Brain Games - Teach Your Dog to Clean Up Toys

[@AdMireStunTz]

Hi Sarah - I really liked that you shared a segment when Wrigley was frustrated and not cooperating with the training. Specifically showing what it takes to work through those moments and get her back on track with the behavior that you wanted. This is another great teaching video!

[@catherineryan6831]

Thank you for this video, very well explained. My dog loves shaping work.

[@sarahcertified]

Fantastic! So glad it was helpful

[@Csoery]

Nice one, thanks! I've been trying for a while to teach my doggo to drop stuff in a box but he was visibly confused and didn't get what I was asking him to do. Breaking this down to steps was the key - he got it in 10 minutes!

[@sarahcertified]

Yay! That's awesome to hear, thank you for sharing!

[@AlexAdler-f8m]

This is helped my training so much - thank you for spending the time to make your videos. We are slowly making our way through. Thanks Sarah!! ❤

[@kiarachomos6294]

I've been doing lots of reacherch on how to train a puppy since I am getting a golden retriever puppy and I am trying to learn everything I can about training the breed and everything else I have found that your channel is one of the best for this. Thank you

[@sarahcertified]

Thank you so much Kiara! That means a lot :) More videos to come very soon

[@32Magdalena1978]

Thank you so much for posting it. I made huge mistake. Watched half of the video and started training my dog. Guys please watch whole video! My dog was doing ok at first then bad and ended up in sit position without me even saying a commend. After that I finished video and saw part about dog frustration. This is what it was. We ended up having 3-4 short (3-5 min long) daily training classes and I was stopping rite away when I saw dog was confused........after 3 days he got it!!!! Gets really exited and moving his tail when does it good. We did 5 different toys and all ended up in a basket. Awesome video. Thank you so much :)

[@sarahcertified]

Yay! Haha, yes the frustration piece of it is something really important to understand. I am so glad that your pup was able to get it!

[@dena6263]

I'm so glad I found you!! I have an extremely excitable dog and this game, and one of the others I've watched of yours so far, have been so helpful in tiring him out! He's caught on super quick and I think a lot of it has to do with your step by step approach. Thank you!!

[@sarahcertified]

Yay, I'm so glad! So sorry for the really late reply, it has been months since I've been on here to answer comments! But really happy to have you here :)

[@thepursefreak78]

I’m so excited to start this!!!!

[@PSVGNBBF]

This is amazing! thank you!

[@JennE-g8f]

Hello!! I was curious, how do you get to keep your dog engaged in the toy? The second I give my dog one treat, he ignores the toy. Even if I push the squeaker, no real reaction beyond looking for food. Appreciate any advice!

[@sarahcertified]

This is exactly why I labeled this one as advanced shaping. I would recommend starting smaller, with some of my other shaping videos. Giving the dog an understanding that the idea of the game is actually to interact with an object that isn't you or the food is a good foundation skill to have with this one! You can also try placing the food underneath the toy so the dog has to move the toy to get the food. I'd start there!

[@jujhar.]

Im gonna try this

[@sarahcertified]

Good luck and have fun with it!

[@moopoo987]

That is truly brilliant 🤣🤣💕💕💕

[@moopoo987]

Dogs are so smart. They definitely can have a multi word cue. They are so smart.

[@sarahcertified]

Thank you for watching!

[@madisoncarlsson6351]

What kind of clicker do you recommend

[@sarahcertified]

Any button clicker is great! I'd recommend steering away from the box clickers though, they can be cumbersome. You can find a link to the clickers I use in my Amazon storefront here: www.amazon.com/shop/sarahwalsh-dogtrainer

[@indistudnicki3906]

Wow! Your videos are amazing. I had my dogs for a while, and looking how to train them but everything looks like it didn’t work for me, I don’t know, maybe I didn’t understand the concept. I watched a couple of your videos, and it is so simple, so easy to do for me and my dogs, they are being sleeping so good after the trainings and they are more happy and relax, and me too. Thank you so much for all the ideas and for the simplicity.

[@sarahcertified]

Thank you for watching Indi! Your feedback is very much appreciated :)

[@summerdinmore7822]

Hi if you don't mind could you reply I'm abut confused as to will my dog know what to do like each time u change the shaping trick or like what to do when they keep offering the previous thing. Many thanks I've really been enjoying ur videos to teach my lab 😊

[@sarahcertified]

Hey! I'm assuming you mean changing the trick between picking up different toys? If I understand that correctly, it is just about generalizing the behavior onto different objects. Start with two toys that look and feel very similar, before you start to include "different" looking/feeling toys. Over time your dog will have that light bulb moment of "oh, this applies to ANY of my toys!" I hope that is helpful!

[@maggiewilkinson2481]

Thanks so much for this Sarah! I just tried my puppy's first ever shaping session with this- and what a fun success! I mean, we're only on "pick up the toy kinda high for a few seconds" but it was so cool to see him figure each little step out. Loved your tip on when to wait out/reset the dog- I found this really helpful in encouraging problem solving and reducing frustration. Do you have a good way to "end" a session? I tried to stop on a high note, but that meant he was still pretty engaged, and kept picking up the toy, other toys, sniffing around for treats...

