You have decided it is worthwhile to train your dog with some basic manners so that your household runs smoothly. Therefore, we are going to talk about “How to use toys in dog training” in this blog post.
You have started your classes to train your dog for the necessary dog training cues so that your new dog or puppy will understand what you are asking them to do.
You have taken yummy treats to help your dog be motivated as he or she learns the new training cues that you will learn in the class.
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However, oh no, your new companion is not that interested in the treats you have to offer. Why is this? Maybe, it is the choice of treats as your dog needs soft treats as a reward when they have just learned a new exercise, maybe the treats are simply too hard to swallow, or maybe your dog prefers an alternative.
What if the reason is that they need an alternative? Are you prepared for this scenario? It is always a good idea to be prepared and take some different rewards when you first start your lessons with your new dog or puppy. For example, take some different food treats, diced cheese or diced soft dog roll as well as your dog’s favourite toys. Preferably reasonably small toys so that your toy choice is not cumbersome.
Here we go, “How to use toys in dog training” once you have discovered that your dog or puppy is not that fussed when at the training facility to accept food treats for a job well done.
Hopefully, you have been playing with toys with your new companion and have noticed that there are one or two favourites that your dog prefers to engage with.
And, very importantly, hopefully, you have played games with your dog and taught your dog the ‘drop-it’ cue or ‘give’ cue.
As you can imagine, this cue, whichever word is your choice, is so important for your dog to understand, otherwise, it becomes a game of chasings and that is not a good idea at all. This would mean that your dog is now making the decisions and you are complying.
To teach the ‘dop it’ or ‘give’ cue I place my dog on a harness or collar with a leash attached, throw the toy this short distance and then call my dog or puppy back to me. Call your dog with a really happy tone, so that they come back to you with the toy in their mouth. Once you happily ask your bestie to let go of the toy, and they find it to be a better game if they keep the toy in their mouth, you can gently reach over to them and calmly remove the toy from their mouth and tell them how good they are. They do, over time, think this is a great game to play.
Throw the toy again a short distance and call your dog back to you again. Simply repeat a few times, remove the toy if need be, and start putting your verbal word to this action.
You may hit the jackpot straight away if your dog drops it on the ground for you when you call them back to you. Always reward happily with lots of praise and pats. The reward is that you will throw the toy again!
Once you have this game working well each time, you are ready to use this toy as a reward when at a training class. When your dog attempts the new exercise, or gets it right, reward with the toy by giving your pet the toy, maybe even throwing it a couple of steps for him or her to retrieve, and simply have a short game of tug. You can then calmly ask your dog to ‘give’ or ‘drop it’ ready for the next exercise that needs to be learnt.
This short blog on ‘How to use toys in dog training’ provides you with an introduction to your training sessions.
Would You Like to Learn Some Training Tips for Your Dog?
For Your Three FREE Training Videos Use This Link.
Until next time…
With Love, Success and Inspiration,
Robin Oliver
Robin Oliver Pet Dog Training
www.robinoliveronline.com/blog
