Charlotte Bryan

Published On May 18,2024

In this post, we’re going to address a fantastic dog training question that came up in the comments on my last YouTube video. The question was:

“I think my Aussie Shepherd has trained me… every time he does something wrong like steal another dog’s ball, I have to give him a treat for him to drop it. Now he purposely steals other dogs’ balls because he knows he’ll get treats.”

This scenario is something many dog owners face, and it highlights the incredible intelligence and adaptability of the Australian Shepherd—and other breeds too. Dogs are hardwired to identify patterns in our behaviour to help them make future decisions and get what they want more quickly. This ability to recognise and act on patterns is something we can rely on 100% when it comes to training our dogs.

Understanding the Problem

First, let’s appreciate the initial training method used here—a treat exchange for the ball. While this is a great start, we need to tweak this approach to achieve better results.

Our dog has figured out that stealing balls results in treats. This is a perfect example of dogs recognising patterns and using them to their advantage. So, how can we adjust this behaviour?

Step 1: Stop Rewarding the Stealing

The first thing to do is to ensure we are not rewarding our dog when they steal another dog’s ball. This can be tricky, but it’s essential. Avoid giving treats or throwing the stolen ball. For example, my dog Frankie does this to some extent, but not for treats—he simply loves chasing things.

Step 2: Introduce “Leave It” and “Drop It” Commands

These commands are crucial for managing our dogs’ behaviour around toys.

• “Leave It” Command: This is used before our dog picks up something. It means “don’t even go near it.” Practising this command can prevent our dog from grabbing items that aren’t theirs.
• “Drop It” Command: This is used when our dog already has something in their mouth. It instructs them to release the item.

Training the Commands

Here’s how we can train these commands:

• Leave It: When we see our dog approaching a toy that isn’t theirs, we say “leave it” and reward them when they look back at us. This reinforces that ignoring the toy results in a treat.
• Drop It: Only reward our dog when they drop their own toy, not when they steal another dog’s toy. Ensure that treats are given only when we give the “drop it” command, not when they drop the ball on their own.

Step 3: Consistent Rewards

We need to ensure we are consistent with our rewards. Only give treats when our dog responds correctly to our commands. This reinforces the desired behaviour and helps eliminate unwanted patterns. If our dog tries to drop a stolen toy in front of us without being asked, ignore it if it’s not playtime or throw it if it is, but do not give treats for this behaviour.

Final Thoughts

Training our dog requires patience and consistency. By tweaking our approach and ensuring we’re rewarding the right actions and behaviours, we can help our dog learn more effectively.

If you need more detailed tutorials on teaching “leave it” and “drop it,” feel free to let me know in the comments.

If you have any other questions about your dog’s behaviour, please ask—I’m here to help!

Thanks for reading, and I’ll see you in the next post.

Happy Training!