Drop It Under Pressure

The hardest moments involve items the dog finds genuinely valuable — a found chicken bone, a shoe, a dead bird. This is where training holds or collapses. The rule still stands: never chase or grab.

Stay calm, present your trade treat, and wait. If the dog will not trade, try scattering several treats on the ground nearby. Most dogs drop the item to hunt down the loose treats.

For truly dangerous items that need immediate action, approach calmly and trade with the highest-value reward you have.