How to Teach Your Dog to ''Drop It''

Tired of your dog stealing your socks, shoes and other stuff? Even worse, are you tired of chasing him around the couch to get it back? These tips will help curb that behavior and save your personal items from becoming chew toys:

• Puppy proof the house. Use baby gates and shut doors to keep your dog from getting into trouble.
• Make sure you have a variety of appropriate toys. Choose toys and chews that your dog finds desirable and then rotate them frequently so he never has access to all of them at one time, otherwise he may get bored with them. Sometimes it helps to keep the “available” toys in a toy box so your dog knows which ones are his and he can “steal” from his own box.
• When your dog has something you want, trade him. Make sure you use fabulous treats and let him think he’s “trading up.” You can say “drop it” as you offer the trade and soon he’ll release the items just on the verbal cue.
• Don’t wait until he has stolen something to practice “drop it.” Set up bait items and be prepared to trade. Use things you can give back to him after he drops it. You don’t want the dog to think that if he gives something to you, he’ll never see it again. Use all different sorts of items too, not just toys.
• Many dogs steal for attention. Give more attention to good behavior than bad. When you see your puppy chewing on his own toys, make a big fuss about it! He’ll remember which items get your attention.
• Do not chase the dog! That only makes it a game for him. Go get something yummy to use for the trade and walk calmly up to him and offer the treat. If he’s really bad about running from you, you may need to keep him on a light leash or drag line for a while so you can step on the leash if he starts to run.
• Trick him! If you cannot get close enough to trade him, then make him think you have something even better. Grab a toy and make a fuss playing by yourself with it. Giggle and tease him with it. Run away with it. Make him really want it. Be sure he’s followed you far enough away from the original item that you’ll be able to rescue it once his attention is diverted.
• If all else fails, grab a handful of treats and throw them down on the ground near the dog. Most dogs are greedy and will eventually drop what they have to eat the treats. At that point, put your foot over the item so the dog can’t grab it again, and then pick it up.

Remember, dogs invent games if we don’t keep them mentally and physically stimulated. Exercise and training are your best friends. Train your dog to drop something on cue and then provide him with enough appropriate toys and chews and your stealing problem should disappear.

Debbie McKnight is an accredited PetSmart trainer in Hurst, Texas.

For information on PetSmart's Accredited Training, please visit PetSmart's training web site.

Teach Your Dog to ''Leave It''

“Leave it” can be a lifesaving cue for your dog to know. It can stop him from chasing the cat, eating medication that fell on the floor or stealing your dinner off the TV tray. And it’s not difficult to teach.

You’ll need a large, boring treat or toy that will fit under your foot. From here on out, I will refer to the treat as "forbidden" because your dog will not be allowed to have it. You’ll also need a bunch of small, yummy treats or rewards and a clicker (or verbal marker – read more about markers). Let your dog see you place the large “forbidden” treat under your foot. He will probably begin to lick, nudge, or paw at your foot. Be still and do not say anything. When he stops trying to get the forbidden treat and looks away, click and give him a yummy treat. Uncover the large forbidden treat and when he tries to get it, quickly cover it back up with your foot. Again, as soon as he looks away, click and treat. After 5-6 repetitions, you will only click and treat if he looks away from the forbidden treat AND looks at you. This is easy because he expects a treat for leaving the forbidden item alone. As soon as you can tell he’s got the idea, you will say, “Leave it” as he looks at the forbidden item. If he doesn’t leave it, cover it up. Try very hard not to let him get the forbidden treat, but if he does, safely take it back from him. If you allow him to steal and eat the cookie, he will just learn to be faster than you! Progress to working on this with forbidden items on the coffee table, couch, counter, etc., and cover them with your hand if necessary. Your goal is to be able to leave anything uncovered and your dog leaves it alone when told.

For items that are too large to place under your foot like plants, shoes, the cat, or other dogs on a walk, place your dog on leash and keep him out of reach of the item. Tell him one time to “Leave it” and then wait until he looks back at you. When he does, click and treat him. This is easier if you have done the previous step first. To get the hang of it, you ought to practice this with food or toys before moving on to harder items. When he gets good at that, practice walking past it, always keeping the leash short enough that the dog cannot reach the item. If he lunges for it, stop walking, tell him to “leave it” and when he does, click/treat, and keep walking. Your goal is to be able to walk by something with your dog on a loose leash. Try not to jerk your dog away from the item, but make sure you have the leash short enough that he cannot reach it.

Taught properly, using fabulous reward treats, your dog can become proficient at this exercise quickly. This is a hard, unnatural behavior for the dog so be prepared to reward your dog handsomely.

Debbie McKnight is an accredited PetSmart trainer in Hurst, Texas.

For information on PetSmart's Accredited Training, please visit PetSmart's training web site.

The Neurotic Dogs

When pondering whether my neurosis is learned or genetic, I often turn to the family dogs, Frazier (9) and Jake (4), and see the likelihood of a learned origin. My parents' characteristic anxiety has effectively seeped into both dogs' personas.

My mother and father are both card-carrying neurotics with drastically different sensibilities. The former engages in an overt style of panic characterized by covering her eyes when our car seems close to hitting another car that's three hundred yards down the road. The latter is more of a concealer; I would cite one of his quirks in this sentence, but the ensuing disownment would be harsh.

Frazier, a beige mix of bijon and poodle, arrived in our home when I was in the 9th grade. For the first few months, he struck us as an emotionally balanced individual, but it wasn't long before the wide, glassy eyes and quivering lower lip set in. Like his human siblings before him, he experienced separation anxiety in the absence of his parents. Unlike his human siblings, Frazier saw it fit to pace around the unoccupied house for hours, howling to the ceiling and holding his paw against his beating heart. Such behavior, though unquestionably neurotic, was at least grounded in recognizable childhood symptomology. It wasn't until the arrival of Jake, during Frazier's fifth year, that Frazier experienced a full-fledged nervous breakdown.

Given the instability of Frazier's ego, the appearance of Jake--an energetic full-blooded poodle with black hair and a trim gray beard--was emotionally catastrophic. When he wasn't lying on his stomach leering into the abyss, Frazier went as far as to commit acts of physical violence upon his younger brother. We knew not to be fooled by the innocent look in Frazier's eye when his leash somehow ended up around Jake's neck.

Jake, who entered our home as somewhat of a free spirit, was oblivious to Frazier's brooding melancholy. He ran and played with the best of them. He developed a flourishing social identity among the locals. However, it wasn't long before the torch of neurosis was passed onto Jake. From whose hands or paws the torch came is difficult to determine, but genetic theories strike me as inadmissible.

Jake's inaugural phobia was a fear of vacuum cleaners. We have various vacuums in our home, and Jake's fear of each is proportional to its size and volume. When the biggest vacuum is about to be used, Jake requires an explicit and descriptive monologue preparing him for what is to come. The monologue is best performed with the speaker's hand firmly applied to the top of Jake's head. We've found that with the aid of such verbal reassurances, Jake's anxiety in the presence of the vacuum cleaners has decreased by 3 or 4 percent.

By now, we're pleased to announce that Frazier has overcome his initial aversion to Jake. Not only do they dine together frequently, but they've also come to display the sincerest form of love in our family: they worry about one another. When Jake's out jogging in the backyard and Frazier's sobbing from the window, his tears run rich with affection.