# Where are my keys?



## CedarFurbaby (Jun 6, 2016)

I’m teaching Cedar to find my keys and as a first step I’ve asked him to hold them, and to pick them up from the floor. He can do these things with a toy so he learnt them quickly. Hopefully we will get to the end goal of helping me find my keys when I can’t find them! 

Anyone taught their dogs this?


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## Rob's GRs (Feb 25, 2007)

Never tried this. Hopefully it works out and not the opposite happens. I could see mine putting my keys elsewhere for only me later to try and figure out where they put them..... LOL


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## Charliethree (Jul 18, 2010)

I haven't taught finding the keys, but I have a friend who's dog was excellent at it. Since most dogs are not 'fond' of metal on their teeth, they put a cloth or leather 'tag' on the key set, which helped by holding their scent, and giving the dog a way to easily pick up the key set.


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## Neeko13 (Jul 10, 2010)

LOL... I havent had Neeko find my keys, but he has to find his collar and leash everytime we go for a walk.... He's good at that,and we drop it in different places, so he has to work for it... I love when I have to tell him its on the coffee table....he knows exactly what a coffee table is...goes right there, rooting around til he finds it.. I also ask him to get my boots, he will bring them, but sometimes he brings me my hubby's boots or my shoes....lol.... He's smarter than my son @ 15, who once I asked him to get me something off the coffeetable, and ten minutes later, he came to me, asked me what a coffee table was!!!! lol....kids.....


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## aesthetic (Apr 23, 2015)

One of the dog trainers where I train taught his dog to pick up his keys whenever he dropped them. There's no verbal cue attached, the dog is just trained to bring the keys to his owner whenever he finds them. I have no idea how he taught it, but I imagine you're on the right track!


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## puddles everywhere (May 13, 2016)

Sips will pick up anything I drop and happily return it. She brings me the dog bowls after they eat so I can wash them. Carries the empty water bottles to the trash, haven't mastered putting it in the trash yet but she stands in front of the cabinet waiting for me and hands it off.
She does find my keys and eye glasses. They can be a little ... ah... moist? But she loves the hunt. If I go outside without them say to move the sprinkler, she waits at the door with them in her mouth. Guess she thinks I forgot them 
I put a name to the items then asked her to find them. I made the mistake of leaving a glass (grateful it was empty) on the sofa. In a few minutes she was in the kitchen with the glass in her mouth for me to put into the sink... didn't realize she could put her mouth into the glass. She was trying not to spill anything. This drives my daughter crazy when we visit... the grand kids have to put all their stuff up or Sipsy is bringing them shoes or phones or whatever they left sitting around. She can tell what belongs to which kid.
Sipsy totally amazes me sometimes... she is a retrieving fool! Enjoy, they love the game.


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## Catgondek (Jul 3, 2017)

Please tell me how you taught her to find your glasses as I am at an age where I can never remember where I put them! Seems like a delicate thing for her to pick up and bring to you? But oh my the hours it would save if Bella could learn to find them for me!


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## Atis (Jul 8, 2014)

My boy JP brings me my slippers every time I come home. It's not love, he wants a treat. He also brings them to me when he thinks it's dinner time. If I'm wearing my slippers at dinner time he brings me my sneakers, boots or any other footwear that's laying around.


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## puddles everywhere (May 13, 2016)

Catgondek... I'm at the same age. I used to laugh at my mom for wandering through the house all the time and they were usually on top of her head. Guess this is payback 

Sipsy has an affinity for retrieving stuff, remote controls, my phone, tablet, throw pillows off the sofa, basically anything that she thinks I need. It was driving me nuts so tried to think of a way for this skill to be a good thing vs. the pain it had become.

Anyway, I went to Walmart and purchased some really cheap reading glasses, think they were like $1 each. She is so careful with everything she picks up but lost some glass with the 1st few pairs.

I put a name to it.. she knows bowls, glasses, shoes, phone & get the other one when there is more than one of the same thing. But if she doesn't find what we are looking for she will try and substitute something else she runs across during the hunt. I thank her and tell her good try, keep looking. "find the glasses, where are they?" So guess we are still a work in progress.

Of course when I'm drinking a bottle of water she can hear the crinkle when it begins to run out. This prompts her to lay across my lap and stare... waiting for me to finish. It's a pain but have to appreciate her enthusiasm. Can't say my guest are too thrilled but the grand kids think it's a hoot!

I have to warn you .. once they figure out the game it can take on a life of its own. Sips knows my routine, guess I'm too predictable. I must put my slippers on the dresser or she brings them to me in bed. She can reach them but knows not to take things off of counters or tables. Wet slippers aren't what I want 1st thing in the morning but still wondering how she knows to pick them both up together ?? If I don't get up when she is ready she drags my robe off the end of the bed or out of the closet if I've left the door open.. it's pretty hairy by the time she drags it up on to the bed. She is just a people pleasing, way too smart for her own good sort of dog. I love her creative thinking but I have a hard time channeling her good intentions sometimes. 
I do have to admit it's handy when she climbs into washer or dryer to get the small stuff that is always at the back of the tub (front loaders). She would have made an awesome service dog!


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## CedarFurbaby (Jun 6, 2016)

Love all the stories! 

I wouldn’t say Cedar is a a natural at “retrieving” despite being a retriever. So I can’t see him just bringing me random stuff! It would be soo adorable though!

We had two more short sessions just doing pretty much the same - holding keys, picking keys up and fetching them for short distances. Still not too keen on picking them up as he’s only used to holding rope toys. And I imagine the metal won’t quite smell right. I might need to attach a soft toy so that it’s easy to pick up. At the moment he’s holding the lanyard part.


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## puddles everywhere (May 13, 2016)

CedarFurbaby I have heard lots of people say their dogs have the most problem with the metal articles. This is one reason I was so surprised when she brought me her food bowl and then went back for the other dogs bowl... they are metal.
Maybe you could check the baby toys dept and find a set of plastic keys to get her used to the unusual shape.
I had a trainer with a dog that didn't like metal. She used a normal soup spoon and put peanut butter on it. She sat in the floor with him for a few minutes a day and before long he had no problem with metal objects. This was a Norfolk terrier, talk about a dog that had zero retrieving skills!
Sips has some great traits but ask her to heel and she is bored silly


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## CedarFurbaby (Jun 6, 2016)

Very good tips! 

Here is a video of Cedar finding keys! This was his 4th training session so not too solid yet!


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## cwag (Apr 25, 2017)

Good work Cedar! He was very diligent to keep looking.


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