How do you teach dogs which toys are theirs?

When building your dog’s vocabulary, try to be consistent with the names that you give to different toys. The names can be descriptive of the object—like calling a tennis ball “ball” or a plush bear “bear”—or you can get creative and give them more unique names. The most important thing is to be consistent with using the same name once you start teaching it to your dog. When you are teaching your dog to identify different toys by name, it helps to start with their favorites. Those toys will likely already have a name, so your dog will already have some associations with pairing a name to the toy. Step 1: Pick one toy that your dog has a strong connection to and enjoys playing with. Choose a name for that toy, and then put the toy in front of your dog. Ask your dog to get the toy by name, then praise and treat them for getting the toy and bringing it to you. Step 2: Repeat this several times making sure to use the toy’s “name” when you ask your dog to get it. This will help your dog make the connection about the name of the toy. Step 3: Now place the toy on the floor with another object that isn’t a dog toy, such as a book or a water bottle. Ask them to get the toy by name, and then offer them lots of praise and treats when they bring it to you. Step 4: After several repetitions of placing the named toy near objects that are not dog toys, place the toy that your dog knows the name of next to another dog toy. Ask your dog to select the toy they know by name and give treats and praise when they select the correct toy. Step 5: Once your dog is consistently picking out the toy by name when it’s next to random objects as well as other toys, it’s time to teach your dog the name of the next toy. Repeat the above steps with another of your dog’s toys. Step 6: When your dog knows the names of two (or more) toys, start to use those toys next to each other in your setups and ask your dog to retrieve one toy by name and then the other(s). If at any point your dog chooses the wrong toy, just go back to the previous step where your dog was successful for a few practice sessions and then try again with the higher level of difficulty.