Wild West Gold Rush, Week 4: The Fool’s Gold Swap

In week 4 of the Wild West Gold Rush (January 2026), Metro Animals daycare dogs in Fort Worth and Plano searched high and low through all terrain for fool’s gold, trained to tell it from real gold and practiced basic obedience.

In the final week, the sheriffs’ plan came together: trade the real gold for fool’s gold and make Shadow think he had robbed the town, with no showdown needed. First, though, Barksville had to collect every bit of fool’s gold, and the sheriffs had to learn to tell the real thing from the fake.

What the pups did

• The fool’s gold hunt — the sheriffs searched high and low, through all terrain, to collect the fool’s gold.
• Gold or fool’s gold? — sheriffs trained to tell real gold from fool’s gold, careful not to fall for their own trick.
• Sheriff training — a good sheriff is tough and can take the heat, but also has southern charm and manners. Practicing basic obedience skills got the pups ready for their mission.

In Plano, Bonus spent the month diving into the Wild West enrichment, using his nose to sniff out yummy treats and working hard for every reward.

Around Barksville, Sheriff Scout kept a lookout with her serious face while the dogs carried out the plan, and Sheriff Nyx stayed on patrol, protecting the town and the banks while the others set the traps. Sheriff sisters Tilly and Luna showed off their teamwork, helping all the sheriffs train and get in tip-top shape.

The showdown that never was

And it worked. The plan to swap the real gold for fool’s gold was the end of the road for Shadow and his Bone-faced Bandits. Time to reward the brave sheriff pups who saved Barksville from being robbed blind. The last sheriff introduced, Sheriff Lelu, had a good eye for all the clues, and with the town safe she was ready to celebrate with her colleagues.

Watch the week

This month’s adventure

• The story begins (week 1)
• Week 2: Trouble Rides Into Town
• Week 3: The Sheriffs' Plan
• Week 4: The Fool's Gold Swap (this post)

How to join the next adventure

Enrichment is an add-on to any daycare day at Metro Animals — ask for it at drop-off, by the day, the week or the whole month. It’s part of the program that earned us the highest score in the country at the 2024 Dog Gurus Daycare Games. Read more about how our enrichment works, and if your pup is new to the pack, find your nearest location — every new dog’s first day is free.

It’s a great day to play!

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