How to Train Your Dog to Pick up Dropped Items

Hello, Some dogs aren't very food motivated or only like certain foods. I would try a few different food options first, including freeze dried liver, fresh chicken, or even random things like baby carrots, just avoid any of the foods that aren't dog safe. If pup isn't food motivated even after trying a few things, see if pup is motivated by something else like toys. Try a few types of toys, like balls, chew toys, tug toys, and flirt poles to name a few categories. If pup is play motivated, you can give a little play for a few seconds after pup obeys a command as a reward. Pup may also be motivated by praise, affection, or something practical - like obeying sit before being given their dinner, let outside, allowed on the couch, petted, given a toy, ect... Check out these videos by Zak George on getting a dog excited about toys. Often moving the object around can excite pup enough to put their mouth on it - at which point you can praise and reward with whatever you have found motivates pup. If pup likes peanut butter, liver paste, or soft cheese, a little of that can also be dabbed onto the dropped item to encourage pup to put their mouth on it at the beginning of training. Fetching - notice how he moves the toy to gain interest before tossing- when starting to teach pup to pick up stationary objects, you want to get pup interested by moving them around before transitioning to pup picking up things that don't move: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D-uUQE32FuU&t=23s More fetching: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZtpLvumSTzI Three ways to get a dog playing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f8Z0EOHPNfI How to reward with toys instead of food: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gDnJ7dwnSwo Best of luck training, Caitlin Crittenden

Hello Jordan, I would start by practicing at doorways at home first, teaching the Wait command. Attach a thirty foot leash to a padded back clip harness that he can't slip out of. Attach the other end of the leash to something sturdy like a stairway banister (the leash is a safety measure). With the leash slack and only there "just in case", act like you are going out the door. Start to open the door and whenever pup tries to go toward it quickly close it while saying "Wait". Your goal isn't to hit him but he may get a slight bump if he is especially pushy. Practice opening and closing the door until you can open it and he will wait until it is open further. When he is waiting a bit, then get between him and the door and play goalie with the opening. Opening the door wide enough for you to get through, then whenever pup tries to get through firmly but calmly take several steps toward him to make him back up. By doing this you are communicating that you own that space and asking for his respect. Don't worry about bumping into him a bit if he won't move out of the way - your attitude needs to mean business without being angry at all. Once you can open the door and he will stay back and not try to rush through, then you can click and toss a treat. You will gradually practice opening the door more and more and blocking him from getting through and walking toward him to make him back up and wait. Take steps toward him until he is at least two feet from the door AND two feet away from you - those two distances often equal him giving you respect (and not simply waiting to get past you when you move), and waiting at the door (instead of trying to bolt). It will feel a lot like you are a soccer goalie, having to be quick and focused. When you can open the door completely and he will wait, take a step through the doorway. If he tries to follow, rush toward him, making him backup again quickly. This serves as a natural consequence and encourages him to stay back. If he waits patiently, then click and toss a treat as his paws. Practice at that distance until he will stay back. As he improves, take more and more steps, moving outside, onto your porch and into your yard eventually. Be ready to quickly rush toward him as soon as you see him start to move, to keep him from getting outside (this is why you back the long leash on him, just in case he gets past you, but for training purposes the goal is to keep him from getting out so he isn't rewarded for bolting). When he will stay inside while you stand in the yard, then recruit others to be distractions outside. Expect to stay a bit closer to him when you first add a hard distraction - like another dog walking past, a walker, kids playing in the yard, balls being tossed. Imagine what types of things he may one day see outside and choose distractions that are at least that difficult to practice this around. Once pup has learned wait well at other doors, when in the car, tie the other end of pup's leash to something secure in the car, with enough slack that he doesn't feel it unless he approaches the car door, but not so slack pup could get past the door opening - this is important - you don't want pup to be able to jump partly out of the car then get caught midair - too loose and that could happen, you just want something to keep pup from being able to take off if he tried to get past you. With the leash secure, tell pup Wait as soon as you open the door to get him, while your body is still blocking him. Practice taking a step away from pup whenever he is waiting patiently and not looking like he is about to try to jump out, reward if pup stays put when you take a step back, and quickly move toward him blocking his exit if he tried to move toward the door (remember the leash is tied so he can't succeed also). Practice this, adding steps as pup improves, until pup will effectively wait inside the car with the door wide open, even while you are a few feet away and not in the doorway, and there are distractions around, like at the park. Once pup is waiting well for you, then practice putting pup's harness on while he waits also. Best of luck training, Caitlin Crittenden

Hello Sarah, I am so happy to hear that you are making such great progress! Best of luck training, Caitlin Crittenden

Hello Michael, I suggest teaching a few individual commands, then adding the commands together one by one. Start out by teaching each individual command and rewarding the steps to learn that specific command. Once pup can do the commands each individually, give pup two commands together and reward after pup has performed both commands. When pup can do that, give three commands in a row, then reward at the end of three commands in a row, ect...Until you are only rewarding the full action of going to the cane, picking it up, holding it in their mouth, bringing it to you, and dropping it into your hand. Fetch - your dog already knows this one as going to the Cane and touching it, so cue that first. Take It - "Teaching Take It" section: https://www.petful.com/behaviors/how-to-teach-a-dog-to-fetch/ Hold: https://wagwalking.com/training/hold-an-object Come - "Teaching Come" section: https://www.petful.com/behaviors/how-to-teach-a-dog-to-fetch/ Drop It - "Teaching Drop It" section: https://www.petful.com/behaviors/how-to-teach-a-dog-to-fetch/ If pup is struggling to learn the commands above with the cane, I suggest using something similar to the cane but smaller and lighter at first to practice, like a stick, then transition each trick and series of tricks to the cane once pup is doing pretty well with just the stick. Keep working on pup going to the cane and touching it and rewarding that so they remember that item's name though, while using the stick for other commands. Best of luck training, Caitlin Crittenden

Hello, I can picture that and I bet it is cute! The Chase Method and the Squeaky Toy Method may work for you, in particular, the Chase Method encourages bringing things back. https://wagwalking.com/training/bring-you-something. Because Quinn is treat oriented, the Take it and Drop it Method may be good here: https://wagwalking.com/training/clean-up-his-toys-1. The Reel In Method here may help: https://wagwalking.com/training/train-a-puppy-to-fetch-shoes. Have fun!