Teaching Your Dog To Put Its Toys Away

As a dog owner, one of the first things that you will want to teach your pup is how to put their stuff away. After all, every good pet should be able to clean up after themselves, right? If you’ve already started training your dog, this should be a doddle. It may take some time, but soon enough, you should find that your dog starts to pick it up. Here are some of the things that you may want to try.

Get your dog a basket

First of all, you need to make sure that you have a dedicated area for your dog’s toys. That really is essential. Be sure to get a basket or large container for them. Don’t make the mistake of getting something that’s too small. If your dog thinks that things won’t fit, they won’t bother trying at all. Instead, make sure that you get something that is as large as the bulk of their toys.

Show your dog where the toys go

When you first bring the basket into the home, you need to make sure that your dog understands what it is for. You should put all the toys in the basket and show your dog that that is where they belong. Make a big deal of presenting each toy to your dog and then popping it in the basket afterward. Doing so should make all the difference in the world.

Use some common commands

By now, you should have taught your dog some basic commands. If they already know the ‘take it’ and ‘drop it’ commands, you can use them now. Pass them a toy and tell them to take it. Then walk them over to the basket and ask them to drop it. You will likely need to do this a fair few times before they pick it up.

Related: Understanding Your Rescue Dogs Behavior

Be patient!

Okay, here’s the secret: This won’t work right away. Dogs need repetition to get things right. You need to make sure that you are as patient as possible during this period. You just need to wait it out until things turn around. It won’t be easy, but you can do it. Every day, try the same thing with your dog. In time, they will learn.

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Use positive reinforcement

Finally, here’s a sneaky little tip that should help you along the way. When your dog does something right, like puts a toy in the basket, you should use positive reinforcement. Give them a treat or the like to show them how proud you are!

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