How To Throw an Easter Egg Hunt For Your Dog

We love to involve our precious dogs in our holiday celebrations. When Thanksgiving rolls around, we're thinking about how our dogs can participate in the feast (hint: keep Fido away from the pumpkin pie), and Easter is no exception. Some families dress their dogs up in bunny ears, but why not plan a more interactive activity to share with your dog? Easter egg hunts are already one of our favorite holiday rituals—and now we have a way for you to get Fido in on the fun.

We're calling it now: Dog Easter egg hunts are on trend for 2020. All it takes is a few hard-boiled eggs hidden in the lawn to create an afternoon of fun for your dog. Here are a few guidelines to throwing a paw-sitively fun (and safe!) dog Easter egg hunt.

1. Keep the eggs all-natural.

Cooked eggs are actually very good for dogs—they're full of protein and amino acids—so hide some hard-boiled eggs in your lawn and let Fido go sniffing. Blueberries and chopped-up apples are two other all-natural options to promote your dog's health.

2. When it comes to plastic eggs, proceed with caution.

You can still use traditional plastic Easter eggs for your dog's hunt—this tactic is actually a great way to smell-train your dog—but you'll want to ensure your dog doesn't eat any of the plastic eggs (they can be very dangerous if they crack). Instead of candy, hide a yummy, dog-friendly treat inside the plastic eggs; when your dog sniffs them out, pop the plastic eggs open for him and reward him with a treat.

To limit the likelihood of an accident, Rover recommends using plastic eggs large enough that they can't be swallowed whole.

3. Keep your dog on leash.

This will give your dog a little room to roam, but it will also help you ensure he doesn't eat anything he's not supposed to. Nobody wants to end Easter Sunday with a trip to the vet because Fido swallowed a plastic egg.

4. Keep the chocolate far, far away.

Chocolate eggs are a staple of the Easter holiday, but as you probably know, chocolate can be life-threatening for dogs. Let the kids snack on their chocolate eggs indoors, far away from Fido's reach.

5. Make it a party!

Invite a few other neighborhood dogs to turn your little hunt into a doggie meet up. The more the merrier!