Drop
.jpeg)
The drop cue can be used when your dog already has something in their mouth and you would like them to spit it out. It is important to teach the dog that dropping does not mean you will take the object away. It is recommended to teach both the drop and leave it cues close together to help your pup distinguish between the 2 and what they mean. That way when your dog has that thing in their mouth they're not supposed to you can ask them to spit it out and not pick it back up again.
Drop is useful to teach puppies during the teething phase when they tend to mouth and hold everything •It can prevent expensive vet bills if your dog tries to ingest toxic or dangerous items. •It can help you train your dog on what to mouth and what not to. •It stops your dog from making a game of stealing your objects to get you to chase them. •It’s a great way to teach your dog to let go of an object or toy without triggering Dog vs. human resource guarding. •It is good pre-cursor skills to flirt pole training, and playing tug, or fetch with your dog.
Step 1. What the words mean (Classical conditioning)
- To your dog the word Drop should mean "Good things will come to the ground if you release what is in your mouth" Start in a low excitement environment without anything in your dog's mouth.
- Say the DROP cue in a fun exciting upbeat tone.
- Throw multiple small pieces of high-value food on the ground
- Move your hands in the food pick up the pieces and push them towards your dog's mouth. (It's important to get your dog used to your hands being near their mouth during the drop cue)
- Progress into an environment with more distractions and keep practicing.
Step 2. How the word feels (Opperant Conditioning)
- To your dog the word Drop should mean "I need to quickly drop this thing in my mouth so that I can make room for that super yummy thing the human has thrown on the ground next to them, I'll come back and pick up my thing after. Start in a low-excitement environment with a toy in your dog's mouth.
- Say the DROP cue in a fun exciting upbeat tone.
- Throw multiple small pieces of high-value food on the ground
- Move your hands in pick up the dropped toy and push them towards your dog's mouth. (It's important to get your dog used to you picking up their object and giving it straight back to them)
- If your dog does not release the toy go back to step one and practice a bit more, or start with a low-value toy
- Progress into an environment with more distractions and use a second toy of greater value to swap out the first one and keep practising.
Now try to do the same exercise with high value chew toys, food items and even a ball.
Here are some videos from trainers around the world to help teach the behaviour.
