Teaching Your Dog to Drop Items: How and Why

Of the several essential commands any dog should know, “drop it” is among the most important. Teaching your dog how to look up and drop the item they have in their mouth is important for keeping a well-trained dog and essential for your dog’s safety.

Why Teach Your Dog How to Drop Items?

Dogs are notorious for getting into things they shouldn’t. If you see your dog with an item it shouldn’t have in its mouth, you want to know that you can get your dog to drop it, quickly and without fuss.

Sometimes, items dogs pick up can be dangerous for them, such as a chocolate bar or a dead animal. Dogs can’t identify which items are dangerous for them to have, so they need to be able to listen to their owners.

Additionally, a dog needs to be trained in how to follow the “drop it” command when play has gone too far or another dog in the situation is becoming aggressive.

In short, teaching your dog how to drop an item is just as fundamentally important as teaching them how to sit.

How to Teach Your Dog to Drop an Item

Teaching your dog the “drop it” command can be accomplished by many methods. Read below for the simplest steps to teach your dog to drop items that you can start in your home, right now!

• Find one of your dog’s favorite toys. Offer it to the dog and say, “take it”.
• Once the dog accepts the toy and holds it for a few moments, hold your fist up to his snout (with a yummy treat inside).
• When your dog releases the toy for the treat, confirm its good action with a “yes” or a click (if clicker training).
• Open your palm and allow the dog to have the treat.
  • If your dog doesn’t drop the toy for the treat, do not try to wriggle it out of his jaws. Instead, readjust the treat and bring it closer to his nose.
• Repeat the above steps for 10 repetitions. Every time the dog drops the toy, recite “drop it”, as the dog releases the toy. This connects a phrase with an action for the dog.

Finally, test this in an organic way. The next time your dog picks up a toy on its own, go up to the dog and say, “drop it”. If they drop it, it is working! If not, you may need to repeat the above steps in a controlled setting for more repetitions.

Final Thoughts

Teaching your dog to drop an item is essential for their safety. Luckily, teaching your dog to drop items is easy and can be done at Dog Training Now Charleston in no time.