Dog training
Take it, a toy held out and gripped on your word
Updated
How to teach a dog to take it begins with a toy held still in front of your dog. Pay a sniff, then an open mouth on it, then a real grip. Trade a small treat for letting go, and say the words just before you offer the toy. Leave it is the opposite cue.
What object should you use to teach take it?
A toy your dog likes but does not guard, held still and low. A soft knotted rope, a small plush or a rubber ring are all fair choices. This lesson wants a mild interest, not a prize.
Never use food as the object. Food gets eaten, and the lesson is about gripping something and giving it back.
The Tire & Treats bundle's rubber tire toy is one option. Our listing calls it a durable rubber tire, and we claim nothing beyond that about how it stands up to chewing. Whatever you use, hold it by one end so there is room for your fingers.
Sit or crouch at your dog's level, with a few treats in a pocket and the toy in one hand. For the timing of each pay, see the training treat guide.
How do you shape the first grip?
Shape it in four slices and pay every slice before reaching for the following one.
- Look. Hold the toy out at nose height, and pay when your dog looks at it.
- Nose bump. Pay when the nose touches the toy, even briefly.
- Open mouth. Pay when the mouth opens on it, even with no pressure.
- Grip. Pay when the mouth closes on the toy and holds for a moment.
Each slice earns payment on its own, and the pay comes from your pocket so the toy stays still. If you stall at one slice, stay there for a few rounds and pay it again. If the grip never shows up, you probably moved up a slice too soon.
Add your words, "take it," when the open mouth is easy. Say them just as you present the toy. Before that, the words would be attached to nothing.
How do you get the toy back with a trade?
Slide your free hand under the toy, bring a treat to the nose, and let the mouth open to take it. The toy comes free as the mouth lets go. Pay the instant it drops into your hand.
Keep this short. One quick trade is plenty, and then you can hand the toy back or put it away. The trade during play has its own writeup in the fetch guide, so this page stays on the first lesson.
Pieces for the trade should be small and quick to eat. Our cheddar bites fit that, since the listing describes small pieces that can be snapped smaller. It also sells them as a treat, which is not a complete diet.
How do take it and leave it work together?
They are a pair, and each one gives the other something to be the opposite of. Take it asks for a mouth on the toy. Leave it asks for a pause away from something on the floor. Teach them with different objects at first so the cues stay distinct.
With both words in place, you can hold a toy out and give one cue or the other. The toy and your hand look the same, and the word decides the next move. Practice both in the same session, alternating, and pay each.
Do not use take it for food on the floor. Keep the word for toys you hold out and hand over. The two cues mean different things, and mixing them blurs both.
Questions
What if my dog won't put its mouth on the toy?
Go back a slice and pay for the nose bump. Try a toy with a different feel. Several short rounds beat one long one with a mouth that is not ready.
Should I use take it when I hand over a treat?
Keep the cue for toys. Treats are a different job, with a different feel. If you want a word for taking a treat gently, choose another one so the two do not run together.
What if my dog grabs my fingers with the toy?
Hold the far end of a long toy so your hand stays well back. Pay a grip at that end. If your fingers keep getting in the way, switch to a longer toy or a rope, and keep the pace slow.
Is take it the first step toward fetch?
It can be. A dog that grips a toy on cue has the first piece of a fetch. The rest, chasing and returning, is covered in the fetch guide. Take it also stands alone as a hand-to-hand game.
Can I teach take it to a puppy that mouths hands?
Yes, with technique rather than hope. Offer the toy so the mouth meets it, not your hand, and pay the grip on the toy. Nothing here promises the hand mouthing will stop. It only gives the mouth a better target.
How long should my dog hold the toy?
There is no set time. Start by paying a brief grip, then lengthen it gradually. Short is fine at first, because the trade is the part you are practicing, and a longer hold can come later.