What's In Your Mouth!? Why Dogs Run Away When They Have Something In Their Mouths
Written by Lauren Tsao, MS, CDBC, CPDT-KA
It's happened to the best of us: you're minding your own business when you see your dog out of the corner of your eye, running away from you with something in their mouth that they definitely shouldn't have. Whether it's a pair of your favorite shoes or the remote control, it can be frustrating trying to get them to drop the item and come back to you. But why do they run away in the first place? The answer is simple: it's likely because your dog has figured out that you approaching them means you're going to take the item away.
But don't worry - this is a behavior that can be changed! With a little patience and some treats, you can teach your dog to trade the item for a treat when you ask. Keep reading to learn how.
How To Play The Trade Game
Get some high-value treats that your dog loves (think extra good things that can compete with the item you are training them to trade for.) You'll need these to help train your dog to trade the item for a treat.
Select a dog toy or dog-safe item you want to play the Trade Game with for practice. When practicing, we don’t want to encourage more interest in items our dogs aren’t allowed to have, so pick a safe item they would be allowed to pick up to start training with. This item should be something interesting, but not too interesting! We want your dog to be successful while learning this new behavior.
Set the Trade item down on the ground while your dog is on a leash next to you and unable to grab the item.
Say “Trade” in a happy tone and drop a treat on the ground. Your dog’s behavior doesn’t matter at this step and we don’t want them to have the item in their mouth yet. Rinse and repeat this step until your dog is looking for a treat on the ground when you say “Trade.”
Next, allow your dog to have the Trade item to play with. Once they have had a few seconds to enjoy playing with the Trade item, say “Trade”, and drop your treat on the ground as before. At this point, you are dropping the treat still, no matter if your dog drops the item or not. Let them eat the treat and return to the Trade item. Practice this step a few more times before moving on.
Give your dog the Trade item and while they have the item in their mouth, say “Trade”, wait until your dog drops the item this time, and then drop your treat on the ground. Practice this step a few more times before practicing repetitions where you actually pick up the Trade item just like you would with an item they shouldn’t have.
Now that your dog is trading, you can start asking them to "Trade" the item for the treat. To do this, put the item on the ground in front of them and say "trade" in a cheerful voice. If they bring the item to you, give them the treat and praise them lavishly. Repeating these steps will eventually teach your dog that when you say "trade," it means they should bring the item to you in exchange for a delicious treat. Remember - don't chase after your dog for items or you could see the running away behavior return!
Practice with many dog-safe items and in many locations for best results, so the behavior is well-generalized to different items, situations, and rooms in your home.
Dogs are smart creatures, and they quickly learn what our behaviors mean. If your dog runs away from you when they have something they're not supposed to have, it's likely because they've learned that approaching you means you're going to take it away from them. However, this behavior can be changed with some patience and training.
Use high-value treats to teach your dog that trading with you can result in a tasty reward - soon enough, they'll be bringing items over to you without being asked! If you still need additional assistance with your dog taking items they shouldn’t, contact us for training services in the Jackson, MS area or virtually to learn how to solve this behavior once and for all!
