Episode #135 Making Drop It Fun For Your Dog

Need help with drop it? Try switching the point of your focus. It is amazing how this helps your dog willingly let go of things you want back. 

Transcript

How to make drop it fun for your dog

Hello everyone! Thank you so much for tuning in to the Puppy Training Podcast today. I really appreciate you being here. Today we are talking about drop it - do you feel like this should be called the dreaded drop it? It can feel that way sometimes. But today, I want to offer you a few ideas of how to make this FUN for your dog. 

But first, I recently added a Podcast Roadmap to our site. Visit our site, click Podcast from our menu bar and fill out the form for the free roadmap. This will help guide you if you are just joining me and need a good place to start. You’ll notice I talk about anything and everything puppies in random order on this podcast - so if you have a new dog and are beginning your training journey, it would be useful to know what order to begin listening in. The roadmap was created with you in mind! Check it out today. 

Alright. Drop it. How well does your dog know this one? Some dogs are happy to release whatever they have while others clamp their jaws down and refuse to let go. The difference, the former were most likely taught the value in letting go. That’s the key to drop it. Make it rewarding for your dog! Help them see the value in letting go by making sure they always get something awesome in return. We pay for good behavior and that behavior therefore gets repeated. 

Let’s talk fetch. This is a fun way to exercise a dog. Many love the chase, the capture but do they let go or bring it to you? One way to help your dog want to let go is by swapping the first toy out with the second. When first starting this, use two very similar or the same toys. If you are playing with tennis balls, bring several out with you. If you are playing with a squeaky toy, get two of them that look and feel similar. Long and furry, crinkly, - keep them similar or as mentioned the same. We don’t want to be more valuable than the other or your dog will keep hold of their favorite and not be motivated by the second. Got it?

To start, show your dog the first toy and wiggle it around, squeak it, crunch it, whatever you can do to make it exciting to your dog. Notice I said exciting to them - sometimes we think we are doing things that are exciting when our dog could care less. Do your best to spark interest with them in ways they find fun! Hide the toy and pop it back out often works well. Once they want the toy, toss it away from you. As soon as they reach the toy, I take off running in the opposite direction, away from them. I keep going (slowly is fine - no need to sprint) until they catch up to me. Then I pop out the next toy! I make this toy super exciting and fun. The second your dog releases the first toy, mark, YES and toss the second toy. 

Repeat this pattern. I find playing fetch 4-6 times is ideal, then I walk away and we go do something else. At that point, if my dog is still wanting to play, they most likely will bring me their toy to say, let’s keep going. I notice some clients try to overdo fetch - or training - for that matter. I like to check-in often with my dog to see if they are still enjoying the activity together. Walking away is a good way to find out. I do this with tug as well by the way. I’ll play tug for 20-30 seconds, then drop the toy and walk away. If my dog follows me and brings me their toy I know they are still interested. This works for petting too! Try petting your dog for 3 seconds then stop. Do they want you to continue or not? Doing these types of things helps you get to know your dog and their preferences better! 

Back to drop it! Can you see how multiple toys will be useful in getting your dog to release toys? Notice to the dog the focus is not on dropping the item, but getting a new fun item. Yet, it serves our purpose in getting them to drop it. The dog wins! They get something awesome in return without realizing they are giving something up. They care more about what they might be getting. 

On that note, we often make the item we want dropped the main focus of our attention, which in turn causes our dog to see that item as valuable. I want the sock back, the piece of bark, the wrapper, etc. Our focus is on that item - and so is our dogs. If we can change that we will find more success with dropping it. For example, if I know my dog has a sock, I do not give any attention to the sock, but instead walk past them with a piece of cheese or meat in my hand. Just enough for them to think, “wow, that smells good. I want what she has!” They come up to me, release the sock on their own and I can now feed them the pencil eraser sized piece of delicious food. It is not about the sock (to my dog.) Even though to me, it is. 

Think back to the toy and fetch. When they run back to you, do not focus on the toy they have, but focus on the toy in your hand. Make that one the exciting toy and then once your puppy lets go of the first toy, toss the one you have as it is the new exciting thing. Note how your dog dropped the toy you wanted them to, but that was not your point of focus according to your dog’s perspective. 

Kind of fun to think about. Give it a try this week! See if you can train your brain to focus on what you want your dog TO get instead of what they currently have, but in doing so, you actually get the item you want back. Sounds crazy I know, but it works! Have a great week and happy training.