There are several very good ways you can go about teaching your dog the 'drop' command, each of which can be used quite successfully. The intent of this command is to teach your dog to instantly drop whatever it is he has in his mouth, whether it’s a bone, a toy, or something he should not be trying to chew on or eat, such as a shoe. Teaching him this is also a good way to put an end to any ideas of possessiveness he might have.
If there is one thing you can count on, it's that your dog, like most dogs, is going to be amazing at finding things around the house or outside that he probably shouldn't have in his mouth. It could be one of your shoes, a dirty sock, people food, or something that could cause him harm. This is nothing more than natural behavior, especially in young puppies. However, if you can't teach him to 'drop it' on command, your pup might swallow the item, causing serious harm to himself.
The command itself can be simply "Drop", "Drop it", "Leave it", or any other word combination you prefer to use. But no matter what command you decide to use, be sure everyone else uses the same phrase to ensure your dog doesn't become confused and unable to comply.
As with most new commands, you must be patient if you want your pup to master this one successfully. Be prepared to praise your dog each time he gets it right and have plenty of treats on hand to reward him. You can teach this trick to most dogs, regardless of their age, but the sooner you train this the better. Teaching your dog how to drop items on command could potentially save his life.
Getting started is relatively easy and you really don't need much in the way of supplies. Most trainers recommend using a combination of commands, toys, and treats to get your dog to understand what you expect of him.
As with most forms of training, this is best practiced in a quiet setting with minimal distractions, including other pets, people, traffic, or anything else that might cause his attention to wander.
You will need plenty of patience and a good attitude during the entire training process. If your dog thinks you are enjoying teaching him, he is far more likely to comply. Always use a firm commanding voice without yelling to get his attention. Praise him when he gets it right and never punish him for getting it wrong. In most cases, it is better to practice this new "trick" for a few minutes each day rather than trying to do in long training sessions. Your dog loves to learn new tricks and to make you happy. With a little time, effort, and patience, he can be taught to do just about anything you can imagine.
When out on a walk he is fine until we see other people or dog and then he just lies down and won't move until they have passed. How can I help him to stop doing this it makes walks very stressful
Hello Michelle, This might be a socialization issue. I would practice passing the same dog over and over again from a distance where pup can stay calm. This is easiest if you recruit a friend with a dog friendly dog to help you. Take some small treats or pup's dog food pieces in a small ziplock bag in your pocket or a favorite toy. Every time pup takes a couple of steps following you with the other dog off in the distance, give a treat or toss the toy a step forward or let pup give the toy a tug. Keep your energy excited and confident. When pup stops, tell pup "Let's Go" in a calm and business-like tone of voice (it's not a question, it's a confident, calm command), then tug and release the leash several times in a row until pup takes a couple more steps - at which point give another treat or play. The leash tugs should stop as soon as pup starts moving. Keep your walking goals short at first. If pup won't leave your yard - your first goal is just to leave the yard. When pup reaches that goal - go home as an additional reward for pup following you - even if a lot of leash tugs were involved. When pup will go to the end of the yard easily then walk to the next house. Gradually increase your walk distance overtime. If you make your goal something huge like the whole neighborhood at first you are less likely to succeed - work up to distance overtime. Also, do not continuously pull pup on the leash. Doing so can harm pup's neck, but also dog's have a natural tendency to pull away from something - so if you pull pup in one direction, he will just pull back in the other direction, budging even less. This is why you do the quick tug and releases so that not following is uncomfortable with the tugs but not a continuous pull. You want pup to choose to walk to get away from the annoying tugs and to receive treats. I suspect pup is nervous or distracted about the environment or not sure how to respond to leash pressure - spend stationary time in the environment resting or playing or giving treats for tricks and games, and rewarding pup for coming toward you whenever you give a little tug on the leash. Pressure method for leash training if needed: https://wagwalking.com/training/train-your-puppy-to-accept-leash Best of luck training, Caitlin Crittenden
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He was taught very early to play rough & has went through a good bit of physical trauma in his 11 months. I helped raise him when I would come to his home at the time. His original owner (my ex) abandoned Zeke & kept Zeke's whereabouts from me until almost 2 months ago when I was able to find Zeke & reunite with him. For the last 2 months he has lived with me & no longer gets abused or discarded! Unfortunately I am having issues with his aggressive behavior. Which I expected considering all Zeke had been through. I try to calm him down, distract him with food/toys, & sometimes I have no choice but to hold him down in a laying down position or he will most likely seriously start to attack me. I have bruises on both my arms & a few on my legs from him bitting at me & being aggressive. He's very stubborn, but also very intelligent! I know he is the sweetest puppy ever cause 95% of the time he is & I will never give up on him. I know this behavior is from all the trauma he's been exposed to. I need advice/help with "deprogramming" his aggressive behavior please! Any suggestions will be greatly appreciated! Thank you in advance! - Wendy W.
Hello Wendy, Check out Thomas Davis from America's Canine Educator on Youtube. I would especially work on a lot of structured obedience to increase pup's impulse control. Get pup in a working mindset and out of the fight or flight response during times of arousal. Build pup's overall trust and respect for you, and learn more about different types of aggression, to get a better idea of exactly what's triggering pup's aggressive responses at time, so you can deal with the specifics. If you can, I would consider working in person with a trainer who specializes in behavior issues like aggression and comes well recommended by their previous clients for such work. It would be very helpful to have someone evaluate pup in person to determine exactly where pup needs help building impulse control and what his triggers are to work through them. Best of luck training, Caitlin Crittenden
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