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The 5 Minute Dog by Personable Pets Dog Training
Practical dog training advice in under 5 minutes. 5 New episodes uploaded every Monday.
WIth over 20 years of Family Dog training experience, our podcast includes tips, tricks, and explanations, so you can better understand why your dog does what he does. We also provide dog training scenarios to help you curb any unwanted behaviors.
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The 5 Minute Dog by Personable Pets Dog Training
#131 Teaching Your Dog to Drop: From Toys to Treasures
Struggling with a dog who turns everyday objects into prized possessions? The drop command might be your salvation – but only if you teach it properly. This essential skill transforms potential tug-of-war struggles into smooth interactions based on trust and positive reinforcement.
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Teaching your dog the drop cue meaning spit out what's ever in your mouth is one of the most useful things that you can work on. But you have to start training it before you need it. So the first step pick something low value, like a toy they're interested in but not obsessed with, and then let them have it. And then show them a treat. Put that treat right at the end of their nose so they can smell it, and cue, drop, cue just one time, not drop, drop, drop, drop, drop, and then just wait. If they want your treat, which is right in front of their nose, they have to spit out the object that's in their mouth. As they spit the toy out, mark it, click, say yes, good boy, acknowledge that they got it right, and then give them the treat. Be patient and practice in different situations and scenarios. You're just building on the idea that letting go of stuff can result in something better. No yelling, no prying their mouth open, no chasing them around, it's just spit it out and get something better. Pretty soon they'll start connecting the dots. Drop means spit out whatever's in your mouth. Then you can slowly start practicing with higher value items like favorite toys, but still keep it easy at first. Don't jump straight to something like a bone or a stolen sock. Work your way up so your dog is confident that dropping something usually always leads to something good, not a punishment. And here's a tip Sometimes after they drop something, especially if it's a toy, give them their reward treat but then give them the toy right back. This keeps them from thinking that drop means lose it forever. You want drop to feel safe and fair to your dog.
Speaker 1:And another tip the motion you make with your hands as you show him the treat becomes your hand signal, even if you don't have a treat. Always make that exact same hand signal at first. Act like you have a treat. Put your hand, your fingers, right in front of his nose the moment he spits out the toy. Good boy, great job. Also, practice when it doesn't matter. Don't wait until he grabs that dead bird to start teaching. Drop Practice during play. Practice with toys. Practice when everyone's calm. It's so much easier to build a strong habit before it's a high stakes contest. And if your dog does pick something up that you really don't want him to have, stay calm. Use your drop, the cue and hand signal in the exact way you've used it while you practice, not in a panicked or angry voice. The more consistent you are, the faster they'll trust the cue and the faster they'll trust the cue and the faster they'll respond.