Just Drop It!

It's always wise to teach your dog the "Drop it!" command. Divot just seemed to know this command when we got her and is very cooperative, but Nigel and I never seemed to connect the dots with this particular command. Several weeks ago, however, the importance of him understanding this command became real when I had to wrench part of a golf tee out of his mouth. I have removed things from his mouth that are gross, such as gum, but the pointed end of a golf tee is just plain dangerous. So, I decided that the "Drop it!" command was one of top priority and we set to work on it immediately. As we prepared for our morning walk, I put a handful of venison jerky treats in my pocket and we set out. Near the end of our walk, Nigel picked up a small stick and I seized the opportunity to shove a handful of treats under his nose and I said, "Drop it!" and he dropped the stick and chose the jerky treats! I lavished him with praise and he seemed to be very proud of himself and quite pleased with the trade we had made. The next day as fate would have it, he picked up another small stick, and again, I commanded him to "Drop it!" and put the treats under his nose and as I'd hoped, he dropped the stick and took the treats. Praise was lavished on him and he was practically beaming with pride. He is a very smart dog and when I figure out how to properly convey my thoughts to him, he catches on quickly, but nevertheless, I was still surprised at just how quickly he was getting it. As we walked along, he picked up a clump of cut grass, and as I gave the command, he dropped it. It happened so fast that I barely got the command out, which I thought was rather remarkable. I gave him the treats and praised him. Several days later, he picked up a stone and then dropped it - immediately, and stood there looking up at me. I realized that not only had he caught on to the command, but he had gone beyond it! He had simply begun to pick up objects and drop them in order to get the treat! He was now training me! He has done this several more times so it was no fluke. As many people with Norwich Terriers will tell you, they are cute, they are sweet, they are energetic, and oh so wickedly smart!