[@sarahcertified]

Hey Maggie! Ah, that’s awesome to hear that your pup did so well! Great question...it depends on the dog but I do like to teach an “end of session” cue. I use “That’s All!”. I usually will do a small handful of tossed treats away as the last thing I do. While my dog is working on those treats, I pick up any props I used in that training session. It can create some frustration if they are left out afterwards and your pup isn’t getting the rewards for interacting with it anymore - so I recommend picking these items up! When my dog finishes the treat scatter, I say “that’s all!” then I get up and put the treats away. Makes it more clear to your dog that the opportunity for food is over. I usually then will grab a tug toy or ball with Wrigley for a mini play session, which she is always up for after training. I hope this helps and wasn’t too confusing!

[@maggiewilkinson2481]

@@sarahcertified yes, that sounds like exactly what I needed! I think I was trying to just tell him we were done without actually signaling that in any way 😂 will try this routine of food scatter -> clean up -> do something else (tug seems fun!) and hopefully that’ll clarify the verbal cue for him a bit. Thanks so much for the response!

[@Haiyoliz]

How long would you say it takes between each step? I just started today and my dog went from nosing to clearly nudging it hard but she hasn't put her mouth around it yet. I plan on doing the same again tomorrow but I'm not sure how long it takes to transition since this video makes it seem like it was a majority in one session?

[@sarahcertified]

Excellent question. Because Wrigley has a strong foundation with shaping exercises, she gets it very quickly in this video. It depends on the dog, but I would expect to take several training sessions to get the mouth open component. That can be harder for some dogs than others. The moment you see your dog's mouth open even slightly, click and feed!

[@calebringabell609]

Hi Sarah, I am LOVING your content. I was simply wondering what treat you’re using as it seems she got a ton of treats. I understand they’re small and probably like no calories. If you have a video of the treat or the click please tell me or link it I would love to watch it.

[@sarahcertified]

Hi! Thank you so much! I am using Wrigley's kibble mostly in this video but I do have a video all about treats: kzbin.info/www/bejne/imKcon-Ei6p4p5Y Hope that helps!

[@leahkoubong2236]

Hi Sarah, thank you for this video. I got my dog to nose touch her toy but can’t make her to open her mouth to grab it. How?

[@sarahcertified]

I’d try a variety of things. Try moving the toy around, holding it really still, leaving it placed on the ground, and waiting her out. This isn’t natural for some dogs!

[@edread7008]

First encounter with you, Sarah. Well done. Very informative. Just curious, from start of training to end success, how long? Or how many sessions, approximately, lasting how long, over how many days? Just for some context. Thanks much! Again, you have a very effective instructional quality. Bravo!

[@sarahcertified]

Thank you for your kind words, Ed! Great question. It depends on where you start, Wrigley already had a small foundation with picking items up so I could breeze through that part. But with her it took about 2 sessions a day, 15 minutes each for 3 days to get the complete behavior on any toy. Hope that helps!

[@edread7008]

Very helpful. Thanks again.

[@phillythepittie]

Hey Sarah! Did you shape this behavior with a verbal command as well? Ie "go clean up!"

[@sarahcertified]

Hey! I shaped the behavior first, then added the verbal cue in once she got the skill. I would toss a toy away, and cue "clean up" right before she was about to grab the toy. Hope that makes sense!

[@alyssalescano569]

Do you use his kibble for treats?

[@sarahcertified]

Hi! Yes, most of the videos that you all see on here I am using her kibble as treats.

[@lovinghobby9072]

Do you have a video to give a comando and she picks up all her toys?

[@sarahcertified]

I never expanded this trick into that, but you absolutely could keep going with it and teach that! Place two toys next to one another, and point the second out to your dog when they put the first away. Don't reward right away for putting the first toy away, wait and mark/reward when they go for that second one as well. Hope that gives you a good start!

[@marie-joseeblondin7416]

Was having a hard time teaching this to my girl since she didn’t want to pick up toys. Followed your video and worked super well! Now my problem is that that I want to create distance. I have to be 6 feet away from the toy basket in order for the trick to be accepted in the DMWYD Grand Champion. But as soon as I move away, just a few inches from the basket, she drops the toy outside or gets confused... I tried putting a treat in the basket, or try to lead her to it but no success...we’re kinda stuck right now, do you have any suggestions??

[@sarahcertified]

Hey Marie, would you be able reach out to me via Instagram DM's or Facebook messenger about this? I need a few more details on your particular dog to give suggestions for this. Great question though!

[@nysoms490]

@@sarahcertified I have the same question! This video is great - my girl, Aussie Shepherd, gets it when I sit in front of the basket but if I move the basket away from me she gets confused and still brings me the toy haha.

[@carolhudson4550]

Hi, can I ask why you throw the treat away from your dog after the behaviour?

