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Why teach "Drop It"

  • Health and safety

    Teaching "Drop it" will allow you to quickly retrieve harmful or unhealthy items that your dog may pick up on a walk outside

  • Manage social interactions

    A solid "Drop it" cue can help set the foundation for your dog to safely play with other dog and reduce the likelihood of conflict over a toy or object

  • Reduce destructive behavior

    Teaching your dog to let go of items they shouldn't have reduces the risk that they'll chew through your favorite shoes

Drop It - Level 1

Setting your dog up for success

When teaching "Drop It," the goal is to condition your dog to associate the phrase "Drop It" with receiving something awesome from you. It is this expectation that will motivate your dog to release the problematic item in exchange for the rewarding experience you will provide.

Objective

The objective of level 1 is for your dog to look at the ground for treats whenever they hear "Drop It"

Follow these steps when practicing level 1

• Grab a handful of treats and walk over to your dog 

• When your dog is standing right in front of you say “Drop It”, pause and drop the treats on the ground

• Point out any treats your dog missed It’s important that your dog gets used to your hand being near their mouth in this exercise 

• Repeat 8-10 times until your dog is reliably looking at the ground for treats when they hear "Drop it”

Pro tip

If your dog isn’t food motivated, substitute treats for a toy, petting or praise


Drop It - Level 2

Note: Only move onto level 2 after your dog is reliably looking for treats when they hear "Drop It”

Objective

The objective of level 2 is for your dog to release their toy and look for treats whenever they hear "Drop It"

Follow these steps when practicing level 2

• Give your dog a toy they like to play with. This shouldn’t be their favorite toy, but something they’ll engage with

• Then, grab a handful of treats and walk over to your dog Say “Drop it!” and toss the treats to the right or left of your dog

• As soon as your dog disengages with their toy, and starts looking for the treats, say “Yes” 

• Repeat this exercise until your dog has a strong enough association with the phrase “Drop it” that they consistently release their toy and start looking for treats

Pro tip

If your dog isn’t food motivated, substitute treats for a toy, petting or praise


Example

Alisonjoy from School for the Dogs practicing "Drop It"


Products we love

• Lamb lung. Dogs love these and they're perfect because they're very small

• Treat pouch. A pouch is a great place to hold your treats during a training session or on a walk