Drop It
Teaching Bryn to release whatever is in her mouth on cue — a safety essential and the key to productive play.
Adolescent Note
Adolescent dogs put everything in their mouths. Rocks, socks, dead things on walks — you name it. A solid drop it is genuinely a safety behavior. Keep the trade value high and never punish a dog for having something in her mouth.
Training Stages
Teach that releasing an item earns something better.
- Give Bryn a toy she likes but isn't obsessed with.
- Let her hold it for a moment, then present a high-value treat right at her nose.
- As she opens her mouth to take the treat, the toy drops. Mark ("yes!") and give the treat.
- Pick up the toy and give it right back. Repeat.
Advance When
Bryn readily drops a toy when a treat is presented, 9 out of 10 times, with no guarding behavior.
Watch Out
Chasing her to get the item — this teaches keep-away. Stay still and make the trade come to you.
Taking the toy and not giving it back. She'll learn that dropping means losing, and she'll stop dropping.
Tips
Always give the toy back (or something equally good) after a drop it. The lesson is: dropping pays, it doesn't cost.
Start with items she's only moderately interested in. Don't start with her absolute favorite.
Pair the verbal cue "drop it" with the trading behavior.
- Say "drop it" THEN present the trade (treat or second toy).
- After many reps, try saying "drop it" and waiting 2–3 seconds before showing the trade.
- When she drops on the cue alone, jackpot reward.
- Practice with different items: toys, balls, sticks, tug ropes.
Advance When
Bryn drops a held item on the verbal cue alone (without seeing the trade item first) 8 out of 10 times.
Watch Out
Using an angry or urgent tone. Keep it neutral and upbeat — urgency teaches her the item is high-value and worth keeping.
Only practicing during formal training. Use it naturally during play.
Tips
Integrate drop it into tug games: tug → "drop it" → treat or restart tug. This builds it into play naturally.
Two identical toys make great trade items: drop one, get the other thrown.
Proof drop it with higher-value items and real-world scenarios.
- Practice with increasingly valuable items: bully sticks, bones, found items.
- Practice during high-arousal play (fetch, tug).
- Practice on walks when she picks up sticks, leaves, or found items.
- If she finds something truly dangerous, stay calm. Offer an amazing trade (cheese, hot dog) rather than grabbing.
Advance When
Bryn drops moderately valuable items on walks and during play, reliably enough that you trust the cue in a pinch.
Watch Out
Forcefully prying her mouth open. This creates guarding and erodes trust. Always trade.
Testing with the highest-value items before the cue is solid with low-value ones.
Tips
Keep emergency trade treats on you during walks. The moment for drop it with a dangerous item WILL come.
If she resource guards, work with a trainer. Drop it training should reduce guarding, not trigger it.
Proofing — The 3 Ds
⏱
Duration
Not applicable — drop it is an instant behavior.
📏
Distance
Practice from right next to her, then from a few feet away.
🐿️
Distraction
Low-value toy → favorite toy → food item → found item on a walk.
Generalization
Practice with every type of item: soft toys, hard toys, sticks, balls, ropes, found objects. Each new item type needs its own reps. Practice indoors, in the yard, on walks.
Troubleshooting
Bryn runs away when she hears 'drop it'
The cue has been associated with losing the item. Go back to the trade game: drop it always results in something BETTER. Rebuild trust.
Bryn drops it but immediately picks it back up
You need to be faster with the reward or redirect. The moment she drops, mark and deliver the treat right at her nose so she doesn't look back at the item.