Can you train a dog to look where you point a flashlight?

Our dog is well behaved, follows commands well, but is horrible at finding stuff in the dark. For example if I throw a dog toy or a stick in the dark, she has a real hard time finding it. I have tried pointing a bright flashlight right at the object and she doesn't seem to notice the light. I haven't really tried to "train" her to follow the light because I'm not sure if it will work.

Have any of you trained your dog to look where you point your light?

FYI, no she's not blind, just dumb I think. I used to play with her with laser pointers but she got bored of it. Now she will chase the laser for a few seconds and then realize she can't catch it and give up.

If you throw doggie treats in the direction where you point, it just might work...

Yes. I've trained mine to stay in the beam at night. They only go kind of crazy when there are two lights at once. I set up a course in the daylight with treats high and low. Went through it in the daylight and then reset the course and took the dogs in until night. They knew where to look and associated the light with the treats. Repeat a few times and change your hiding spots and they'll have it in a few nights. Finish with a couple rounds of no hidden treats just reward for return to your feet with the light. I still don't know how my daughter taught them to climb trees.

What a trip. Right after I posted I went into the back yard to play with her and try a few things. The first two times I threw the toy and she didn't see where it went I pointed a light at the toy and she went right to it. How odd. I have done that a hundred times and she has never followed the light before tonight. Then I threw the toy probably 20 more times into the tall grass where she normally has a problem finding it and she found it each time with no light.

I'm baffled. I play with her every night and she has never found the toys as well as she did tonight. And right after I posted this thread. Twilight Zone I guess.

Still going to work on getting her to follow a light beam more.

A dogs sense of smell is a supernatural thing. Once your dog's slobber was on her toy she could smell it. You could bury it and then let her out of the house and I bet she'd find it.

KingGlamis said:

FYI, no she's not blind, just dumb I think. I used to play with her with laser pointers but she got bored of it. Now she will chase the laser for a few seconds and then realize she can't catch it and give up.

Click to expand...

Or maybe, she's too smart!
We have a Border-collie/Springer-spaniel mix that is now ~15 years old. (Border collies are known for their smarts.)

A few years ago, I got a laser pointer. It would get her going for a few seconds and maybe up to 30 seconds at most. After that, I would point the laser near her and she would just look directly at ME! As if to tell me - "Why the hell do you keep on doing that, huh?" :laughing:

To this day, when I bring out the laser pointer and point it near her or in her line of sight, she may or may not look at it for a few seconds and maybe follow with her head for a few seconds... But after those few seconds, she will either look right at me or simply just ignore it altogether!

What can I say - she seems to be damn smart old fart! :shrug: