How to Train Your Dog to Drop It
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Introduction
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.
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Defining Tasks
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.
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Getting Started
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.
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The Toy Method
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Give him a toy
Give him one of his toys and let him play with it for a while.
Give the command
Give him the 'drop' command you plan to use and stick to the same command at all times.
Give him time
Give him time to obey but do not attempt to take the toy from him, as this may make him think you are playing and he might run off expecting you to chase him.
Rewards
If he complies, give him a treat and plenty of praise.
Keep working
If not, you may have to find something else for him to hold onto that he will be more willing to part with for a treat. Remember, training your dog to drop things on command is likely to take several sessions. But at the same time, it is important for you to succeed in teaching this vital command as it could save both of you from an emergency trip to the vet.
The Treat Method
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Drop treats
Drop treats on the floor and teach your dog to eat them as you drop them (this should be easy!). You can start using the command "Drop" during this stage as it will get your dog used to hearing it.
A toy to play with
Now give your dog one of his toys to play with and to hold in his mouth.
On the floor
Drop treats on the floor, give the command and see if your dog drops the toy in order to get the treats.
Eat 'em up
Let him eat all of the treats and then give him back his toy. The idea is to get him familiar with this routine before moving on to the next phase of his training.
New items to practice with
Once he seems to have mastered the 'drop' command with one toy, try using different toys or items so that he realizes it is a general command rather than just associating it with one particular toy.
Out into the world
After he has mastered this skill indoors where it is quiet, you can move to the outside world where there are more distractions. It won't take long before you can start doing away with the treats, but you should always be ready with plenty of verbal praise.
The Exchange Method
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Give your pup a toy
Start by giving your pup a toy to play with and wait until he is holding it in his mouth.
A single treat
Take a single treat and hold it in front of him where he can see and smell it.
Give the command
Give the command "Drop".
Give your pup a treat
If he drops the toy, give him the treat. If not, do not punish him simply repeat the command and offer him the treat in exchange for the toy. It won't take long before your dog understands that if he drops the toy, he will get the treat.
New locations
Try training him in different areas of the yard or house and at different times of the day to achieve the most success.
By PB Getz
Published: 02/21/2018, edited: 01/08/2021
Training Questions and Answers
Larry
Pitbull
One Year
Question
0 found helpful
0 found helpful
Stop him from jumping and chasing cars mainly he chases mine and his family's car
Dec. 5, 2022
Larry's Owner
Caitlin Crittenden - Dog Trainer
1133 Dog owners recommended
Hello, First, I would consider hiring a professional trainer with experience with car or off leash animal chasing behaviors to work with you in person, making sure they have experience with the tools and methods needed for off leash work too if this is happening off leash also. I suggest teaching a solid Leave It command to pup. Teach the Leave It command using the Leave It method from the article linked below. https://wagwalking.com/training/train-a-shih-tzu-puppy-to-not-bite Second, teach pup a structured heel - practice away from cars at first. Check out the article and video linked below Heel article - The turns method: https://wagwalking.com/training/train-a-poodle-to-heel Heel Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OTiKVc4ZZWo Third, purchase a high quality remote training collar with stimulation, lean how to fit it properly and find your dog's "Working level" - which is the lowest level that your dog feels and responds to. Only use a high quality collar such as E-collar Technologies, Dogtra, Sportdog, or Garmin. Check out the videos below: Fitting: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DLxB6gYsliI Working Level finding: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1cl3V8vYobM Jeff Gellman cat aggressive dog: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_MLJV5PBh7Y More e-collar work with cats: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v8lkbX0dhT0 Fourth, teach an e-collar heel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PJaZsZdcjwU Fifth, put it all together. Walk pup on a collar or harness that's secure. Practice your e-collar heeling with cars in sight. Whenever pup starts to fixate on the cars or break the heel position, tell pup "Ah Ah Heel" - If breaking heel, or "Ah Ah, Leave It" - for fixating on cars, and correct on pup's working level on the e-collar. Practice around cars a lot until pup will ignore them and focus on you around them. Reward ignoring cars when pup is calm around them also - don't reward while pup is still in an overly-excited or aroused state though - only calm. Any other training you can do to help with impulse control in general is also great, such as a long Place, Down-Stay, waiting at doors, not exiting a crate until told Okay, ect... Place: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O75dyWITP1s Crate manners: https://thegooddog.net/training-videos/free-how-to-training-videos/learn-to-train-the-good-dog-way-the-crate/ Thresholds: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_-w28C2g68M Since it sounds like pup may live in a rural area where they are off leash and doing the behavior. Keep pup leashed at all times while outside while doing the initial on-leash training. When pup can handle leaving cars alone while on leash, then check out the videos linked below for how to teach a dog to avoid livestock while off-leash also (which is a similar prey or herding drive behind the behavior, so actually addressed very similarly to car chasing off-leash). Teach pup to avoid cars in general, using such training, even with you not around. Since you will have spent the time doing the on-leash training first, pup should better understand the off-leash (or long leash at first) part of the training as you progress to that part of it. The on leash needs to be done first though. Day 1. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lgNbWCK9lFc Day 2. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kpf5Bn-MNko&t=14s Day 3. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xj3nMvvHhwQ Day 4. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VxrGQ-AZylY Best of luck training, Caitlin Crittenden
Dec. 5, 2022
Toby
Chihauha
8 Months
Question
0 found helpful
0 found helpful
resource guarding
June 4, 2022
Toby's Owner
Caitlin Crittenden - Dog Trainer
1133 Dog owners recommended
Hello, Resource guarding is a behavior I recommend hiring professional help for. I would start by teaching Drop It, and introducing a basket muzzle using treats - so pup doesn't find wearing one when necessary scary. With a trainer's help I would work on generally building pup's overall respect for you through regular obedience command practice, adding a lot of structure and boundaries in the home, and having pup work for whatever they want by asking them to obey a command they know before giving it to them - like Sit before tossing the toy, Down before opening the door for a walk, Sit before feeding, ect... With safety measures like a back tie leash, trust is then worked on by practicing rewarding toy drops on command, feeding pup their meals in stages with obedience and rewards to help pup get used to associating their bowl being taken with more food being given, and practicing passing pup from a distance they are comfortable with and tossing them a treat each time they respond well, decreasing distance as pup shows they are happy about you being there and anticipating a reward instead of getting defensive. Rewarding pup for good behavior when you are near and they have something they want is extremely important. Avoid simply being in pup's space, touching pup, or taking things without those rewards - messing with a dog while they are eating or have a toy can actually cause stress and resource guarding if you don't make that experience fun for them. Best of luck training, Caitlin Crittenden
June 6, 2022