That moment when your puppy grabs your favourite shoes, your glasses, jewellery, your sandwich mid-bite.... the list is I'm afraid, endless!
Teaching your puppy the importance of 'Drop' is essential, especially if you don't want to have to replace everything you treasure. Believe us, the amount of shoes and sunglasses lost to Olive when she was a tiny puppy is disheartening.
Set this as a specific task for the week and be observant. You need to wait and witness your puppy with something in their mouth and wait for them to drop it. As soon as they do, use your praise cue, and say it brightly and cheerily.
Next step, set your puppy up with something they enjoy chewing on, whether it's a favourite toy, your beloved shoe, or an item of clothing they have a fondness for. Now offer the puppy a yummy treat, and as soon as they drop the item say your cue work and give them the treat.
Now, do it again, but just as they start to drop the item, introduce the word 'Drop' and say it loud and clear. As soon as they drop said item, use your cue word and give them another treat.
Repeat, repeat, repeat.
Another way to enforce this is to try the same procedure with different items and in different area of the house of garden. Reinforcement is key.
We recommend occasionally giving your puppy something that they allowed to chew on and letting them keep it. If a puppy anticipates that they may be able to keep some items they may be more willing to give them up in the first place.
Here's to never losing a beloved shoe again, and forever having a whole pair!
