If you’re interested in learning how you can teach your dog to put their own toys away, then you’ve come to the right place.
There’s no denying how frustrating it can be when your dog leaves their toys all over the floor, but you may be surprised to learn how simple it can be to train your dog to tidy up after themselves.
In this guide, we’re going to show you a straightforward, step-by-step technique for teaching your dog to tidy their toys, so let’s get started.
What You’ll Need.
A Storage Box.
Tasty Dog Treats.
Patience.
Step 1 – “Take it.”
The first thing to teach your dog will be to “take” the toy from you. You’ll need to hold the toy and use it to get your dog’s attention (which shouldn’t be too difficult if you start out with their favorite toy).
Hold the toy out for your dog, and as they take it from your hand, give the verbal command “take it”. Once your dog has the toy, reward them with verbal praise and attention. When your dog consistently performs this step around 8 out of 10 times, you’ll be ready to move on.
Step 2 – “Drop it.”
Next, your dog needs to learn to “drop” the toy on command. It can really help to have some tasty treats for this step, as you’ll need something that’s more enticing than the toy itself!
While your dog it holding the toy, show them the treat and give the verbal command to “drop it”. When your dog drops the toy on the floor, give them the treat along with plenty of verbal praise.
The “drop it” step can take some time to master, so patience will be key. In most cases, your dog should learn to drop the toy on command within 10 to 20 repetitions, perhaps spread over multiple training sessions.
Top Tip: If you get stuck at this stage, try to use more tempting treats to encourage your dog to drop the toy sooner.
Step 3 – Putting Toys In The Box.
For this step, you’ll need some kind of toy storage box, or at the very least, a designated area for your dog to keep their toys in. It’s often wise to invest in a simple storage box for consistency and to keep the box in the same place every time.
To begin this training step, you’ll want to put the toys very close to the box but not inside.
Next, select a toy for your dog, give the “take it” command, and let your dog take the toy from your hand.
Use a tasty treat to lure your dog over the basket, then give the “drop it” command.
Once your dog lets go of the toy, it should fall into the box, and you’ll be ready to give them the treat along with lots of verbal praise and attention.
Step 4 – Repeat.
Now that you’ve covered the first 3 steps, your dog knows the basics of how to put their own toys away. All you need to do now is gradually increase the distance between the toy and the storage box and repeat the previous training steps.
Over time, you will see that your dog understands the process and will happily put their toys away into the box. At the point, you can streamline the process by giving the command to “put your toys away” and your dog will learn to do each step of the process by themselves.
It can certainly be a lot of fun to teach this process to your dog, and it will not only be a great way to impress your family and friends, but it will also help to strengthen the bond you share with your dog as well.
