Dog Drops the Ball Halfway. Training and Raising a Shih Tzu
00:00 - Before and after training
01:00 - Description of the problem situation and how this training is structured
01:47 - The "Come" command
04:20 - Explanation of the "Wait" command in this training
06:03 - The "Give" command (= place the ball in your hand)
07:47 - How to end play training
The "Give" command: the dog places the object in the owner's hand.
When the dog has a toy in its mouth, extend your open palm under the dog's muzzle, say the "Give" command and simultaneously offer the dog a treat in exchange for the toy, which you are holding in your other hand. To eat the treat, the dog will need to release its mouth, and it will give you the toy. As soon as the dog does this, praise it and give it a treat.
If you use a clicker in training, immediately press the clicker as soon as your dog opens its mouth to give you the toy and it appears in your hand. A clicker helps achieve faster results, although the "Give" command is easy to teach even without it.
Note 1: Don't start training your dog with its favorite toy, or with a new one that it's still interested in. The secret to success is a more neutral toy for your pet, one that's potentially easier for it to part with, plus a highly desirable treat that it absolutely can't resist. Then gradually move on to your dog's more favorite toys.
Note 2: After your dog gives you the toy and receives a treat in exchange, return the toy to the dog so it understands that giving you the toy doesn't mean losing it. For example, after Sam ate the treat, I would throw him the ball again so that he would understand that putting the ball in my hand was just part of our game of “Fetch the Ball” 😊