# Does your dog "drop" everything?



## Vhuynh2 (Feb 13, 2012)

I think the key is to teach him not to pick it up in the first place. My dogs know not to pick up any food that falls on the floor. A strong leave it is important. 

One time when Molly was a puppy, she picked up a dead squirrel before I had even had time to react. I tried to pry her mouth open (using poop bags as gloves -- this whole experience was just awful) but her jaw was clamped shut and she didn't want any of the treats I had. We walked home with squirrel in tow on one of the busiest streets in Seattle. I scoured the fridge for anything she might think was of high enough value and she let go for a piece of watermelon. I don't know what I would've done if she truly did not want to trade for anything. I had always been able to open her mouth for anything, but that squirrel was gold.


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## Branthegoldenman (Mar 19, 2016)

Vhuynh2 said:


> I think the key is to teach him not to pick it up in the first place. My dogs know not to pick up any food that falls on the floor. A strong leave it is important.
> 
> One time when Molly was a puppy, she picked up a dead squirrel before I had even had time to react. I tried to pry her mouth open (using poop bags as gloves -- this whole experience was just awful) but her jaw was clamped shut and she didn't want any of the treats I had. We walked home with squirrel in tow on one of the busiest streets in Seattle. I scoured the fridge for anything she might think was of high enough value and she let go for a piece of watermelon. I don't know what I would've done if she truly did not want to trade for anything. I had always been able to open her mouth for anything, but that squirrel was gold.


Thanks! I think I'll start working on him knowing not to grab things that are dropped in the kitchen. Any suggestions on training this? Should I just start dropping random things in the kitchen and say leave it?


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## Pilgrim123 (Jul 26, 2014)

If you do decide to work on his leaving things you drop, just make sure you start with things he really doesn't like. My Lily was so food motivated, we never managed to fully train her to leave anything I dropped in the kitchen. Even potato peelings were fair game, as long as they hit the kitchen floor. We had to ban her from the room. (Outside, she would drop anything.)


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## Vhuynh2 (Feb 13, 2012)

Branthegoldenman said:


> Thanks! I think I'll start working on him knowing not to grab things that are dropped in the kitchen. Any suggestions on training this? Should I just start dropping random things in the kitchen and say leave it?


I'd start by placing food on the floor in front of him and teaching him to leave it. If he can already do that, I'd drop food. Be ready to block him from reaching the food. Molly is as food motivated as they come. She will eat ANYTHING, but she caught on really quickly. So did Maisey, although she is slightly less food motivated. Now that they understand not to reach for dropped food, I will sometimes let them have it by telling them "ok, get it".


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## Ivyacres (Jun 3, 2011)

Honey *usually* waits for the okay before she picks up anything off the floor. This is a good thing because she doesn't have a good drop it but she will let us pry her mouth open to get something out. I love the 'leave it' command and she also knows 'that's not yours'.


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## Kalhayd (May 4, 2016)

Bayleigh is super food motivated and if she loves it, she isn't dropping it. That said- she knows leave it & the second it drops we say, no- leave it & she looks at us with her sad brown depressed eyes buy obeys.


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## Kim1607 (Aug 6, 2015)

I didn't think to do leave it but I did do 'trade' which worked great. George will trade anything for a treat. He is actually doing leave it well too now that we are in puppy school.


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## Megora (Jun 7, 2010)

Teaching LEAVE IT is part of what you first need to teach. Anything that drops on the floor or otherwise is within reach does NOT belong to the dog (unless they are told to "get it"). It's hands on work that's necessary to really train this concept. You can't just say "leave it" and expect the dog to know what that means. It has to be trained.

What you have when you are done is a dog that will back away from anything that's hit on the floor when told "leave it" and even look away from items when told to leave it.

"Spit" is a command I use when my dog has something in his mouth that I want to see what it is without reaching my hands in his mouth to pry his jaws apart. When I tell my dogs "spit" they will immediately drop whatever they have in their mouths so I can see what it is. Odds are it's harmless so I can tell them "OK, thanks" - which is a signal that they can pick up the item again. 

"Trade" is something I teach when I want to make sure my dog will give up something he has which he shouldn't have - in return for something high value to my dog. Which case, if my dogs have steak or pork bones in their mouths, I am able to parade them to the kitchen and trade a piece of bread for the bones. 

As long as you are fair, consistent, kind, etc... you will not have resource guarding or snappish behaviors develop.


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