Teach Your Dog to Find Your Keys
Once you’ve done the Shell Game for awhile, do this:
Attach a small piece of leather to your key chain. Spend two minutes pinching the leather between your thumb and index finger. This will transfer some of the oil in your skin to the leather and link your “scent” to it.
Next, repeat the “Shell Game” with your key chain, instead of the doggie cookie.
When your dog finds the bucket that hides your keys, lift the bucket to reveal your keys. At this point, you really need to lay it on thick (the praise, that is) and make a big deal about your dog finding the keys. You may also want to throw your dog a cookie as a reward.
Finally, you can start hiding your key in other places around the room (away from the buckets). Start out easy. Place them on the floor, next to the couch, where your dog can almost stumble upon them quite easily.
After a few days, you should be able to hide your keys in some really difficult places and your dog will be able to find them for you.
Imagine how handy this trick will become when you really lose your keys!