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Training A Puppy

"Learn How To Teach Your Puppy To
'Drop It!' On Command"

When training a puppy it's important that the "Drop It!" command is amongst the first few commands that you teach him.

There are a few good reasons for this.

For example, your Cocker Spaniel puppy may pick up something that could cause him harm or poison him, or you may decide that playtime is over and you want the toy or chew bone that's in your puppy's mouth to be given back to you.

When training a puppy to "Drop It!", your eventual aim will be for your puppy to drop immediately whatever he has in his mouth the moment you give the command - easier said than done, huh?

Of course, training a puppy to drop it, especially if it's something he wants to keep hold, of won't happen overnight, but it will come slowly, in stages. So, the sooner you begin, the better!

Stage 1 - Training A Puppy To "Drop It!" On Command

Decide what you are going to use as training treats.

I'd recommend something really tasty, for example, cheese, chopped chicken, liver, or hotdog; something he would willingly trade for.

Give your puppy a toy to play with. Don't give him his favourite toy as he may not want to give this up - no matter what you bribe him with!

When he has the toy in his mouth, offer him one of your chosen treats; place it close to his nose so that he can smell it.

The moment your puppy begins to open his mouth to take the treat, say the words "Drop It!".
When training a puppy, your timing is very important. If you leave your command until after he's dropped the toy, he won't yet associate the command with the opening of his mouth and giving up the toy.

As he opens his mouth to take the treat, dropping the toy in the process, allow him to take the treat and give him lots of praise; let him know you're happy with him.

Give him back his toy and allow your puppy to chew it for a couple of minutes before repeating the above exercise. Gently remove it from his mouth if he doesn't readily drop it.

Continue to practice the above exercises whenever you get the opportunity.
Your puppy will soon begin to associate opening his mouth with the words "Drop It!".

Stage 2 - Training A Puppy To "Drop It!" On Command

At your next training session, ask your puppy to "Drop It", but don't give him a treat until after he's dropped his toy. He should automatically drop the toy in anticipation of a treat, in which case, praise him and give him his treat. If he doesn't respond, you're not ready to move on yet - go back and practice Stage 1 a few more times.

Practice this exercise regularly until your puppy complies with your command, without hesitation.

Important Points To Note When Training A Puppy

It's important when training a puppy that you gradually remove the use of treats, otherwise he'll only every work for treats - he may also become overweight!
Don't give treats every time he gets something right; perhaps one in every three, but continue to praise him profusely. The use of praise, or being given his toy to play with, will become his reward.
When training a puppy, you may find yourself in a situation where you don't have any treats with you but you desperately want him to drop something that could harm him - this is where rewarding with praise will pay off.

When your puppy has mastered the "Drop It!" command without the use of treats, try the same exercise with toys that are of higher value to him, for example his most favourite toy or a chew bone.
You may need to go back to using treats to help him give up his favourite toy, but persevere - simply follow the above steps until he does so.

If it becomes obvious that your puppy stops taking his toy from you because he's anticipating a treat, end the training session and practice this exercise during the day when he's not expecting it - don't forget to keep a couple of treats handy.

When training a puppy, if he refuses to drop something when asked, gently take it from his mouth. If he gives it up easily, praise him but, whatever you do, don't try and take it by force as this will end up as a tug-of-war game. Walk away. The chances are he'll get bored with it and leave it, or will drop it and follow you. You can always try again later.

There may, however, be times when you just have to take something from your puppy's mouth, for his own sake. As a very last resort, for example, if your dog has something in his mouth that could harm him, and he won't drop it, you could try the following:
From above, hold your Cocker Spaniel's upper jaw between your thumb and index finger at the point where his canine teeth meet; as you do so, gently fold the upper lip over his teeth and tilt his head back slightly.
If your dog tries to bite you he will bite his own lip.
You'll need to be very gentle so as not to hurt him.
Using your other hand, put your middle finger over the small teeth in his bottom jaw and pull down gently. Whatever it is you're trying to retrieve will probably drop to the floor.

Don't always give back the object that you've taken from your puppy as there may be a time when you don't want him to have what you've taken from his mouth; occasionally, offer him an alternative toy.

Practice the "Drop It!" command when playing games with your puppy.

Practice with many different objects and in as many rooms and areas that you can, including the garden.

When training a puppy, it's important to take things slowly; don't rush and, most of all, have patience.

Your Cocker Spaniel puppy may pounce on an object, usually a toy, and run away with it - he may be trying to entice you into playing a game of chase with him. Don't be tempted to chase your puppy in order to get the item back; chasing games are not good games to play with your puppy!

We hope you've found this article on training a puppy to "Drop It!" useful.

Your puppy should now drop anything in his mouth when you ask him to; more importantly, you should be able to do this without the use of treats as a bribe!

It's important when training a puppy, that you continue to practice all puppy obedience commands to reinforce his training.

You can find more Puppy Training Tips here.

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