How to Teach a Dog to Drop the Ball

Playing with our dog isn't just good for them, since they get exercise, have fun and strengthen their bond with us — it's also very good for us, since we release dopamine, a neurotransmitter that makes us feel good, happy.

Even so, when we play with our dog and they won't drop the ball or toy, we can start feeling a little frustrated, since the game ends up turning into a tug of war that ends up wearing us out.

That's why teaching our dog to drop things should be a priority, so we can both enjoy the game. Here at SoyUnPerro we're going to explain how to achieve this simply.

Why Won't My Dog Drop the Ball or Toy?

The first thing we should ask ourselves is why do we want them to drop the ball at all? Obviously, so we can throw it again and enjoy watching them go fetch it and bring it back to us.

Even so, plenty of dogs don't see it that way — they pick up the ball, and for them the game is watching their human fail to get it off them. For them it's still a game, just a different one from what the human has in mind.

Every dog loves playing tug of war, especially with a rope-type toy or similar. We pull a little and let them have a little, even winding them up a bit with good intentions to motivate them further.

Dogs don't know how to tell the difference, though, between a game that's a tug of war, one that's chase-me-and-see-if-you-can-catch-me-and-take-the-ball, or one that's pull-pull-I'm-never-letting-go… that's exactly why we need to teach a dog to drop things.

What to Do to Get My Dog to Drop It?

We're going to achieve this with a super simple exercise; you'll see how in barely a day you can teach a dog to drop the ball or their toys when you ask them to, and enjoy playing with you. We'll help them understand how the game is really meant to be played.

We'll grab one of those balls with a rope on one end — you can find them easily and they're very practical for playing with your dog. We'll go to a quiet area, such as the park, and with the dog on the lead, we'll give them the ball to bite.

We'll then say "drop it", and as you'd expect, the dog won't listen to us. So, without letting go of the ball's rope — with the dog biting the ball and us holding the rope — we'll use our other hand to hold them by the collar.

The idea is to keep the dog still; there's no need to sit or lie them down, simply keep hold of their collar with your hand so they can't move or get away. Don't have a tug of war with the ball's rope — just keep it taut and say "Drop it".

Once the dog sees the game has stopped being fun, since they can no longer run, tug it back and forth or even move, they'll drop the ball. At that moment we need to praise them a lot and give them the ball back.

We'll let them bite it for a few seconds or minutes and repeat the exercise again, always with the dog on the lead, so we can hold them by the collar whenever needed (if they don't drop it on command).

Don't lose patience, don't get annoyed, and above all don't scold your dog. Simply do this exercise repeatedly, and your dog will quickly understand the rules of the game. That way, once they properly learn to drop it, you can let go of the lead and throw it far so they bring it back, drop it, and you throw it again.