Are you stressed because your dog won’t give up items? Do you have to chase your dog to get an item back? Are you having to pry items out of your dog’s mouth?

Let’s create peace of mind by training your dog to “drop” items on command.  It is simple with a little bit of dog training. Kent, Ohio will have many happy owners when they learn how to train their dogs to “drop.”

Volunteering at the the Portage County Dog Warden has been a blast. I worked with Harley, a cute pit bull mix. He was a great dog to demo how to train “drop” because he is so smart. The easiest way to get your dog to give up an item that he wants is to have another item that you dog wants.

For Harley, he would easily give up a toy when I had a treat for him. So when he had a toy in his mouth I would say “drop” and show him the treat. He would spit out the toy in order to get the treat. You can do the same with your dog.

Here are some rules to follow to make sure you get success in training “drop”.

1.) Make sure whatever you have is more motivating than the object that your dog has in his mouth. If balls are more motivating than cheese, your dog won’t drop the ball. Maybe hamburger is more motivating than a ball, and your dog will drop the ball for that.

2.) Be consistent. If your dog gets a reward for dropping the toy and doesn’t other times he drops the toy he will be less likely to want to respond. You can create a great dog through dog training. Kent, Ohio dog owners will be impressed with your dedication.

3.) You will need to work with a variety of items so that your dog can generalizes the “drop” command to many different scenarios. Generalization is important and is learned. Your dog won’t automatically generalize if you don’t train him to do so. Obedience will occur if you work on this.

4.) Once you dog learns this command you can stop rewarding your dog every time he “drops” an item.

5.) If you dog bites or growls around objects that he wants or appears to be very possessive, it is time to consult a professional dog trainer. Kent, Ohio is near many good reward-based dog trainers. Choose one that works for you. Four Legged Scholars, Dog Training, Kent Ohio is happy to help.

Any dog can be obedient and learn drop. You just need to apply the right tools. You got this and of course we can help!

Happy Training,

Johanna Teresi, Professional Ohio Dog Trainer and Owner of Four Legged Scholars LLC, Dog Training, Kent, Ohio