Leave It

Leave It, don’t touch it...

Leave It – Week 1
This is the command you will use whenever you do not want your dog to have something. Use it BEFORE they actually have the object in their mouths! Examples: a piece of garbage you find while going on your walk, a toy that is not theirs, if some food falls off the countertop, another dog that they might be looking at, kitties! etc.

The way we help our dogs understand what Leave It means, is by first using a treat reward. Since Leave It really means, “don’t go towards the object until I say it’s okay”, we want to teach our dogs with an object that they can eventually have (a treat vs. a sock).
Your dog does not need to be lying down, or sitting for this command, since in the “real world’ they will not already be under control. Leave it usually happens when we least expect it (Dropped that piece of food on the floor!).

Show your dog the treat, but have it in your hand tightly so he cannot get it. Tell him “Leave It” (remember to say command only once, no matter how long the first few times take). Wait for him to stop trying to get the treat out of your hand. If your dog is using your hand as a chew toy, you can gently give him a bop on the nose. As soon as he Leaves It – say “Take It!” , or “Okay!”, open your hand and let him go towards it and get the treat. Your timing here is important. You want to give your dog the treat the second he leaves it alone – backs away, sits, looks at you, looks away, etc.
Practice a couple times by holding the treat in your hand. As soon as your dog stops trying to get at the treat say “Take It!”, or “Okay!” and open your hand for your dog to come and get the treat.

Leave It - Week Two
A treat in your hand is much different than a treat on the ground! We will gradually get them used to leaving a treat, while it is on the ground.
First, say Leave it. Then hold the treat in your hand, just like you’ve been practicing. Then move your hand to the ground and hold your hand on the ground. As soon as your dog leaves it, say, “Okay”, open your hand and place the treat on the ground for your dog to get.
Reminder: Say, “Take It” as opposed to “Good Dog”. In the real world, when we really need our dogs to leave something, and then we are so happy that they did, we are probably going to say “Gooood Dog!”. We don’t want them to think that means they can go ahead and have it!

Leave It - Week Three
Now that our dogs have a good understanding of what the verbal command “Leave It” means, we will start dropping our treats on the floor. We will use “body blocks” just like when we need to have our dogs “off”. We are the “Alpha’s” in the family, so we control when they get to eat something, and when they don’t :)
Start off by having your dog under good control. It will be much easier these first few times! Have your dog sitting in front of you. Take a treat and drop it off to the side, behind you. If your dog gets up to grab the treat, use your body to block him, and move him backwards a couple of steps. As soon as he is sitting again and not trying to get the treat, stand to the side. If he is still sitting nicely, tell him “Take It” and let him have the treat! If he keeps going for the treat, keep body blocking. Remember not to keep repeating the command.

Leave It – Week Four
This week, we are going to start incorporating some “real life” situations into our “Leave It” practice. During our practice time, you can use everyday items: toys, a ball of paper, a paper towel roll, etc. Make sure that you are using multiple items (not all at once), so your dog knows to do it with different things, not just a treat. Dogs are poor at generalizing, you might need to re-teach them what “Leave It” means when you use a new item. Feel free to move back a couple of steps and hold the item in your hand to tell them to “Leave It”. When you drop the item on the ground, be prepared to block your puppy away from the item – they will be excited to see it and will probably move even faster to get to it!

Once your puppy knows Leave it, it’s also fun to incorporate it into trick training – Have your puppy lay down and practice leave it by putting treats on his paws!
Good Luck and happy training!

Giene Keyes

Giene Keyes is the owner of Moon Dog Training, LLC, providing positive in-home training, behavior consultations and group classes. After receiving “Best of Madison'' multiple years in a row, Giene sold her dog daycare to focus on her dog behavior work. Giene has been working with pets and their owners for over 30 years. She is a professional animal trainer and behavior specialist in Southern Wisconsin. Giene divides her time between teaching group classes and private lessons – Specializing in manners and aggression cases. Giene works with vets, rescue groups and shelters, evaluating dogs for adoption, developing Canine Aggression Management Programs, and educating staff on dog language and behaviors. She consults for dog daycares and training companies by educating staff on dog body language, cues, managing a pack, difficult dogs and much more. She provides behavior consultations for service dog organizations and rescue groups in the Midwest. She has been an Instructor with the American Red Cross in Pet CPR and First Aid, a Certified Canine Good Citizen Evaluator with the American Kennel Club, and a Licensed Judge with the WI Dept of Ag, Trade & Consumer Protection. Giene is a member of the Association of Pet Dog Trainers and is a Certified Professional Dog Trainer. She routinely presents seminars on dog behavior and training, as well as chicken training seminars to promote team building. Giene has been a regular guest on popular Madison radio shows and evening newscasts. Giene has also been featured in numerous local magazines, including the cover for Wisconsin Woman. Giene is a published author (see her Chicken Training Book!) and loves demonstrating to people how clever dogs, chickens and pigs can be.