When I went outside this morning, Kenzo and Riley were by the back fence, very intent on something on the ground. I had let them outside to use the bathroom a few minutes earlier and was coming outside to play ball before our walk. Usually they are waiting by the back door to play, or come running up as soon as I step outside; today, they remained intent on the ground.

I walked over to them and by the time I got there Riley was still sniffing around and Kenzo had moved away. I heard a crunching sound to my left and saw Kenzo about 50 feet away lying down and chewing on a bone. I don't have bones for them out in the backyard, only balls....

As I got closer I could see Kenzo had the remains of a rabbit that had been left by our local fox. As I came up to Kenzo I asked him to "Out!" and then reached into my pocket for some treats. Before I got the treats out Kenzo dropped the rabbit remains and came trotting over to me. We ran together back to the house while I told him how brilliant he was and rewarded him generously. I then went back outside to clean up the rest of the rabbit.

Kenzo is a large, 85-pound male German Shepherd, and we have about an acre of fenced-in backyard. If he wanted to play "keep away" with the rabbit, he easily could have done so. I doubt I could pry the rabbit from his jaws if he didn't want me to, and I doubt I could catch him in the yard. Luckily, I didn't have to.

Kenzo is 8-years-old and he and I have a long history of trading. He trusts that I am not going to take things from his mouth; rather, I will ask for something and he will be paid generously for giving it to me. And sometimes, he will get the item back. Today, Kenzo and I were both lucky we practiced trading.

There may have been nothing wrong with the rabbit remains in my yard, but it may have contained parasites, and I am glad I was able to easily get it from Kenzo.

How Does Trading Work?

Instead of prying things from your dog's mouth, teach him to willingly give the item to you. Let your dog know that you will ask, not grab, and that it will be worth his while.

Ripping things out of our dogs' mouths is rude. With some dogs we are physically able to do this, although it doesn't help them trust us and increases the likelihood that they will run away from us and/or growl and bite when they have something we need to get from them.

• When your dog has a toy or bone, pig's ear, etc., place a toy or treat directly under your dog's nose and wait for him to release the other item. Do not put your hand on the item while it is still in your dog's mouth.
• When possible, give the item back to your dog with an added toy or treat. Not only will you sometimes give the bone back, but it will come back with something even better.
• When you are able to predict that your dog will drop the item when you produce a second toy or treats, begin to add the word "drop," "out," "give," etc., before showing your dog the treat. This will help your dog learn to drop an item on cue. Kenzo and I also practice having him drop things on cue when we play ball and tug.
• Additionally, when your dog has a bone or favorite toy, occasionally walk by and toss a treat toward him or add a second toy. Teach your dog that you walking up to him when he has something means good things will happen. It doesn't mean you are coming to rip something out of his mouth.

If your dog shows signs of stress when you approach him when he has a bone, toy, or other prized possession such as growling, curling his lips, freezing, eating faster, snapping, snarling, lowering his head over the item, etc., we recommend you move away from your dog and contact a trainer for help.

Happy Trading!