Constantly tripping on your dog’s toys gets old really quickly, and you’re likely tired of having to pick them up off your floor multiple times a day. Keeping the toys organized is important not only for the appearance of your home, but also because tripping and falling over toys causes 10% of pet-related injuries. Teach your dog to return their dog toys to the play bin themselves to make your life easier and provide an enriching game for your pet.
Putting away toys may seem like a big task to teach a dog, but in reality it is just a few simple tasks put together. Begin by training these behaviors separately, then string them together once your pup has a good grasp on them. Have treats on hand during each step of this process, along with your clicker (if you use one) and your designated toy basket.
- Retrieving the toy. This first part is easy–you’re essentially playing a game of fetch with your dog! Play however you normally do with the toy, whether that’s tug, or jumping and catching, or retrieving. After playing a bit, toss the toy a short distance away. Your dog will most likely go after it, since you’ve both been engaged in a rousing game. Tell them “bring it” once they have the toy in their mouth, and reward them the second they start moving toward you. Be sure to have the basket next to you.
- Drop the toy. Working on this skill may be a bit trickier. Hold your hand under the toy, or gently take hold of it. Say “drop it”, then look away and ignore your dog. They will realize you aren’t playing anymore, get bored, then let go of the toy. Reward them well for this, since letting go isn’t easy! As you progress, hold your hand closer and closer to the ground, until your dog reliably drops the toy out of their mouth. Eventually, you want to be able to give the command without needing your hand there to cue them to drop.
- Toys away. Your dog now needs to put together the “bring” and “drop” behaviors while standing over the basket. Set the basket in front of you, toss the toy, and have them bring it back. Say “drop it” when your dog returns. Reward them with a treat any time they drop the toy near the basket. If they put the toy in the basket, reward them thoroughly and say “toys away”. Keep practicing this differentiation, and over time you can slowly increase the distance you stand from the basket when you say “toys away”. You can also make it more challenging by adding a second toy, once your dog has gotten the hang of putting one away.It will take time and patience for your dog to learn this advanced trick, but it’s so useful. If you want to make it even more impressive, tell your dog to put specific dog toys away–for example, say “rope toys away” or “dinosaur toys away”! Soon both you and your dog will enjoy the clean-up process much more.
Gulf Coast K9 Dog Training employs dedicated dog lovers dedicated to training and caring for your dog. If you live in the Sarasota or Bradenton area and are in need of obedience training, give us a call!
