the drop-it cue

Question
Hello. My 2 year-old Springer Spaniel, Little Guy loves to play fetch but will not give up the toy after I throw it. Although, he does come back to me, and does not run away with the toy, I have tried almost everything to get him to "drop-it." I have tried using treats, but he pays absolutely NO attention to the treats. It is important that he learns this command because he eats gross things and hunts rodents, and I want him to drop something before he swallows it. We found him dumped on the side of the road, and he was slightly trained, so I don't know if he has been taught to "drop-it" and if we are using the right cues. How can I get a stubborn dog to drop-it when I want. Thanks so much. -Erin

Answer
For fetching, I'd simply have two of the same object. He doesn't get the second one thrown until he drops the first one. Show it to him and wait for him to figure it out, then throw the second object. For dropping icky stuff, there are a couple of different behaviors you can be working on. First is "leave it". Show him a not-terribly interesting treat, tell him "leave it" and put it under your foot. Let him nose it and try to get to it, when he backs off, or glances at you, mark that behavior (with a click or a word - I prefer clicker) and give him a better treat out of your hand. When he's good at this, you can put it next to your foot (but be ready to cover it fast), then raise the value of the treat and teach it again. On leash, walk by a bowl of food, as soon as he glances at it, cue "leave it", take a giant step away from the bowl and continue forward. As soon as he reconnects with you, click and treat. Work on this with lots of valuable objects - starting with stuff that's not that exciting to him and gradually raising the criteria. I also teach a dog to trade by offering him something better than what he has. With practice, it becomes a very strong and useful behavior. Sandy Case MEd CPDT www.positivelycanine.com