Dropped Item Retrieve

Many SD Handlers with a Mobility Assist SD can use the help provided by a dropped item retrieve. Honestly this is one of the simplest tasks to teach as it is much like the practice sessions we have when we are training and playing the Drop, Grab, & Treat Game. The big difference in this as a task vs the game, is that in the game you basically want your dog to automatically grab the item(s) you are using for that session repeated but with the task you want your dog to first alert you that you dropped an item then wait for you to give a follow up cue which might be "leave it" or "get it!"

The big reason for putting this on a stimulus control is for hazardous items that might be dropped. For example, you drop a dinner plate and now the floor is scattered with tasty treats and shards of glass and you definately don't want your dog eating that! Another common occurrence might involve being out to lunch at restaurant and someone nearby drops bits of food on the floor and we want our SD to leave that alone without needed a reminder cue. However if we've taught them to automatically pick up something that drops, they might grab the food in attempts to hand it back then get in trouble for reaching for food. What happens if you drop a knife, medicine or other hazardous item. Yet if you drop your keys, a $20 bill, or glove you may or may know you dropped it so you want your dog to tell you that you dropped it.

I like to start with the Drop, Grab, Treat Game using a dog toy first allowing your dog to do what they naturally do and return it to your hand a few sessions. Then tell your dog to "leave it" before you drop it and be ready to step on the item if they try to pick it up. You could also start by slowly lowering the item to ground so your dog knows they are not supposed to pick it up. However if it's a toy they want they will likely stare at it for a minute then look up to you waiting for the cue to get it.

Check out this video of Roz playing the Drop, Grab, & Treat game then slowly building up the Leave It cue, then the alert cue. https://youtu.be/D1nHJUeVMLE

Decide how you want your dog to tell you that you dropped something. My dogs are pretty much always on leash in public places so if I drop an item I want them to stop walking forward and stare at the dropped item. This tugs the leash just slightly and makes me stop to see why they are stopping. The dog's stare at the item point the dropped item out. Then I can cue them to retrieve it or I can walk back and pick it up myself.

Here is a sample video of the Coin Game that was taught to me for a nosework class, but it's the perfect way to teach the Stop & Stare Game for dropped items. https://youtu.be/qWksrmXcZwM

The linked video above shows a recent practice session with Belle to show you how I started with a quick "Get It" cue to help Belle know to pick it up and slowly started waited longer and longer before the cue so that she would stop and stand over the item, waiting for the cue.