Dog Training: Find the Pea under the Right Cup

Every well-trained dog knows a trick or two that can impress friends and family alike. With this trick, your dog finds the right cup with the treat pea under it out of three cups. This trick is fun for both you and your dog.

Needed: Three cups: You can use plastic or paper cups from your picnic basket or small disposable flower pots that new plants come in to repot later. Kids’ handbells, instead of cups, work wonders too; Just cut out the clangor because you don’t need the noise from the bell. With the bells, the handles help your dog to tip the bells over during the trick.

Treats: Dry treats that scoot along the floor without leaving crumbs or residue behind, such as Os cereal or oyster crackers–type treats work best. The treat is called the pea in the final step.

Command: Leave It

Command: Stay

Sequence 1: Establish a pattern for the game

These steps in the first sequence help Buddy understand the pattern:

1. Kneel in front of your dog on a Stay command with an ample supply of treats and your cups handy.
2. Put a treat on the floor and say “Leave it” and then release Buddy to the treat with “Okay.” If he goes before the release, simply cover the treat with your hand before he gets to the treat. This is a practice review for the “Leave It” command
3. Repeat the whole sequence. By repeating several times you’re teaching Buddy this is a game he’ll want to play; he needs to get focused to play several times.

Sequence 2: Introduce the covered treat

The next steps focus on making the introduction. Buddy, meet the treat.

1. Kneel in front of your dog on a Stay command, show him the cup, and put a treat on the edge of the upside-down cup half under the cup and half showing.
2. Pause and then say “Leave it.”
3. Release him to the cup and treat and praise again and again while you pet and party with him for finding the hidden treat.
4. Repeat until Buddy knocks over or pushes aside the cup with ease to get at the half-exposed treat.
5. Now completely cover the treat so Buddy can’t see it. Remember to enforce the Stay and Leave It commands.
6. Release to the cup with “Okay.”

Sequence 3: Add a second cup with no treat

You can now introduce an empty cup next to the loaded cup.

1. Simply have two cups upside down in front of the dog on a stay as in the following figure.
2. Lift one at a time, and then make a big deal about putting a treat under one of them.
3. Pause and then release and let your dog find the treat.

If he goes right for the correct one, or even if he doesn’t, make a huge fuss of praise when he finds the treat.

Sequence 4: Move the cups and changing their position

To keep building on this trick, follow these steps:

1. Repeat Sequence 3, but after you’ve loaded one of the cups, slowly switch the cups’ location by sliding them around on the floor, not lifting the cup to expose the treat. Usually the dog is fascinated by this while on the Stay. Pause before releasing Buddy to the cups.
2. Repeat this step, but slide the cups back and forth a few extra times.

Try to determine if your dog is simply crashing the cups over or using his nose or eyes to go to the right cup. Help him if needed by tipping over the cup.

If your cups aren’t tipping over, do this on a bit of carpet to allow for some traction. The handbells help with this because they knock over more easily because of the handles.

Sequence 5: Finish the trick

During this sequence you add the third cup, which is when this trick really gets fun:

1. With Buddy on a Sit-Stay, place the three cups in front of him.
2. Load one with a treat and allow him to watch you.
3. Slide the cups around in front of him and talk up the mystery of which one has the treat.
4. Sit back on your heels, say “Okay,” and watch Buddy sniff out the correct cup.

One cup only has the treat. Your dog may tip them all over, but eventually most dogs get it right, going directly to the correct cup.

If you want to make this trick a show piece, add some drama to your voice and act as if you have a crowd in front of you. Announce and show off the Famous Buddy of the World —Buddy who can follow the cup to find the “pea” every time. “As if magic, Buddy will watch and concentrate and find the famous pea under the cups as they switch and move before his eyes. It’s your show, so play it up.