How Exactly Do You Teach "drop It?"

[Guest FrankieWylie]

Teaching "drop it" is for some reason hard for me to wrap my head around....

 

How do you go about teaching this?

[Batmom]

Copying one of my own posts from a year or so ago:

 

... what we do is basically start with an object the dog does not want -- say, an old washcloth. Fill your pocket with The Most Delicious Treats Ever -- something you don't use for anything else; cheddar cheese cubes, hot dog slivers, etc. Offer the washcloth to the dog. If dog won't take it, just lay it down between her front feet. Cheerful "Drop it!" then "Good girl!" take washcloth and give treat. Then give the washcloth right back again. Repeat repeat repeat. At least 2 sessions a day for 3 days, even if she shows no signs of interest in the washcloth.

 

 

Got that down? Now move up to something else -- maybe an old toy that she plays with a little but not much. Same routine. If she's a very playful dog, might want to wear her out first.

 

 

Gradually move on up to more desirable objects. Remember to always leave the object with the dog at the end of the session, and don't move up to a more desirable object until the one you're working on is perfect.

Edited January 7, 2012 by Batmom

[Guest jbbuzby]

I play the trade game. When they have something, anything, whether it's a toy or not a toy, I say "Out!" and offer a treat (a very tasty treat). When they take the treat as an alternative, I say "good out!" and if it is a toy they had, I give it right back so they don't always associate it with never getting what they have back.

 

As they master the concept, we'll subtract the cookie and just go with praise or trading for something appropriate. I don't want the dog to learn that taking something they shouldn't have gets them a treat or extra attention...just so they know what I want and what I want them to do if they have something dangerous.

[Guest ashphobiax]

with my german shepard i use to say "give" and he would drop it also i would point to the down to the ground and make him focus on me and as a reward i would throw the ball again.

[JAJ2010]

I would use the trade game to teach it. I've actually never taught the girls drop it. They know leave it!

[Guest Giselle]

What Batmom described is the "Trade Up game". Basically, you swap the dog whatever is in his mouth for something better. He learns that giving up items is rewarded and to enjoy doing it. It's an easy way to prevent food/resource aggression.

 

This isn't really what I call a "Drop It" since my vision of a "Drop It" has the dog dropping whatever is in his mouth WITHOUT any kind of physical cue. In the Trade-Up game, you usually have to extend a hand towards the dog's mouth to get him to release whatever is in his mouth. This is a physical cue, and I consider this behavior a "Give".

 

However, with a little bit of shaping, you could easily teach your dog a free form "Drop It" once he understands the concept of trading up/swapping. But...that's a little more complicated and unnecessary for most pet owners My dogs all know "Give", but I never took the time to shape it into a free form "Drop It".

[Batmom]

This isn't really what I call a "Drop It" since my vision of a "Drop It" has the dog dropping whatever is in his mouth WITHOUT any kind of physical cue. In the Trade-Up game, you usually have to extend a hand towards the dog's mouth to get him to release whatever is in his mouth. This is a physical cue, and I consider this behavior a "Give".

 

Ah, I don't use a physical cue for "Drop it!" -- words only . Also, treat stays in my pocket and hand away from that pocket until the object is dropped. Which is why I start with something the dog probably won't even pick up .

 

At least, I don't use a physical cue initially. Once the dog learns "Drop it!" from words, I have found that it takes @ 3 times to swap that for a physical cue only. Then you've got both.

 

'Course, then you have dogs like Gidget. If you look at her and just barely think about slightly wrinkling your brow, she's dropped whatever she had and has probably rolled over and presented her tummy .... :lol . She would be an easy one, as greyhounds go.

 

 

 

[Guest arlosmom]

I would use the trade game to teach it. I've actually never taught the girls drop it. They know leave it!

 

I a taught Arlo "Leave it" as well and he does it to this day at 12 yrs. Don't remember how I did it though. He always brings me a toy when he wants to go out but he wants to take it out so I tell him to leave it and he drops it at the door. !!!!!! Just remembered. we did it on leash on a heel and walked by a bowl of tasty food. If he lunged toward the food I gave him a leash correction followed by " leave it" and when he walked past a treat and yes!. It was definately useful for the nursing home where there were lots of temptations on the floor.

 

Not sure how he translated this to dropping a toy on command.

Edited January 8, 2012 by arlosmom

[JAJ2010]

Lol I never have to give a command to take anything from them... I only use leave it on things that they need to drop asap and never ever touch again! Like the cooked chicken wing bone Sunshine found on a walk last summer. I somehow strangled out a leave it in my panic and she projectiley spit it out then looked sideways at it like it was going to bite her. Lol she has her good moments.

 

Come to think of it I did teach Rainy an "away" command when she was guarding raw bones when we first got her. Haven't used it in years though since I can now grab anything from her with no worries.

 

Lol I never have to give a command to take anything from them... I only use leave it on things that they need to drop asap and never ever touch again! Like the cooked chicken wing bone Sunshine found on a walk last summer. I somehow strangled out a leave it in my panic and she projectiley spit it out then looked sideways at it like it was going to bite her. Lol she has her good moments.

 

Come to think of it I did teach Rainy an "away" command when she was guarding raw bones when we first got her. Haven't used it in years though since I can now grab anything from her with no worries.

 

Lol I never have to give a command to take anything from them... I only use leave it on things that they need to drop asap and never ever touch again! Like the cooked chicken wing bone Sunshine found on a walk last summer. I somehow strangled out a leave it in my panic and she projectiley spit it out then looked sideways at it like it was going to bite her. Lol she has her good moments.

 

Come to think of it I did teach Rainy an "away" command when she was guarding raw bones when we first got her. Haven't used it in years though since I can now grab anything from her with no worries.