How Do You........

[agilityk9trainer]

Shaping the behavior with a clicker works great. If you haven't ever used a clicker, then you'll have to start by learning how to do that. There are lots of good books on the subject.

[Canis-Lupess]

Yeah, clickers can be used for pretty much everything.

I used to get mine to learn how to hold stuff by putting it in their mouth and then, without too much pressure, holding their mouths closed around it and then slowly let go asking them to "hold it". They usually held it for a short while before dropping it and I'd just repeat and, gradually, they'd hold it for longer and longer. Whilst they had it in their mouth, I always spoke to them in a soft fussy voice, repeating the command but telling them what a good girl/boy they were. Each time I tried it, they'd hold it for longer and if they dropped it, I'd just stop speaking and repeat. If they were holding it for a few seconds, I'd often get them to do it and then go in and give them a fuss and praise them and get them to give it back to me...before they dropped it themselves. They knew they were being praised for holding it then rather than dropping it. Seemed to work well enough for me.