Case study · Hugo
Taking a high-value toy from a dog, without a fight
Hugo giving up a high-value toy calmly. Filmed in the garden.
The problem this solves
Plenty of dogs guard things. A favourite toy, a chew, something they’ve found on a walk. You reach for it, the dog goes stiff, and a game has turned into a standoff. Push it and someone gets growled at or worse, so a lot of owners stop taking things off their dog at all. That makes the guarding worse.
What you’re watching
Hugo is my own dog and this is where the training ends up. I can take a toy he really wants straight out of his mouth, and he lets go without any argument. He’s learned that giving something to me doesn’t cost him anything, because the toy comes back or something better turns up.
That’s what I aim for with clients’ dogs. I don’t want a dog that has things prised off him. I want one that lets go when asked.
Why it matters for your dog
One day he’ll pick up something that could hurt him, a cooked bone or a dropped blister pack of pills. You need him to drop it first time, not lead you on a chase round the garden. You teach that in calm sessions like this one, well before you need it.
Based near Doddington, working across the Fens and East Anglia.
Tell me about your dog
Tell me as much as you can about your dog and what's been happening. I read every enquiry myself and usually reply within a day or two.