dogs
Object permanence
The knowledge that someone or something still exists once out of sight is something that needs to be learned by dogs. Researchers, including Thomas R. Zentall from the Department of Psychology in the University of Kentucky, who wrote the Now You See It, Now You Don’t study on object permanence in dogsopens in new tab, believe the cognitive ability of dogs can be assessed using tasks from human developmental literature. One game repeatedly highlighted as an excellent way to exercise object permanence, whatever your species, in hide-and-seek. The premise of hide-and-seek is to hide yourself, or a toy, from view and this simple act (combined with seeking you/it out) will help your dog feel safe in the knowledge that object permanence is a thing.
Improved memory and learning speed
Hide-and-seek involves a number of skills that encourage your dog to challenge their memory and learning speed. The nose work needed to sniff you (or a treat/toy) out from your hiding place, spatial memory awareness as your dog discovers new potential hiding places and remembers them in the next ‘round’, and recall practice can be involved too if you signal them to ‘come’ to find you. Engaging in this sort of activity with your dog on a regular basis helps to foster neuroplasticity, which is of great importance as your dog ages to keep their mind sharp, as demonstrated in the aforementioned 2018 study from the University of Veterinary Medicine in Vienna.
Mental fatigue
You may have read that 15 minutes of mental enrichment can provide the same stimulation as an hour long walk. Although using thought power can’t replace physical exercise, there is some truth in this – a mental workout will help to tire your dog out in a healthy, satisfying way. This is a game changer for high-energy breeds. Puzzle feeders are great for this, effectively acting like Sudoku for dogs, but hide-and-seek can be even better as it gets them moving, sniffing and thinking all at the same time, as well as working out that PMS instinct.
Hide-and-seek and nose work: mental health benefits for dogs
Nose work (utilising your dog’s natural sniffing super power) should not be underestimated when looking at the benefits of hide-and-seek. There are obvious gains to be had here, such as improving focus and offering mental stimulation, but the benefits of nose work go deeper. Nose work engages the parasympathetic nervous system, which means it’s fantastic for reducing stress. Several studiesopens in new tab (Duranton and Horowitz) have found that nose work can increase human-dog communication and connection; and even found that dogs who enjoy regular nose work are more optimistic.
How hide-and-seek can improve your dog’s recall
Training your dog to come when called is one of the most important lessons they can learn. Hide-and-seek offers the perfect opportunity to practice that recall in the comfort of your own home.
When hiding, you can call your dog towards you to help them get used to responding to your voice. This is a great way to hardwire their brain into believing coming back to you is well worth it, as when they find you – and you make a huge fuss of them – it will feel like the best thing in the world! There’s no higher value reward than that.
If you’d like recall to be a focus when playing hide-and-seek, there are a few things you can do to make this easier: start simple, in a familiar room with limited distractions and choose an obvious hiding place. Gradually increase difficulty, eventually transitioning outside. Be sure to use a consistent cue to call them towards you, like “come!”. Finally, go big with the celebrations every time they find you, showering them with praise and many even one of their most loved treats.
How to play hide-and-seek with your dog – a step-by-step guide
Start simple so your dog has the opportunity to figure the game out without feeling frustrated. Pick hiding places that your dog will have no trouble with at first, like behind the couch or door, or under the table.
Once your dog clearly understands the rules, you can build the challenge and even hiding in different rooms around the house or move outside. My old dog used to love playing hide-and-seek in overgrown fields where we could hide in the long grass.
Involve recall training to help guide your dog towards you. Make sure you stick with the same cue every time so they really grasp the concept. This will also help you translate recall into real world application.
Celebrate your dog successfully finding you as though it was the most incredible thing ever! Tonnes of praise and a high value treat will help them learn the aim of the game.
It’s helpful to introduce hide-and-seek with two people playing, so that one person can hide while the other instructs your dog to sit and stay. Without this, there’s a good chance your dog will follow you around the house while you try to hide... not ideal.
If you’re playing with an older dog, be patient. Reduce obstacles and ensure you’re hiding in a place they can get to. It might take them a little while to find you but when they do they’ll be just as delighted as a puppy.
If you want to play hide-and-seek with a toy rather than yourself as the hidden object, start by telling your dog to stay, walking away from them with a high value toy and placing it where they can see it. Then command that they “seek” or “find it”. You can guide on the lead at first, if needed. Do this until you feel your dog understands, then hide the toy slightly so it is partly visible and try again. Gradually build up in this way until you can hide their toy completely. And remember to give that big celebration when they find it!
Which dog breeds benefit most from hide-and-seek?
Scent breeds such as Spaniels, Beagles and Bloodhounds, and high-drive working breeds such as Collies, Labradors and Malinois take to hide-and-seek the most naturally, as their PMS instinct is very strong. But every dog has seeking instincts, so whatever breed your pup is, they’re sure to love this game. For some very anxious dogs, separation during the hiding phase may need to be introduced very gradually.
Signs your dog is getting enough mental enrichment
Hide-and-seek for dogs is a great source of metal enrichment, and you’ll probably notice the benefits after your first play session. An adequately – but not overly – stimulated dog is likely to be less anxious and much calmer than usual. They may seem physically tired out too after playing and need a nap!
Frequently asked questions: hide-and-seek for dogs
Can dogs play hide-and-seek?
Yes, and they love it! The game works in much the same way as it would when playing with a small child and there is crossover in the human/canine benefits too.
What are the benefits of hide-and-seek for dogs?
Mental enrichment, cognitive stimulation, recall training, nose work and instinct satisfaction all fall under the benefits of hide-and-seek.
How do I teach my dog to play hide-and-seek?
Playing hide-and-seek with your dog is very simple and loads of fun. See our ‘step by step’ guide above for instructions.
Is nose work good for dogs?
Nose work is essential for keeping dogs happy, healthy and well trained. Just 15 minutes of sniff work provides the same enrichment as an hour of walking. A dog who enjoys regular sniff work tends to be less anxious and more positive.
What games make dogs smarter?
Hide-and-seek is a great game for improving your dog’s intelligence, as are puzzle feeders, nose work and training games. Hide-and-seek incorporates all aspects of these, as well as physical movement.
What is the predatory motor sequence in dogs?
The predatory motor sequence (PMS) is a set of natural instincts all dogs possess which stem from the instinct to hunt for food: orient → eye → stalk → chase → grab-bite → kill-bite → dissect → consume. It is most apparent in scent and working breeds.
References
Duranton, C., and A. Horowitz. “Let Me Sniff! Nosework Induces Positive Judgment Bias in Pet Dogs.opens in new tab” Applied Animal Behaviour Science, vol. 211, Feb. 2019, pp. 61–66, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.applanim.2018.12.009.
Veterinärmedizinische Universität Wien. “Brain Training for Old Dogs: Could Touchscreen Games Become the Sudoku of Man’s Best Friend?opens in new tab” ScienceDaily, 2018.
Zentall, Thomas R., and Kristina F. Pattison. “Now You See It, Now You Don’t.opens in new tab” Current Directions in Psychological Science, vol. 25, no. 5, Oct. 2016, pp. 357–62, https://doi.org/10.1177/0963721416664861.
