If you’ve ever wondered why dogs hang on to dummies, you’re in good company. Many gundog owners watch their dogs trot back proudly, dummy in mouth, only for them to pause just out of reach or clamp down as if the retrieve isn’t quite over yet. It can feel mildly frustrating when you’re aiming for a tidy delivery, but the reasons behind it are far more understandable than you might think.

Let’s look at the most common reasons dogs hold on to dummies and how you can turn sticky deliveries into calm, confident handovers.

1. Why dogs hang on to dummies when handlers add too much value

Dogs read our body language better than we do.
A tiny gasp, stiff shoulders, or hovering hands can make the dummy feel like buried treasure.
If you look as though you desperately want it, your dog may decide it must be the most valuable thing on earth.

2. Scarcity makes dogs hold on to the dummy longer

If the dummy only appears in training and disappears immediately at delivery, it becomes a rare resource.
Rare things feel more valuable. Valuable things get held on to.

Simple canine economics.

3. Breed behaviour and why gundogs love carrying dummies

Retrievers and other gundogs have been selectively bred to pick things up and hold them securely.
So when they’ve worked hard to hunt an area, locate a dummy and bring it all the way back, it’s perfectly natural for them to want an extra moment of glory before letting it go.

4. When dogs don’t understand delivery yet

Hanging on often comes down to confusion, not defiance.
Plenty of dogs understand the “go out, hunt and pick up” part but aren’t yet sure about the “hand it over” stage.
Delivery is a learned behaviour — not an automatic one.

5. Why dogs hold on to the dummy because the fun ends

For many dogs, the retrieve is the highlight of their day.
Giving the dummy up ends the adventure.
Hanging on buys them a few extra seconds of joy.

6. Past grabbing can make dogs hesitant to give up dummies

If a handler has ever reached in too quickly, grabbed the dummy, or surprised the dog with fast hands, it can create uncertainty.
Even a single snatchy moment can make a dog cautious about releasing next time.

7. Inconsistent patterns make dogs hold the dummy back

If one day you ask for a sit, the next day you don’t, or sometimes you reward the delivery and sometimes you don’t, the handover becomes unpredictable.
Dogs hang on when they’re unsure what’s coming next.

8. Over-arousal and “sticky mouths” on retrieves

Excitement affects muscle tone.
Highly aroused dogs often return with their whole body buzzing, jaws included.
A tight mouth in that moment isn’t stubbornness — it’s physiology.

9. Dogs who feel proud of the dummy they’ve retrieved

Some dogs simply enjoy carrying something important.
A brief pause with the dummy in their mouth is their version of, “Look what I did!”

10. Uncertainty about the next retrieve makes dogs keep the dummy

If retrieves are limited or unpredictable, dogs may hang on because giving up the dummy might mean the game is over.
A clear training pattern — where delivery leads to more good things — helps build trust and quicker releases.

How to help your dog let go more easily

• Keep your body language calm and predictable.

• Teach the delivery as its own neat behaviour.

• Avoid grabbing; use gentle, tidy hands.

• Reward generously for clean give-ups.

• Make delivery the beginning of good things, not the end.

Once the process is clear and pressure-free, dogs relax. And relaxed dogs deliver beautifully.

For more positive gundog training resources, you may find the Gundog Club helpful:
https://www.thegundogclub.co.uk