[@sarahcertified]

Hey Carol, I use it to reset her for the next repetition as well as set her up to succeed. I toss the treat away, and while she is working on that, I toss the toy out at her so when she comes back, it is already in her line of sight. It helps at the beginning with generalizing this concept.

[@carolhudson4550]

Thank you!!

[@doggy1740]

I had such a fun time doing this shaping technique. It was the first time I used shaping in training. I had tried to teach my dog to clean up his toys previously by using commands but got stuck trying to teach him to hold his toy long enough to drop it into the basket, so I ended up giving up. It took him a bit to learn how to clean his toys, but he got it and it is such a cool trick!.

[@sarahcertified]

Yay! Thank you so much for sharing! I am really glad the shaping techniques worked out well for your pup.

[@louise3953]

My dog and I are stuck on the stage where he needs to drop the toy on the mat. He will pick the toy up from the floor but will drop it in the same spot- he won’t move with the toy in his mouth. What do you recommend we do?

[@sarahcertified]

Ah yes, this can be tricky. If you aren't already, I would recommend working on this on a hard surface like tile, hardwood floor, concrete, etc. It sounds like you are using a mat already as the target spot for your dog to drop the toy onto, that's great. Having a distinction in the actual surface your dog is dropping the toy onto will help that lightbulb go off faster. Start with the mat right in front of your dog, and do MANY reps of him dropping the toy on the mat right in front of him. Then start to move the mat forwards a couple of inches. I would sit on the ground, have the mat in front of you, your dog and the toy behind it. Most dogs will naturally want to station in front of you while training, so we can use placement to our advantage. If you move the mat inch by inch, this will help your dog understand this a little easier. I'd start there!

[@louise3953]

Ohh yeah we’ve been doing this on carpet so I will have to try on the hardwood. Thank you so much for the tips, I love your vids and how you seem to really understand you’re dog as well🥰

[@karlachristianson2127]

How long do you take from start to finish? Multiple sessions or all within one day then reinforcing continually over days/wreks?

[@sarahcertified]

Great question! With this one I kept initial sessions short, no more than 5 minutes once or twice a day. Once she started getting the hang of it, we went for a little longer for 2-3 sessions throughout the day.

[@karlachristianson2127]

@@sarahcertified awesome, thank you! Love the whole Shaping concept. Very glad I found your channel. Great pace and teaching voice. Big fan already! 🥰

[@edread7008]

@@sarahcertified And then for how many days did you do the 2-3 sessions per day until she nailed it?

[@hunterurban5465]

I have a heeler and he is absolutely refusing to learn this as well as "roll over". It doesn't matter how many times we try, he just won't do it. I've tried everything I could think of to get him to drop the toy into the basket and he just chooses not to. He knows "take it", so he will take the bone and then either immediately drop it (which he isn't supposed to do anyways), or he will purposefully avoid the basket. I genuinely can't tell if he's dumb or just stubborn. He seems to have this mental block when it comes to certain tricks. That or he just doesn't want to do it. He gets frustrated extremely fast, no matter how we train. He's like this with every trainer we have met as well. They have yet to show us how to fix this. Any advice?

[@sarahcertified]

Hey! It is difficult for me to say without seeing the behavior myself, there could be a number of different things going on there. I used sort of a "fetch" context to teach this skill, as Wrigley would also drop the toy instantly if I told her to take it. But I knew that if I tossed a toy away, she would bring it back to me. If your dog knows or likes to play fetch, you could start teaching this in that context. Instead of a basket, put a mat down at your feet and see if you can get him to drop the toy on the mat instead. Strategic placement of the basket/mat is important at first. Put in where you know your dog is going to drop the toy so they have instant success right from the start. Setting them up to succeed in other words. If he is getting frustrated with training quickly though, I would work on simpler concepts that you know he will succeed with first, and keep your sessions REALLY short. Try your best to set the picture up from the start so that he will have success. Keep in mind too, that dogs also have things they don't like, tricks included! And that is perfectly fine. I hope this is helpful in some way - just take a couple steps back and think about how you can make the setup easier for your dog.

[@nellyyanez7568]

How long did it take you to teach him that trick

[@sarahcertified]

Took about 4 days total to teach her this!

[@emmaolsson6959]

Do I have to use a clicker?

[@sarahcertified]

No you don’t have to! But if you don’t, I would recommend using a marker word like “yes” instead. Other wise communication will be a little more tricky.

[@jasonollivier1096]

What mix is your dog?

[@sarahcertified]

She's mainly border collie, great pyrenees mix!

[@LuukiaMorin]

Are you using her food as a treat?

[@sarahcertified]

Yup! Wrigley will work for her kibble happily, so I use it as a treat often!

[@Droemar]

My Rottweiler's favorite toy is a squirrel prostitute that also looks like it's strung out on drugs. I really don't know how to feel about it.

[@aizalayla2407]

Omg how cuteee

[@doggyedits4722]

I’m trying to teach my dog. This and he just keeps staring at me 😂

[@sarahcertified]

I might suggest staring with something simpler! I've got some other videos that go over concepts that will help as a build up to this.