When working on getting a dog to drop on cue, whether predicting and cuing, oppositional feeding, prompt switching, or just generally exercising a cued Drop, go ahead and work some Give into the session.
When the dog is retrieving the disc just withhold the drop cue and wait. She will come in with the disc and then you can ask for the give.
Don’t accept the non-cued drop at your feet, because drops, simple teeth off, only happen out there on cue. “When you get in here, around me, if I didn’t cue it, it will be a give.”
The absence of a drop cue on the retrieve is something that most dogs never experience until their handlers start working on Owning the Drop.
A default give in the absence of a drop cue provides stark contrast between drop and give. It helps the dog realize that drops happen anywhere, on cue, and gives happen in here with no cue.
This often is the final piece of the puzzle for many dogs who have problems with the drop. It crystalizes the idea that drops can happen anywhere.