P. S. Another way to get him to drop his toy is open up a tupperware container and take out a piece of chicken(or whatever high-value treat you use but want to keep in as unsmellable as possible until you are in position and the ball/toy is in the dog's mouth before he can smell it - or he may drop it early and come running to the smell) and offer it to him while he's holding the toy while saying "Leave it" "Drop it", and when he does, he gets the treat. It's a nice trade-off - toy for treat. Won't take him long to learn that he can't drop that toy fast enough to get that high-value treat. There are so many ways to train a dog to do something you want. You just have to pick the one that works best for you and your dog.
__________________  Jeanie and Tibbe One must do the best one can. You may get some marks for a very imperfect answer: you will certainly get none for leaving the question alone. C. S. Lewis |