Is it possible to teach a dog to pick up its toys? Yes! Don't feel like having to clean your residence by yourself the next time; involve your dog in the process!
You'll be showing the dog to collect their toys throughout the home or put them in a toy box to perform this entertaining trick. Getting dogs engaged in cleaning up after themselves is advantageous for all parties involved because most dogs like any chance to spend time with you and have a task to do.
What you'll require
Most likely, you already have a number of dog toys sitting around your home. This skill's objective is to teach the dog how to pick up toys when cued and to deliver each toy individually to a specified toy box. To begin, you will require:
1: Treats: As you teach and practice this new ability with your dog, have a few bite-sized pieces of treats on hand to give him praise for a job done well.
2: Toy box: If you want the dog to play with toys, you'll need to provide a toy box and a designated location for them. It will be easier to start with a box or bin without a lid, but if you choose, you may ultimately add a lid that the dog must push open and shut. If you don't already have one, you can easily create one out of a cardboard box, a sizable Tupperware container, and any other container you might have lying around the house.
The Best Way to Teach the Dogs to Pick Up Their Toys
2: Toy box: If you want the dog to play with toys, you'll need to provide a toy box and a designated location for them. It will be easier to start with a box or bin without a lid, but if you choose, you may ultimately add a lid that the dog must push open and shut. If you don't already have one, you can easily create one out of a cardboard box, a sizable Tupperware container, and any other container you might have lying around the house.
The Best Way to Teach the Dogs to Pick Up Their Toys
Here's how to incorporate your dog into the cleanup:
1 - Verify that your dog is confident in retrieving toys when called.
Although playing fetch comes naturally to many dogs, not every one of them is considered a natural retriever, so you'll have to teach them the technique. Use these detailed instructions for teaching fetch to your dog if he is unsure about taking up or retrieving toys. It's time to start training your dog to put toys away in the toy box once they can retrieve them.
2 - Place the toy box next to your dog's face or entice them to pose next to it.
Give your dog the toy and instruct them to "drop." Give dogs lots of rewards and praise when they succeed in getting the toy to fall into the toy box.
Bring the reward in front of your dog's nose while they are holding a toy over the box of toys if they are still learning the drop cue. Praise your dog when they let go of the toy to receive the goodie. You'll be able to teach your dog the verbal signal "drop" and gradually stop needing to place a goodie near your dog's nose after a few sessions.
3 - Get your dog used to it.
Get your dog used to having their toys placed immediately above the toy box so that once you cue them to drop them, the toys will naturally fall into the box. You can now begin to add a verbal signal that is particular to putting toys away, like "toy box."
4 - Extend toy boxes to your dogs.
Once you've completed a few repetitions, you can begin to extend your distance towards the toy box. Give the dog a toy or instruct them to take one from adjacent to or close to the box. Utilize your "toy box" cue to instruct your dog to place the toy on the box while it is in their mouth. Give your dog plenty of praise and rewards when they accidentally drop the toy in there. If the box is missed, simply hand the object to the dog to reinforce the concept that the box is there for the toys.
5 - Asking them to fetch stuff farther away
After your dog has mastered picking up toys close to the box, you may start to challenge them by requesting that they fetch items farther away. You can even instruct the dog to begin putting a few toys away until you reward them as they get more adept at the trick. Your dog will become a cleaning whiz with a little practice!
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