Easter egg hunts this year will definitely be different–but this year makes the perfect time to plan an Easter egg hunt at home for your dog!
Using food and treats you already have on hand, you can make the holiday a memorable one for you and a fun “hunt” for food for your dog.
To plan our Easter egg hunt, we always use hard-boiled eggs, cooked the night before and refrigerated.
Our hunt serves as our dogs’ breakfast so we substituted a comparable amount of food they always receive–two eggs for Tiki, one for Barli, along with some training treats.
Other ideas for your Easter egg hunt can be:
- freeze-dried liver
- small squares of cheese
- tiny pieces of chicken jerky
- dog biscuits
- cubes of cooked chicken
- pieces of warmed hot dog
- kibble
The most important factor is to select food your dog loves and tolerates in amounts he normally eats. Never allow your dog to eat Easter chocolates or any other foods that are toxic to dogs.
One of us goes out into the yard to hide the food (make the first couple of pieces easy to find so your dog gets the idea of what’s going on) while the dogs stay indoors.
Once the food is hidden, it’s time to release the hounds!
Our Easter egg hunts always take place in our yard; if you’ve got a similar option, it’s perfect for an off-leash hunt.
If you don’t have a yard and have access to a local park, this can work for a leashed egg hunt (just be sure to make a sweep of the area first to make sure there are no non-edibles like chicken bones, discarded candy, etc.)
And you can always do an INDOOR Easter egg hunt! Your dog won’t mind one bit.
If you use hard-boiled eggs, be sure you know the number of eggs you hide. Whether in your yard or in your house, you’ll want to make sure every egg has been eaten or discarded; eating leftover eggs found days later will make a dog ill.
Have your camera ready; the hunt won’t take too long!
When it’s all over, you’ll have fun memories of a spring day and your dog will have had the chance to bring out his inner wolf with a little hunt for a delicious meal!
