Teach Your Dog To Drop
Teaching Drop, The Easy Way
Gone can be the days where your pup picks something they shouldn’t have up and gives you…the look. The look where you know they’re going to start running away the second you start moving towards them to take the item. Let’s change that!
Why Your Dog Won’t Drop an Item
We often expect our dogs to drop things they think are high value. Dogs, especially puppies, explore their environment with their mouth. They want to know if they can eat, shred, dissect, or chew on the item.
We rush over to them, pry the thing out of their mouth, and repeat the word drop. Instead of teaching our dogs to drop items on cue reliably, we’re teaching them whatever they have is good, so they should try to keep it as long as possible!
Teach Your Dog To Drop By Changing Your Behavior
Dogs pay attention to our body language and behavior more than our voice. If they have something they shouldn’t have, rush over and reach for it. Our behavior communicates to our dogs that they have something of high value, and we will take it. Think about it for a second-when your dog has something they’re allowed to play with, like their toys. Do you rush over and reach for their mouth? Or do you continue to let them play? You’re not showing interest in the item by allowing them to continue to play. If we continue our pattern of behavior, rushing over and reaching to take the item out of their mouth, we’re communicating that the item is high value and exciting, so they want to keep it.
Let’s reset the scene. When you need your dog to drop something, you’ll call them and ask for a drop. That might be a big challenge for them, so we’ll jump into training!
How to Teach Your Dog To Drop
To start, we’re going to show your dog they can usually keep playing with items you want them to drop. This builds trust in the process. Your dog approaches, drop the item, then get to keep playing with it after getting some treats. In cases of emergency, your dog will happily approach you with the item, drop it, and you can take it away because their learning history predicts good things.
Find a high-value food your dog loves, like shredded cheese, deli meat, or canned chicken. Have the food in your treat pouch, pocket, or on a counter, so your dog won’t know you have the food on you.
Gather several items your dog might pick up to investigate, like empty toilet paper rolls, cardboard or packing paper, laundry items, slippers, crumbled paper, or dish towels. Scatter those items in the training area and let your dog pick an item up.
Let them spend a couple of minutes investigating the object. When you’re ready, call your dog over to you and scatter the food as they approach. Your dog will drop the item in their mouth to eat the food. When they have finished eating, let them go back to playing.
If your dog is hesitant to approach you with the item in their mouth, try sitting on the floor, in a chair, or standing with your body facing away from them.
Continue letting your dog play for a few minutes, calling them over and scattering the food. You’re showing them you won’t take these cool new items, and you’re just calling them over for some delicious snacks! Try moving your hands near the scattered food to help them learn that reaching doesn’t always mean you’re taking the item.
Depending on your dog’s level of trust in this process, you might accomplish an enthusiastic approach in one session, or it might take more time for your dog to come running and drop the item eagerly.
Next, you’re going to increase your expectations with this training! Continue using high-value food, and ask your dog to approach, but every dozen or so times, pick the item up from the floor and remove it from the space. Show them something else you scattered or one of their toys instead! This will show your dog that sometimes, you might have to pick up and remove the item. If your dog seems hesitant to approach the next time, we started this step too soon, and we need to go back to letting them take the item back.
Now, you can add a cue! Call your dog over, and say your “Drop!” Cue in a cheerful voice and scatter the food so they drop the item. Continue this step until your dog eagerly drops the item on cue before sprinkling the food!
If you need a visual for this training, check out our videos Here
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