Pet Blog

Most dogs are very similar to our human children, who spread their toys and belongings all over the house. But what if you could teach your pet to pick up his own toys? Maybe you can. Follow these steps and tips to training your dog to clean up after himself.

What do I need?

1. Toy containers
2. Treats
3. Your dog’s favorite toys
4. Clicker

Steps involved in training.

Your dog first needs to learn how to fetch and retrieve. From here, you can guide him to put his toys in the toy box itself. Here are the steps!

Step 1:

Place your dog’s toys in a container with a wide mouth for instance; an open plastic tub or a cardboard box whose sides should be low enough that your dog can simply drop a toy to it.

Step 2:

Place your container in a location where it is easily accessible and where it should always be so that your dog can always know where to find the toys for it not to be confused by shifting the container position.

Step 3:

Begin the exercise when all the toys are scattered outside on the floor. Then, get a handful of your dog’s favorite treats for instance snacks or butternut squash.

Step 4:

Place a few treats into the empty toy box, then locate the favorite toy and call him to you. Sweet-talk him to take the toy in his mouth and walk with you to the empty toy box. Then point at the dog’s favorite treat inside the toy box and coax the dog to take the treat. As he is taking the treat, he will open his mouth and drop the toy in the box.

Step 5:

After the dog has dropped the toy, say your command simultaneously using words such as “clean up” or “put your toys away!”

Step 6:

Consider using a clicker for training as well. Associate the click with good behavior and also reward your pooch with praise.

Step 7:

Repeat this exercise over several days or weeks until your dog understands that cleanup or clean means getting a toy and carrying the toy to the container and finding a hidden treat inside the container

Once your dog understands that language, rather than hiding the treats in the container, start handing the dog his treats after he put away each toy. Gradually withdraw that and start offering your dog a treat only after it puts away two or three toys.