Create A Dog Easter Egg Hunt For Your Newf

Easter egg hunts are a long-standing tradition for those that celebrate Easter.

As a kid, searching for eggs was my favorite part of Easter. 

I always wanted to beat my sister and get the most candy. 

I carried the Easter egg hunt tradition on with my kids, and even though they are teenagers now, they still request that we hide eggs every year.

I love doing it and this year we’re also having an easter egg hunt for the dogs!

I never hid eggs for Sherman and Leroy because I feared that Leroy would eat the plastic eggs but this year I’ve been practicing with Odin for weeks placing plastic eggs into a basket gearing up for our hunt. 

A dog Easter egg hunt is a great and rewarding game for most dogs and if you’re interested in throwing one for your Newf this year here are some tips to get you started!

Be Safe! Be Smart!

Plastic eggs aren’t for every dog.

Dogs can easily swallow eggs that are too small or crunch them into sharp pieces. 

We don’t want anyone having to take a trip to the emergency vet so use caution. 

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You can try introducing your dog to plastic eggs before the hunt and see how they do or if you know that it’s not going to be a good idea you can just pass on the eggs and hide the treats

Another alternative to plastic eggs is dog-safe stuffable toys. 

We have a few Planet Dog Orbee balls that are the size of a tennis ball which would be perfect for an Easter egg hunt. 

Plastic Eggs

If you decide to go with plastic eggs for your hunt make sure to get an appropriate size for your dog. 

We got the large plastic eggs that are too big to be swallowed. 

You can plastic eggs at most stores right now or you can order them online.

Some plastic eggs have holes in them but if yours don’t, all you need to do is carefully poke a tiny hole in the top and/or bottom of the egg. 

This makes it easier for your dog to sniff out the dog treats hidden inside. 

Good Treats

Your dog is going to use his nose to find the eggs so pick a treat that has a strong smell.

I’m going to use dehydrated liver treats which Odin loves but you can use any of your dog’s favorite treats. 

You can also smear a little bit of peanut butter or spray cheese on the outside of the egg if you think that it will be easier for your dog to find. 

Another idea is to hide real hard-boiled eggs in the hunt if your dog can tolerate eggs. 

Planning Your Dog Easter Egg Hunt

After you have the plastic eggs all ready to go you’ll want to plan out your hunt. 

First, you’ll need to decide if your egg hunt will be outside or inside. 

Next, decide where you’re going to hide the eggs.

If your dog has never played a hide n’ seek type game try to keep it easy. 

Make sure that you count the eggs that you’re hiding and if you want, write down how many you hid and where they are so that you don’t forget!

If you have more than one dog you may want to do separate Easter egg hunts for each so that’s there is isn’t any issues. 

And if you have children, make sure to do those hunts first so that there isn’t a chance of your dog accidentally getting chocolate or candy that can be toxic to them.

Start Your Dog Easter Egg Hunt

Even though we’re going to do our easter egg hunt in our fenced yard, I might leash Odin so that it’s easier for me to keep track of the eggs. 

If you’re unsure of how your dog is going to be with the eggs I would recommend leashing them.

Keeping them on a leash is also an easier way to lead them to the eggs if they’re having trouble sniffing them out. 

To start your dog-friendly easter egg hunt off, let your dog sniff a starter egg and then give him the treat inside. 

Most dogs will need help getting the treat so open it for them. 

Next, lead them to the first egg on the hunt and so on and so on. 

Some dogs will pick this up faster than others but keep in mind that this is more of a fun bonding experience than a training exercise. 

When you’re finished, clean up and make sure all the treats/eggs have been accounted for. 

If you don’t think a dog easter egg hunt is the right activity for your dog you can still give them something special like these adorable bakery treats from Wufers (use code NEWFIES10 for 10% off your cookie order) or consider an Easter-related dog toy.