During the “Clean Up” trick, the dog gathers scattered toys or even socks and purposefully brings them to a basket, dropping them into it.
Who is this trick for?
“Clean Up” is a challenging trick that makes quite an impression, especially in front of an audience. It is suitable for everyone who regularly enjoys “tricking” with their dog and may also like to use the clicker in training. While the clicker can be very helpful for rewarding at the right moment, it is not mandatory for the training. Any dog, whether a senior or one with a handicap, can participate in this exercise as it involves neither jumping nor excessive activity.
How do I start?
As an additional motivation, start with some soft treats that your dog enjoys and can easily swallow. Choose a room that is as low in distractions as possible to create a perfect training atmosphere for starters.
The training process for “Clean Up” is essentially no different from fetching, except that you send your dog to fetch and bring the item to a basket instead of your hand. Therefore, it’s beneficial if your furry friend is already familiar with fetching and can associate it with the cue “Bring.”
Step 1
Start with fetching. Your dog should run to a toy or a sock and bring it to you. Place a basket in front of you, throw the toy, and send your dog to fetch it. When he returns to you, he either drops it on his own when praised, or he drops it on the cue “Out.” Reward your dog every time he successfully retrieves, brings, and drops the object. If he happens to hit the basket during this, that’s a jackpot! Reward him enthusiastically and let him know he’s fantastic!
Step 2
The next step focuses on more precise dropping of the object into the basket. While it may have been accidental hits in Step 1, your dog should now understand precisely what is expected of him. Therefore, reward only the successful hits, not the moments when the toy lands beside the basket.
Step 3
Once your dog understands that the target is the basket, you can slowly increase the difficulty. Place the basket a bit to the side or further away from you in the next step, depending on how well your dog is doing. Eventually, challenge your dog further by scattering objects and sending him to collect and bring them to the basket.
Tip:
If your dog becomes too excited and playful when you throw his toy, simply replace it with something less exciting.
If your furry friend has difficulty accidentally dropping smaller items into the basket, adjust the basket size to his dimensions. For instance, use a flowerpot, a large salad bowl, or something similar instead of a laundry basket.
