Online Training Class: Drop!

When your dog picks up something they shouldn't, things can escalate quickly - often ending in a wild goose chase about the house, and the thing they nabbed being gulped down, destroyed or lost forever.

There is never really a circumstance in which it is appropriate or safe for your dog to pick up something they are not supposed to, as this can be dangerous and even fatal. The cycle often ensues that the human sees the item has been pinched, panic begins, chase starts, dog runs and gobbles it quicker and quicker as they get closer and closer. Some dogs become possessive over items they take, growling, snapping and even biting at anyone who dares to try and take it back. Whatever the scenario, it can become dangerous for everyone involved.

Dogs might pinch things out of boredom, breeding instinct to fetch and retrieve, or to catch their parent's eye. The trouble with the sticky-fingered dog is that the chase is sometimes exactly what it is they were looking for - it doesn't really matter if their human is annoyed or not, attention, interaction and great game of Tag comes instantly, and that's enough!

Granted, as dog parents we should always make sure that every environment in which our dog resides is safe and free from things that might cause them harm, but accidents do happen and we should always be confident that we are able to stop our dog and retrieve whatever they have at any time.

Watch Episode 5: Drop today!