Put your toys away
This is a fun trick to use a clicker and shaping working your steps in reverse to teach your dogs a fun trick of putting things away.
Place one of your dog’s favorite toys (unless that toy makes them super hoarding and possessive, in which case use a lower level toy) into a small bin or box. You want something low and easy for them to get something in and out of.
Have your clicker and treats in your hands ready to roll.
Click as soon as your dog does anything to the toy: paws it, sniffs it, picks it up, etc.
Gradually wait for more and more interacting with the toy as you work on getting them to pick it up before you click.
Once they are picking it up, click very soon and early so their heads are still over the bin when they have the toy. The click should make them drop the toy as they expect the treat. Give all your rewards with your hand directly over the bin.
Once they are picking up the toy and dropping it into the bin with each click you can start adding your pick up cues and drop cues.
Once they are confidently picking up the toy and dropping it in the bin pick up the toy and place it just on the other side of the bin so they bin is now between you and the toy.
Because of your reward placement until this point your dog should naturally move towards you with the toy, click as soon as their head is over the bin.
Once you are moving the toy further and further from the bin it’s ok to click before they get all the way back even if they drop it, clicking to encourage that return is always a great step, so don’t feel like you have to hold out for perfect early in the process.
Once they have a real good idea of the game with that one toy, start to use different objects and toys.
Once they will pick up many objects you can start to ask for more than one delivery in a row.