# Drop the ball!



## Lucas (Jun 15, 2010)

Lucas is great at running and fetching balls or other thrown objects. The only issue he has is that he finds it impossible to drop the object once he gets back to me. I can take the ball from him if I take it out of his mouth but I would prefer that he just let it fall on command.

I use treats and that works only as long as I have treats left.
I have tried using two balls exactly the same (throwing each in turn) and that works OK but when I go back to using a single ball he just reverts back to his inability to drop on command.

Any ideas?

Jonny (Lucas's friend)


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## RedDogs (Jan 30, 2010)

Do you wave the treat before or after he lets go?


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## Lucas (Jun 15, 2010)

*Giving treats*

I normally show the treat and say drop at the same second as he is returning the object.


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## RedDogs (Jan 30, 2010)

He now thinks seeing the object is part of the game. 

I would: Go in the house. Get him to take an object. Hold the other side. Wait for him to let go. THEN get a treat out of your pocket. Toss the item across the room. He brings it back. Hold one side. Wait for him to let go. THEN get a treat out of your pocket. 

When he has got 10/10 right in three sessions.... then go outside and try the SAME thing.


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## Lucas (Jun 15, 2010)

I'll try that. 

Thank you

Jonny (Lucas's friend)


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## tippykayak (Oct 27, 2008)

I train the "drop" skill with a lower value object than a ball. It can be easier with a toy they value a little less, and once they learn the habit of dropping on command and being rewarded, you can go to higher and higher value objects.

If you do show the treat during the initial phases of training, it can work, but you need to transition away from that as fast as possible. If you wave a treat as the primary motivator to ask him to drop, you're asking him to evaluate whether the treat is better than the ball. The treat should be the reward, not the motivator. It should only appear _after_ the behavior, and once the dog "gets" the skill, the treats should become sporadic.


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## T Man (Mar 18, 2010)

I watched a youtube video of a trainer teaching a dog to drop a ball by using two balls. When the dog brings the first one back, toss the other one in the air, etc., to get the dog interested. Once interested, in theory, then you can throw the second ball and they drop the first one and you repeat. 

I have tried this a bit, and mine still sometimes take the first ball with them when they go to get the second one. Actually, mine lose interest in playing fetch very quickly.


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## Sienna's Mom (Oct 23, 2007)

T Man said:


> I watched a youtube video of a trainer teaching a dog to drop a ball by using two balls. When the dog brings the first one back, toss the other one in the air, etc., to get the dog interested. Once interested, in theory, then you can throw the second ball and they drop the first one and you repeat.
> 
> I have tried this a bit, and mine still sometimes take the first ball with them when they go to get the second one. Actually, mine lose interest in playing fetch very quickly.


We tried this LOL, and now we have to use four balls....


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## TomCat'sGirl (Aug 27, 2010)

tippykayak said:


> I train the "drop" skill with a lower value object than a ball. It can be easier with a toy they value a little less, and once they learn the habit of dropping on command and being rewarded, you can go to higher and higher value objects.
> 
> If you do show the treat during the initial phases of training, it can work, but you need to transition away from that as fast as possible. If you wave a treat as the primary motivator to ask him to drop, you're asking him to evaluate whether the treat is better than the ball. The treat should be the reward, not the motivator. It should only appear _after_ the behavior, and once the dog "gets" the skill, the treats should become sporadic.


I agree !


I have found if Cash see's the treat he's less likely to do what I want him to do. He's only 4 months and is working on drop it but he does pretty well when we are playing fetch. What I do is sit in front of him with a stuffed toy and play a bit of tug and then tell him drop it then I will treat him we do this everyday he's getting the idea because he drops his ball for me when we play Not 100% but he is getting there.


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