Sample Lesson: Teach Your Dog to Drop It (“Out”)

Sample lessonLevel 1Puppies and adult dogs

The “OUT”
Letting go pays off.

Teach your dog to let go of an object willingly, without pulling it from their mouth or chasing after them. 100% positive reinforcement.

See the illustrated method

Read this before you start!!

NEVER pull the object out of their mouth!!

No tugging, no prying their mouth open, no chasing. Otherwise your dog learns to grip harder or run off with the object. That's exactly the opposite of what we want.

Even if your dog shows no signs of guarding today, taking their things away by force can trigger resource guarding: they learn that you approach to take their things, and they start defending them.

Growling or freezing? Stop!!

Does your dog growl, freeze, eat faster or show their teeth when you approach their object or food? That's resource guarding. Don't do this exercise; get support from a dog behaviour professional.

Find support
At a glance

What we pay for is the mouth opening.

PHASE 1 · Without the word
1
Treat in front of their noseTo get them to open their mouth. Say nothing.
THAT'S WHAT WE PAY FOR!2
Mouth opens: “YES!”Right as it opens and the toy drops.
3
They get their treatEvery “yes” gets paid.
4
Give the toy backDouble pay: the treat AND their toy!
PHASE 2 · Once it's smooth
“OUT”

Say “out” just once, right before the treat, then repeat exactly the same 1-2-3-4 sequence. The word becomes the signal for the action.

80/20
The right dose

8 successes out of 10. Fewer than that? Make the exercise easier.

Always end on a success

If needed, one last very easy rep, then stop.

3–5 min
Short and often

A few short sessions a day are better than one long one.

Give the toy back

Letting go pays off: they earn a treat AND get their toy back.

Before you start

Your marker is a promise.

Choose a unique word that means: “that's exactly it, the treat is coming.” Ours is yes. We speak French at home, so we never say it by accident. In an English-speaking home, pick a word you don't use in everyday conversation.

Your dog doesn't know it yet? Say “yes” then give a treat, 10 to 15 times in a row, without asking for anything. That's it.

YES
Treat
Every “yes” gets paid. Always.

Want to praise without a reward? Keep a different word for that, like “good dog.”

The method in detail

First the action, then the word.

You don't name an action the dog isn't doing yet. First show them that letting go pays off, and once it's smooth, give it a name. A quiet spot, high-value treats, and an ordinary toy to start.

01
Without the word

The paying action

  1. While they're holding the toy, place a treat in front of their nose to get them to open their mouth. Say nothing.
  2. The moment their mouth opens: “yes,” then treat.
  3. Give the toy back.
  4. Repeat until it's smooth: they open quickly, without hesitating, 8 times out of 10.
Pro tip: with a tug toy, make the toy “dead”: stop tugging and hold it still against your leg.
02
Adding the word

Naming the action

  1. Say “out” just once, right before you show the treat.
  2. Their mouth opens: “yes,” treat, toy back.
  3. Do this over several sessions: the word becomes the signal for the action.
Pro tip: the word always comes before the treat, never at the same time. That's what gives it meaning.
03
Less help

Hide the treat

  1. Say “out,” then wait 1 to 2 seconds without showing anything.
  2. Their mouth opens: “yes,” treat out of your pocket, toy back.
  3. Not yet? Show the treat, like in step 2.
Pro tip: showing the treat isn't a failure, it's a reminder. Just avoid repeating the cue.
04
Challenge

Distractions

  1. Favourite toy instead of an ordinary toy.
  2. In the middle of play rather than when calm.
  3. With the TV on, then outside in a quiet spot.
  4. Then busier and busier places.
Pro tip: one change at a time. If it drops below 8 out of 10, take a step back.
Level up

One change at a time.

Read each box from top to bottom, from easiest to hardest. Change only one thing at a time; a small dip is normal, and you can go back to the step 2 help while they figure it out.

How valuable the object is

LevelDifficulty
Ordinary toy
Favourite toy
Chew

Excitement

LevelDifficulty
Toy held calmly
After a little play
Mid tug-of-war

Environment

LevelDifficulty
Quiet home
With the TV on
Outside, quiet spot
Busy place
Session tool

The 80/20 counter

Log each rep during your session. The counter tracks your last 10 and tells you what to do next. Give it a try!

— %
0 successes out of 0
Start the session: log each rep.

Give their toy back. Often!

If “out” always means “I lose my toy,” your dog will grip harder or run away. But if letting go earns them a treat and their toy, letting go pays off. That's what will make them let go without hesitating the day they have something dangerous in their mouth.

Video coming soon

That was just a taste.

Recall, loose-leash walking, calm at home… All our lessons follow the same recipe: simple, progressive and positive.

Coming soon