With patience , and lots of positive reinforcement , you’re able to instruct your dog to drop all sort of thing , whether it ’s a nut you ’re playing fetch with or a " whodunit treasure " your pup find in the railyard .
I like to think of " drop " as an opportunity to teach my hotdog to trade with me . Give me what you have and you could have this tasty treat instead!This way my cad learns that giving up something ( maybe even something severe to them ) or better yet , divvy up with me , is always an opportunity forreinforcement . Versus me just take away something from them they desire ( being a bully ) . " Drop it " is also a utilitarian cue to have when you desire to teach any dog to fetch or flirt more fairly with their dear Frisbee .
Be certain to not confuse the " drop"cuewith a " leave - it " clue . Aleave - it cueshould only be used when your dog encounter something they want to engage with ; it ’s your cue to tell apart them to snub something or not to touch on something . A " cliff it " cue stick is used when your frump already has something in their lip that you would like them to put down , like dropping a globe during a game of fetch or give you the sock they found under the sofa .
Photo: Jason Donnelly
Teaching your dog to drop it is middling elementary but it ’s all about being consistent , and start up with items that are light for your blackguard to offer up or let go of ( like old toys ) . As they gain more experience with the " drop " clew , your Canis familiaris can begin to understand how to drop items that may have more value to them , like food dropped on the story or stone from the cheating laundry basketball hoop .
Do n’t expect your dog to be staring at this decently away . give up interesting pilfered delicacy is harder to do than give up a plaything they are getting bored with anyway . It takes forbearance and drill and lots and lots ofpositive reinforcement .
Things You Need Before You Start to Teach a ‘Drop It’ Cue
High-Value Treats
High - valuereinforcersare things your firedog really do it and only gets during training session . Nibbles ofdog - safe human foodslike cut uphot dogsor store - bought training treats that have a warm , ( usually stinky ) scent are good options .
A Marker
Amarker(orbridging stimulation ) is a sound or hand signal that pinpoints the accurate moment your dog did something that earned them a reinforcement ( the kickshaw ) . Aclickeris a useful prick to use as a marker , but you’re able to also just say a word like " yes " or " good " or a thumbs up hand sign . Just make indisputable you pickoneand use it consistently !
In this guide , we will use a clicker and wherever we say " click " you will use your marker . tag the behavior the second you see it . The more exact and quick your mark is , the more effective your teaching becomes .
3 Fun Steps to Teach Your Dog to ‘Drop It’ on Cue
1. Initiate a Game
take hold of a bunch of your dog ’s best-loved treats and model down on the trading floor . Engage them with a plaything they care ( but are not ghost with ! ) and begin a game of easy tugboat . waitress for your dog-iron to drop the toy from their mouth , and the second they do mark and give them a treat . Then , show them another delicacy but toss it a few feet forth so that you could blame up the toy . Initiate another biz of tug with them . Repeat .
Pro Trainer Tip : If your dog does not send packing the toy , you could show them a treat in your handwriting to encourage them to lease the toy go . Be careful not to rely on this though , fading it out quickly . Otherwise the treat in your hand becomes a bribe instead of a reinforcer .
2. Add a Verbal Cue
While tug the toy with your dog , pair the dropping of the toy dog from their mouth with your pool cue . the right way before your dog is about to drop the toy dog say the cue " cast it , " and the second they do mark and reinforce . Repeat .
It ’s of import to practice this cue in other location where your dog-iron will act or investigate things on the ground . Go in your backyard or a different way in your house , but be trusted to choose musca volitans where other distractions are at a minimum .
Pro Trainer Tip : Try hard to not repeat the verbal discriminative stimulus more than once or corrupt them with a kickshaw . If your dog does not send away the toy when you say the cue , only let go of it and wait , being quick to mark and reinforce the second they overleap it from their mouth . Go back to step one and practice a few more sentence .
Jason Donnelly
3. Practice Using Other Favorite Toys as Reinforcers
If your domestic dog jazz their toys you may use them are reinforcers . For dogs that desire to grab anything soft and spongelike ( like those socks no one has yet to claim and plunk up ) , it ’s important to instruct them to sink or trade like - item , exchanging something youdon’twant them to have for something theycanhave ( and ideally have intercourse ) . For example , if your dog grabs a shoe left by the door and you do n’t have kickshaw nearby you could trade the brake shoe for a nearby Frisbee , squeaky toy dog , or plushy . habituate these step to practise the " drop it " cue and mark and then immediately offer an chance to toy with another toy or with a biz of towboat or fetch .
Pro Trainer Tip : Create variability with the reinforcement by offering a goody sometimes and other times offering a toy or game so that your dog is always engaged and delirious to deteriorate the thing they have in favor of another fun chance .
What to Avoid When Teaching the ‘Drop It’ Cue
As with anything you want to teach your dog , there are some thing you really need to avoid doing .
Don’t Raise Your Voice or Scold
Do n’t scream the pool cue at your dog or habituate a harsh , demanding tone . Your dog should never be punish for using their olfactory organ and mouth to dowhat dogs do . Using the cue as a threatpoisons itand makes it less likely to be effective , only learn your heel to extend aside from you with something in their mouth — or spoilt , to hold it ( resource guarding ) . We require to instruct our cad thatofferingthe behavior of dropping something from their rima oris match getting something else majuscule , making it something theywantto do .
Don’t Chase Your Dog
frankfurter love an opportunity to play chase and there is no better time to run aside from Mom or Dad than when you have the remote in your sassing ! chase after your dog will only promote them to run aside from you any meter their gun muzzle happen an interesting treasure they want to keep obscure .
Always make certain that train your dog new skills and cues is nimble and super playfulness . Engage your dog when they are most likely to be in a playful humor and keep tug games , and pedagogy opportunities , poor and easy . And remember ! Reinforce , reinforce , reinforce !
Jason Donnelly
Jason Donnelly
Jason Donnelly
