HQ Training Drill: Loo Roll Treats - An Easy Enrichment Game for Dogs
HQ Training Dispatch
Loo Roll Treats
A super-simple Agent enrichment drill involving treats, cardboard and some determined investigative work.
HQ has found another use for an empty loo roll tube before it reaches the recycling bin: turn it into a small treat-filled puzzle for your Agent.
This drill is called Loo Roll Treats. Scrunch up one end of the tube, add a few treats, close the other end and let your dog work out how to reach them.
Before releasing your Agent, wait for them to look away from the suspiciously treat-scented cardboard and back towards you. It is a useful little moment of focus before the investigation begins.
What this drill helps with
It may look like a few treats trapped inside some cardboard, but your dog also gets to practise:
- Waiting while the game is prepared
- Looking back towards you before being released
- Using their nose to investigate
- Working out how to open a simple puzzle
- Enjoying a little extra mental stimulation indoors
What you need
- One empty cardboard loo roll tube
- A few small treats
- Your Agent
- A release word, such as “Go” or “Okay”
- Close supervision throughout the investigation
Field Instructions
How to play Loo Roll Treats
1. Close one end
Take an empty loo roll tube and gently scrunch or fold one end closed.
2. Add the treats
Drop a few small treats into the open end of the tube.
3. Seal the evidence
Scrunch or fold the remaining end so the treats are enclosed inside.
4. Ask your Agent to wait
Place the tube on the floor and ask your dog to wait. If possible, pause until they look away from the tube and back towards you.
5. Release the investigation
Use your release word, such as “Go”, and allow your Agent to work out how to reach the treats.
6. Supervise the cardboard operation
Stay close and watch throughout. Once the treats have been recovered, remove any torn cardboard before your dog decides that was part of the catering too.
Commander notes
- Supervise your dog closely throughout the game.
- Do not use tubes containing glue, staples, tape or anything else your dog could swallow.
- Remove the tube if your dog starts eating rather than simply tearing the cardboard.
- If your dog is unsure, leave one end partly open so the treats are easier to reach.
- Use small treats so the game remains a quick activity rather than an unexpected second dinner.
- Keep the session short. One successful cardboard investigation may be plenty.
Agent difficulty levels
Level 1: Recruit
Leave one end of the tube open or only lightly folded so the treats can be found easily.
Level 2: Field Agent
Close both ends properly and allow your Agent to work out how to open the tube.
Level 3: Elite Cardboard Investigator
Hide the prepared tube somewhere easy in the room and ask your Agent to find it before beginning the opening operation. Keep the hiding place fair and always supervise.
Try it with your Agent
Give Loo Roll Treats a go and report back in the comments.
Did your Agent carefully unfold the tube? Flatten it instantly? Tear through the evidence like the treats were needed for an urgent inquiry?
Leave a comment below and add a photo of the cardboard operation if you caught one.
HQ Summary
Loo Roll Treats turns an empty cardboard tube into a quick indoor enrichment game. It encourages waiting, focus, sniffing and problem-solving using something you already have at home. HQ approves, with close supervision.