How to Teach your Dog what Toys are his

It can be hard for a dog to know what items are his toys to play with and which belong to the human members of the family and should be left alone. This is particularly true if you have young children who leave their toys around – the toys can look just like the ones your dog has and he really can’t tell the difference. So this requires training.

 

If your children’s toys are part of the problem, initially you will need to set up a barrier – a child gate or playpen will work – to fence off the children’s toys from the dog’s toys.

 

To cement this and teach your dog what he can put in his mouth, try this. Get a new toy for your dog, hold it near his mouth and say “take”. If the dog won’t take the toy, jiggle the toy around, this usually works. When he takes it, praise him and offer a treat. Next take something the dog should not have and hold it in your hand (have treats close by!). Tell your dog to sit and when he does, put the item to one side,  praise your dog and give him a treat. Continue this training with other dog toys (use the word “take”) and other non-dog toys/items and your dog will understand.

 

While training, if your dog tries to grab the non-dog item, put it away and offer one of his toys.

 

If your dog picks up something he shouldn’t, use the word “drop” to make him let go. Don’t try to pull it from the dog’s mouth as he’ll see this as a tug-of-war game. To train your dog to drop items on command, when he has something he shouldn’t have in his mouth, say “drop” and put a treat on the floor close by. Praise him when he drops the item and takes the treat.