How do you teach dogs which toys are theirs?

If you happen to have a new puppy or an adult dog who doesn’t have much experience with toys, you can start off on the right foot by teaching your dog that only the things you give him on cue are his toys. Take a new dog toy, such as the Frisco Textured Plush squeaking monkey dog toy, and hold it in front of your dog. Tell your dog to sit. As soon as your dog sits, say “take it” and then hand the toy to your dog. When your dog takes the dog toy, praise him. Then spend a little time playing with him or let him play with the toy on his own for a while—whichever he prefers. Once he’s mastered this, the next thing to teach your dog is when he can and cannot grab something. To help your dog clearly understand, alternate between the two training routines of offering your dog toy and not offering another object. Also, use different dog toys, so your pet understands that the key is the cue “take it,” not the specific toy. For example, you might practice one day with a Frisco skinny plush squeaking raccoon dog toy, the next day with a Frisco canvas no-squeak dino dog toy, and the day after that with a Frisco textured plush squeaking monkey dog toy. You can make the rules even clearer if you only let your pooch have dog toys when he is in his exercise pen or another specific location. Another way to help prevent confusion is to choose different types of toys for your child and your dog. If the dog toys don’t look, smell or feel like the toys for kids, it’s easier for your pet to tell which toys are dog toys.

To teach your dog which toys are theirs, start by having your dog learn the “take it” command, for “take it,” hold your dog’s favorite toy in your hand and move it around to excite him. Just before your dog grabs the toy out of your hand say “take it.” When he does, mark that behavior with a “good,” “yes” or click. Make sure to lavishly praise and pet your dog. Get a basket that you’ll want your dog to put his toys in and select a few of your dog’s favorite toys. For consistency, keep the basket in the same spot of the house—this will make it easier for your dog. Place the toys right next to the basket and sit beside the basket. Touch a toy and say “take it.” Then, hold a treat in your hand and lure the dog over to the basket. When the toy is over the basket, give the “drop it” command. Remember to generously reward your dog when he drops the toy in the basket.

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.