Teaching Your Puppy to Drop It

What it means:

Spit that out of your mouth this instant, and never pick it up again.

Verbal command – “Drop It!”
Tone of voice – Sharp, firm, demanding
Hand signal – none

Body Language:

When teaching this command, have your puppy on leash. You can either sit or stand, but try to keep a low profile, you want your puppy to forget you are watching.

Enforcing the command:

As soon as the puppy picks up the item, say the command “Drop It!” in a sharp tone of voice. If your puppy does not spit the item out, or tries to run off with it, repeat the command “Drop It” in a louder, somewhat startling and more demanding tone, and at the same time give the leash a sharp jerk. If the leash correction isn’t sufficient to induce the puppy to drop the item, pull it from the puppy’s mouth, put it back on the floor, and wait to see if the puppy will pick it up again. If he does, repeat the correction, each time with a sharper tone and a stronger pop on the leash.

Do’s and Don’ts:

Do leave the item out where the puppy can see it and has access to it (under your direct supervision only). This will give you plenty of chances to reinforce this command.

Do not put the item out of reach until the puppy has decided not to pick it up again. Do not allow your puppy to run off with and keep the item.

Use this command ONLY with items you never want your puppy to have in his mouth. Do not use this command with toys or items that are sometimes OK to play with.

What your puppy learns:

Self control, and that everything in the world is NOT for the taking. This command also strongly reinforces your position of leadership in the relationship.

Written by: Shirley Gibson

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