Dog won't drop toys, growls. How to teach "drop it" without treats?

You should work on a command like ‘drop’ to teach him to put the toy down when you ask, them ask him to come. You will need to offer a high value treat to get him to drop the toy. The growling may be an attempt at getting you to play when you were pulling the toy away from him - if you work on asking him to put the toy down you can probably avoid this in the future. Clicker training can be especially helpful since you can click as soon as the toy is dropped.

Many dogs have trouble letting go of the ball when playing fetch! :) I would suggest playing the game with two balls for now. Throw one, then when he brings it back, throw the other one for him. Most dogs will drop the one in their mouth when you bring out the second ball, and will chase the one that you throw. Pick up the first ball as he runs away to chase the second one, and continue to repeat this so that you always have a ball waiting in your hand to throw as soon as he gets back. Over time, many dogs will get into the habit of dropping the ball when they come back to you, so that you may not need to use both balls forever.

He’s using this as a way to get you to play. I would try to put up things he shouldn’t have and ignore him when he takes something. Your trying to get it is what he wants. If he likes to go outside or for a walk take the leash and act like you are leaving so he’ll want to join you and hopefully will drop the object. When I teach the command ‘Drop’ which is what you need in this instance, is to offer him a very high value reward. Steak, cheese, hot dogs or his favorite toy. In order to get the reward he needs to release the object he isn’t supposed to have. I recommend putting him on a short leash, giving him a toy and working on the ‘Drop’ command. That way he can’t run away, and soon he’ll learn what you want. He’s just a bratty teenager so don’t go along with his games. He will improve as he gets older. A general group obedience class will help you learn to work together also, and is fun. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to help you care for Jax.

General obedience training is where to start. Once Koi learns to come, stay, down and heel you will have better control over her behavior. To get her to drop an item I like to teach the Drop command. Do this with a toy or ball. Toss the toy, call her and ask her to Drop the toy by having a yummy treat in your hand. She'll drop the toy to get the treat and then you can praise her and give another treat. Once she learns this command you should then be able to say Drop, and she should drop the item and come looking for a treat. Be patient with the training, she's a puppy. Don't chase her when she takes something she shouldn't as this will encourage her to make a game of it. Instead say Treat and throw a treat to her if she won't come. Usually a treat is more enticing and she'll leave the item she's not supposed to have. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to help you care for Koi.

Hi there. Resource guarding is a very common (and normal, to some extent!) behavior in dogs. Do not try to take high-value treats away from her while she is chewing them, as this will only teach her to be anxious and on guard whenever you approach. Instead, leave her alone to chew them in peace. You can also practice walking up to her while she is chewing on something, dropping a tasty treat like a piece of cheese or a hot dog slice, and walking away without bothering her. This way, she learns that having you approach her when she has a "treasure" is a good thing, and not a threat! If this behavior escalates over time instead of getting better, then I would recommend getting in touch with a veterinary behaviorist or a good reward-based trainer who can evaluate her in person and help you put together a training plan to address it. Play growling during tug of war is normal, and it not typically a cause for concern.

Toy guarding and resource guarding can be a scary experience. There are a few things you can try, such as removing the toy completely so that it isn't guarded, or trying the "trade game" The trade game involves using Nala's favorite treat and "trading" the toy for the treat. Every time she drops the toy, give her a treat, and then give her the toy again to help her learn it is a GOOD thing to give up the toy, and not scary. If the behavior continues or she does actively try to bite you, then talking with a veterinary behaviorist in your area is best as aggression toward people can be difficult to treat and requires professional supervision.

It's very common for dogs to growl and even bite in response to having something taken away. Instead of chasing Pilot and forcibly trying to take the sock out of his mouth, I would recommend calling him to you for a special treat - something like a piece of cheese or chicken, that he doesn't usually get. Most dogs will happily drop whatever they are holding and come to you for the treat. While you're giving the treat, someone else can go and pick up the sock. Alternatively, if you're by yourself, you can get his attention and then toss the treat away from where he's standing so that he has to go and get it - then pick up the sock while he's busy doing this.