Teaching Your Pup “Leave It”

by | Jul 7, 2022 | Skills, Training

Teaching Your Dog “leave it”

There are many levels of leave it to teach your dog.

The best way to train “leave it” is to start with puppy Zen. This behavior will help your dog learn self control but most of all it helps you keep your dog safe.

  • Start with treats in your hand, close your hand into a fist and lower to your dog’s level (don’t want them to jump up) wait for your dog to stop nibbling, licking, and pawing at your fist. Once, your dog moves away, mark and treat away from where the fist and treat are.
  • You want your dog moving away from the treats on their own, no need to push or move your dog, it’s their job

Once your pup can do that. Adding the “Leave it” cue is only done when you can place your open hand with treats near your dog and he looks away, ignores it or looks at you.

The process:

  1. Say your cue, LEAVE IT
  2. Present the treats in open hand
  3. Click and reward the dog

ALWAYS cue your dog to LEAVE IT as you’re doing any temptation behaviors and reward them with something different for doing that behavior.

Leave it game:

Teaches your dog self-control the game part is we give the dog something he wants when he gives us what we want.

The cue wont be added until the dog is ignoring, turning away and ignoring the distractions, no sounds will be used, we are letting the dog figure it out

  • Giving the dog NO access to the treats, place them one hand and close them in a fist
  • Extend your fist, away from your body make sure to be a nose level or a little lower
  • Wait for your dog to briefly leave your fist alone when he does, click and treat (ignore the sniffing, licking, nibbling and pawing)
  • If he continues to stay off your fist continue to click and treat
  • If he looks up at you, click and treat

Next: opening your fist

Still no sound with this part of the game

  • If he moves towards your hand when it is open close it into a fist again
  • When he moves away, showing self control, open your hand, click and treat
  • If he stays off your hand, click and treat

How to give the treat after the click:

  • We want your dog to wait for the treat to be delivered to them
  • When giving the treat, place the treat so their head is turned away from the fist with treats in it
    • If he comes to the treat hand as your about to give the treat, close your fist
    • No forward movement towards the food

 

Leave it from the floor or ground:

ALWAYS cue your dog to LEAVE IT as you’re doing any temptation behaviors and reward them with something different for doing that behavior.

Building on the self control from the hand, real life, things will be on the ground that we will want our dog to leave alone and with the good foundation they will be able to hand it

After you have successful moved your fist around (higher, lower, you sitting on the floor and chair, don’t forget to stand) he is leaving it alone, it’s time to move to the next level

  • About 2 feet from your dog, place a pile of treats and cover them with your hand
  • Wait for your dog to briefly leave your hand alone when he does, click and treat (ignore the sniffing, licking, nibbling and pawing)
  • Remove your hand from the pile but be ready to cover it back up if he moves towards it, as soon as he leaves it alone, click and treat
  • If he remains leaving it alone, click and treat that too
  • Wait and see if he looks at you, click and treat
  • If he goes for the pile, cover it back up with your hand

Next: move the pile closer

  • Repeat the same steps as above

How to give the treat after the click:

  • We will be giving a treat you have in your other hand not from the pile we are waiting him to leave
  • We want your dog to wait for the treat to be delivered to them
  • When giving the treat, place the treat so their head is turned away from the pile
    • No forward movement towards the food

 

Once your dog has a solid leave it from your hand and the ground we move to a more advanced behavior, we will be adding a dropped temptations

  • Standing 4 – 6 feet away from your dog, cue your dog “Leave It” and then drop a treat, start near the floor and increase as your dog is successful at leaving it (watch out for the bounce, it can be prey like)
  • Pick up the dropped treat, praise your dog and give them a DIFFERENT treat
  • Gradually decrease the distance between the dropped treat and your dog until you can stand beside and drop the treat with your dog leaving it

After your dog knows and has an understanding you will repeat the process with items. Examples: socks, shoes, cups, trash or things you might come across outside.