# Putting toys away



## dianesand (Oct 23, 2005)

Titi is very, very good at taking all of her toys out of her toybox, but not good at putting them away. She knows where her toys are kept and knows to bring them to me, but I want to train her to put them away as well. Does anyone's Maltese do that? How did you go about the training?


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## k/c mom (Oct 9, 2004)

I've always heard that it's best for the dog to think these are your toys.... that you are in charge of them. It keeps the dog from thinking they are alpha. I always put the toys away at night and take them out again the next day.


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## sassy's mommy (Aug 29, 2005)

Sassy just leaves them where she is done with them.







I am the one who picks them up.


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## thinkpink (Sep 25, 2004)

My niece and nephew taught Bella to put her toys away one day when I wasn't around. They just made a big game out of it. I never tried it to see if she would do it for me. I don't even remember what word they used as the command. I guess that's not much help but just letting you know it is possible to train them to do it.


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## Terri (Jan 26, 2005)

According to Puddy that's my job! I'm here to serve him!


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## TuckersMom (Jun 27, 2005)

> _Originally posted by Terri_@Nov 1 2005, 01:20 PM
> *According to Puddy that's my job!  I'm here to serve him!
> <div align="right">index.php?act=findpost&pid=115694*


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Same here. Matter of fact, sometimes when I'm picking up the toys right before bedtime, Tucker will grab one back out of his toy box. My hubby says to Tucker "Tell mama to stop putting your toys away, since your not done with 'em yet."


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## bellasmommy (May 8, 2005)

Bella does that but I didn't teach her this at all, she's just a neat freak. When she was a puppy she would also only get one toy out at a time, if I tried to get out others it irritated her and she would stop playing or put them all up. I have no idea what causes her to do this or how to get them to do it though. Now that we have Halrey, Bella goes around picking up after her, such a mommy! 
Maybe you could get out two or three toys and scatter them around, and then go sit on the floor by her toy box and when you call her and she comes with the toy just pat the box and say something like "let go" or "drop it" and when and if she drops the toy act like its the greatest thing you've ever seen and give her a treat.


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## Ladysmom (Oct 19, 2004)

> _Originally posted by Kallie/Catcher's Mom_@Nov 1 2005, 11:33 AM
> *I've always heard that it's best for the dog to think these are your toys.... that you are in charge of them. It keeps the dog from thinking they are alpha. I always put the toys away at night and take them out again the next day.
> <div align="right">index.php?act=findpost&pid=115626*


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I think this is what K&C's Mom was talking about. It's from the _Nothing is for Free _program.

TOYS AND GAMES 

· Move all dog toys out of your dog’s reach so that he no longer ‘owns’ any of his toys. Chews and bones can be left down for your dog but they should never be used as a toy. 

· You MUST play with your dog every day. A few shorter sessions are generally better than one long one. Make sure that YOU initiate the play session. 

· Take out one of his toys and play with your dog but only for as long as YOU want and end the game (i.e. put the toy away) if he gets over excited. 

· It is important to play fetch with your dog. Reward him for bringing the toy back to you, using lots of praise and maybe food treats too. 

· Tugging games can be played but only with you and you must win EVERYTIME. Winning means that your dog releases the toy when you ask him to do so. Make sure that you reward him for releasing the toy. DO NOT release the toy while your dog is holding onto it because that would be letting your dog win the game. 

· Try to end games (i.e. put the toy away) while your dog is still keen on playing.


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## dianesand (Oct 23, 2005)

Great ideas! Titi has always been really easy to train, very eager to please. I just wasn't sure how to go about teaching her to put her toys away. All the other tricks I got out of a book.







She is pretty good about just keeping them in the living room, where her toybox is. But the rawhide she likes to carry around with her. Oh, and she loves Dingos!!! Those are her favorite. 

One time, the kitty knocked the Dingos off the table in the middle of the night. When I got up the next morning, every dingo was missing the red meat and Titi was rather full.


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## AJ (Jun 5, 2005)

We've been trying to get ROsie to do that, but every time we put them away she just takes them out


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## dianesand (Oct 23, 2005)

> _Originally posted by Msloke+Nov 2 2005, 02:21 PM-->
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Cassie does that too! She works like a madwoman getting them "undone" to get to the red stuff, then pretty much loses interest in them. I don't really even want to know what that red stuff is.







Sometimes I think I should see if I could buy just the "red" stuff.....







I have to go around and pick up the dingo "remains" she doesn't want anymore.








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Oh, I so know what you mean! Is Cassie particular to any shape? Titi seems to really like the balls. She'll kind of throw them with her mouth, then pounce on them.


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## dianesand (Oct 23, 2005)

> _Originally posted by AJ_@Nov 2 2005, 03:55 PM
> *We've been trying to get ROsie to do that, but every time we put them away she just takes them out
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Rosie and Titi would make quite the team! Titi does the exact same thing!!!


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## Deanna (Jan 14, 2005)

When Wilson is done playing- he will get up on the sofa and lay down. If I continue trying to tempt him by tossing his toys in the air, or squeeking them- he sighs, jumps down, and puts all his toys in his bed.


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## Chelsey (Dec 17, 2004)

We don't have to put to many toys away.. Chester always finds a way of hiding them... We don't know where he puts them. Others he destroys them. Chelsey is really good with hers... I buy two of each... well Chelsey still has hers; I put them away for her so Chester can't get at them. This summer we found his bone out side. Not the nylon ones... it is a really big chewing kind of plastic tasting chocolate one. I did not get chelsey's and he has hidden that too. When we let them out you see Chester running to his hiding place but he does it so fast.... you don’t catch him and there he is with a toy to play with Chelsey. I'm sure we will find them when we move. He had a kong... we never found that. Several bears, balls ... 
all that is visible that we hid are the Frisbees , one ball and Chelsey toys so she will have something to play with. The tug toy they use to pay with is also missing... We just don't know were he hides these things


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## dianesand (Oct 23, 2005)

> _Originally posted by Msloke+Nov 2 2005, 05:21 PM-->
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She likes the original ones, the small "bone" shaped ones, think they come 7 in a pack. Oh and she like the brown colored ones too (beef flavored maybe?). Petsmart sells them in bags but Walmart has better prices when you break down the cost. Did you ever look on the back of the package? I didn't realize it but they're made in Hawaii....no wonder Cassie has good taste.








I checked last time I was there, had visions of bringing a suitcase full back but they were higher over there than here. Go figure.








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LOL!







I have never really looked at the package. I pretty much buy it, then rip it open for Titi.


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