The Search Cue: A Fearful Dog’s Best Friend

This lesson has more information than actually necessary to teach this cue.  This is because the reason for the cue, is as important, if not more so, than the behavior itself.  You can skip to the step by step guide, but I would highly recommend that you take the time to read the whole page.  Your dog will thank you.

Why Teach a Search Cue?

Dogs love to sniff.  Teaching them to search on cue makes sniffing purposeful and rewarding, it also reduces the need for treats to stay in your pocket long-term.  This activity, however, goes far beyond just giving our dog an opportunity to do something they love.  Searching and seeking are an important part of our dog’s wiring (and ours too!  But that’s beyond my pay grade) and a healthy way to channel your dog’s mental energy. 

To understand the importance of sniffing for our dogs, we first need to have a very basic understanding of the role that dopamine plays in your dog’s behavior.  Dopamine is a neurotransmitter that plays a big role in how our dogs experience the world. When you do something that feels good, your brain releases a rush of dopamine. You naturally seek more of that good feeling by repeating the behavior that made you feel good. This could be anything from scrolling TikTok or finishing off a party sized bag of chips. It can also lead to much more harmful habits and even addictions, I’m sure we can all name a few.

Just like us, the acquisition or the search for dopamine and how we engage in those things can REALLY make or break their entire outlook on life.  Do you have a dog who is constantly frozen at your window waiting to explode at people that pass by?  Maybe a dog who drags you down the street seemingly with no goal in mind?  Surely that can’t be enjoyable.  Of course we don’t even have to mention the dogs that wait by your feet or under your kid’s high chair drooling over the thought of a dropped crumb.

These are all examples of a dog finding ways to meet their biological needs in the easiest ways that they can find in our lives.  Yes, of course many of those behaviors happen because we reinforce them, but at some point the act of waiting for that reinforcement becomes rewarding in itself.  I don’t expect you to be ready for a pop quiz on this.  It’s incredibly important to understand however, that we have brought animals with very real emotional needs into our homes, animals that were not created  to live the lives that we often give them.  At best, you have a companion breed whose ancestors have been chilling with us for a few hundred years, still with the odd job of exploring a farm or neighborhood.  At “worst” (this covers most of us), you have a dog that was specifically bred not too far back in their lineage to have a job and earn their keep by doing it well.

We have engineered dogs to the best of our ability to lean into those biological needs that once simply kept their ancestors alive.  We not only need to understand, but appreciate the systems that make our dogs dogs.  We can certainly work away from the easy dopamine fixes that your dog drives you crazy with, but in doing that it’s critical that we replace them with regular, suitable, and fulfilling alternatives.  Taking away the behavior that we don’t want without finding a more appropriate way to fulfill those needs will at best, end with our dog finding another equally, or more annoying, behavior to replace it with.  At worst, it will create a dog whose joy in life is severely diminished and harm our relationship with them as we fight the uphill battle of squashing their desires rather than redirecting them to something that’s healthier for everyone involved.

In addition to fulfilling our dog’s needs and giving them a purpose through searching based  activities, finding hidden treats gives your dog a sense of success, building confidence in new environments.  Sniffing has the added benefit to being a natural way to destress and de-escalate dogs, not only will a good sniff lower your dog’s anxiety and stress levels over time, it also often shows other dogs that yours isn’t a threat.  This avoids the reactivity spiral that you may experience when you encounter another reactive dog as they feed off of and escalate each other from afar.

Once trained, you can use this skill even without treats to redirect or relax your dog during challenging moments.

If you feel that this cue is helpful for your dog, I would highly recommend that you ask me about why I don’t use food bowls.  You might be surprised to hear that that habit was born out of pure laziness and is somehow one of the most beneficial habits that I’ve built for my dogs.

Step-by-Step Training Guide

Step 1: Build the Association

 1. Start in a quiet, low-distraction environment where your dog can focus.  This can first be your driveway, patio, garage, etc.  I do not recommend practicing this in the house or anywhere that you eat for now.  Try not to make a habit of teaching your dog to forage or search for food anywhere you wouldn’t normally be okay with them doing it.

 2. Hold a treat in your hand, say “search” in a cheerful tone, and toss the treat a short distance where your dog can easily see it.

 3. Let your dog go get the treat and enjoy it.

 4. Repeat this process multiple times in short sessions over several days.  I often incorporate these into my walks, I’ll either reward and end a good heel position by breaking it with a search, or I’ll call my dog to me during a casual exploration walk and reward the recall with a search cue.  This allows me to practice my obedience, practice my search cue, and most importantly, practice the back and forth switch between focusing and the dog doing their own thing.  

Step One Goal: Your dog learns that “search” means a treat is being thrown for them to find.

Step 2: Add Complexity

 1. Once your dog eagerly looks for the treat after hearing “search,” increase the challenge.

 2. Occasionally toss the treat when your dog isn’t watching. Then say “search” and guide them to the treat by pointing or walking toward it.  This should feel to your dog almost as if you found the treat and are pointing it out to them.  This has a huge bonus of turning you into a team mate that is on your dog’s side, rather than the ender of fun that we too often become.

 3. Gradually reduce how much you help your dog. Let them sniff and figure it out independently.  Occasionally, toss more treats in front of their nose for them to find as they’re sniffing after they’ve found the initial treat.  “If I keep sniffing, treats might just appear!” -my dog when he hears his search cue.

Goal: Your dog understands that “search” means they should sniff and find a treat nearby, even if they didn’t see it tossed.

Step 3: Build Independence

 1. Once your dog confidently searches on their own, stop pointing directly at the treat.

 2. Say “search” and point generally in the treat’s direction without being too specific.

 3. Allow your dog to sniff and explore until they find it.  Your dog is smarter than you think, once you feel the urge to help them, wait a few seconds!

Goal: Your dog takes the initiative to start searching as soon as they hear the cue.

Step 4: Generalize and Use the Cue

 1. Practice in different locations, gradually increasing distractions as your dog becomes more skilled.

 2. Use the “search” cue during everyday situations, such as on walks or in new environments, to help your dog focus and relax.

 3. Eventually, you can say “search” even without tossing a treat, and your dog will still engage in sniffing, which naturally calms and redirects them.  Once your dog is at this stage, only toss treats after they’ve been sniffing for a few seconds.  Mix it up sometimes and make it a little easier every now and then, and sometimes don’t even use treats.  As time goes on, use less and less, but you should still use them every now and then to keep it fun and rewarding for your dog!

How This Helps Your Dog

Teaching “search” transforms sniffing into a purposeful behavior that helps your dog in many ways:

 • Stress Relief: Sniffing lowers stress and helps dogs self-regulate their emotions.

 • Confidence Boost: Dogs feel more secure when they succeed in finding something on their own.

 • Behavior Management: It’s a great alternative to reactive or anxious behaviors, providing a positive outlet for their energy.

 • Connection with You: The game strengthens your bond by making you the source of something rewarding and fun.

By teaching your dog to “search,” you give them an engaging skill that’s useful for daily life, helps them stay calm, and offers a way to redirect their focus when needed. It’s a simple but powerful tool for building a happier, more confident, and better-behaved dog!

Tips for Success:

 • Use small, high-value treats to keep your dog motivated.

 • Keep training sessions short (5–10 minutes) to maintain focus and excitement.

 • Be patient! Every dog learns at their own pace.

With consistent practice, “search” can become one of your dog’s favorite games and a valuable tool in your training toolkit!

Click here to see a video demonstrating step one of teaching the search cue.