How to Clicker Train Picking Up Items

Some dogs do not like to pick up things with their mouths. This makes it difficult to train a retrieve or to teach them to put their toys in a basket. You can clicker train your dog to pick up items using the shaping method. Once your dog will pick up items on cue, you can enjoy new games with him.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderate

Things You’ll Need:

• Clicker savvy dog
• Clicker
• Treats
• Dog toys

1. Start off with a washable toy. Make the toy more interesting to your dog my rubbing peanut butter, butter, or cheese on it. You do not have to coat the toy in it, just smear a little on for taste.
2. When your dog looks at the toy, click and offer him a treat. He should come to you to get the treat. Do not stand farther from the toy than six feet.
3. Continue to reward all attention to the toy with clicks and treats especially licking or mouthing the toy.
4. When your dog will mouth or chew the toy, begin to play with him with the toy.
5. Click and treat all behaviors that are steps toward the outcome of picking up an item. Do not worry about your dog bringing the item to you, or dropping it on cue. These are separate behaviors to be trained later.

Tips & Warnings

• Keep training sessions short 3-5 minutes is plenty
• Do not say the verbal cue until your dog is doing the behavior.
• Do many short training sessions per day
• Begin fading the use of the clicker as your dog responds to verbal cues reliably
• Train old behaviors like new behaviors in new places, around new people, or in the presence of other animals. Act as if your dog has not learned the behavior, and start at the beginning, until he has generalized the cue.
• Smile at your dog while training. Speak in cheerful tones. Clicker training is fun!
• Do not chat with your dog while training him, it confuses him as to what word he should be listening to.
• Do not repeat cues, if your dog is not responding to a verbal cue change something you are doing or make adjustments to the training environment.