🧠 What this is?

This exercise teaches your dog how to drop any item they are already holding, this is different to a leave it cue.

In this session we are going to teach our dog that the word drop means drop the item you are holding.

What you need

• Treats

• An item your dog will hold - this does not want to be an item they find difficult to give up, this needs to be something of low value

• A dog in the right frame of mind to train

• A calm environment

🐾 What to do

• Start with your dog holding and item, they may be holding it due to play

• Say the word drop

• Throw a treat on the floor - your dog should drop the item and eat the treat

• Do not pick up the item unless your dog shows no interest in it. Your dog may pick up the item again giving you another opportunity to reinforce a drop cue.

• Repeat
  

👀 What you’ll start to see

• Your dog expecting the treat to drop on the floor after you say drop.

• They will likely drop the item and pick up the treat

• If they run back to the item let them, this should reduce over time as they realise you aren’t picking it up.

🎥 Here’s what this looks like in practice