Leave It Command

Obedience
Written By Michelle Jackson

The Leave It Command is one of my favorite commands. Not only does it teach your dog general impulse control, but also could save his life! We use Leave It to teach dogs to ignore “things”. Those things could be food that falls on the floor that may be dangerous or toxic to them, or plants that may be toxic to them. Leave It is a great companion command to Loose Leash Walking because it asks your dog to ignore things on a walk such as other dogs, people, bikes, cars, squirrels, etc and remain calm. Leave It command can also be used practically to resolve problems like dog’s getting into the garbage or jumping on counters. Let’s get started!

Kindergarten - Teaching the Word

  1. START with 1 treat in 1 hand and many treats in the other hand

  2. SHOW dog the single treat (directly in front of his nose)

  3. SAY “LEAVE IT” and slowly move the treat to the floor

  4. WHEN dog goes for the treat, COVER the treat with your hand and say “LEAVE IT”

  5. WAIT for dog to look away from treat (BE PATIENT!  DON’T KEEP SAYING LEAVE IT!)

  6. SAY reward marker (YES)

  7. REWARD with a treat from the other hand

  8. PICK UP the treat on the floor

  9. REPEAT above steps until dog stops going for the treat

 Grade School -  Level 2

  1. START with 1 treat in 1 hand and many treats in the other hand

  2. SHOW the dog the single treat 

  3. SAY “LEAVE IT” and toss it on the floor behind you

  4. WHEN dog goes for treat, use your body to block or foot to cover the treat

  5. WAIT for dog to look away (or step back) from treat

  6. Say reward marker (YES)

  7. REWARD with a treat from the other hand

  8. PICK up the treat on the floor and REPEAT in a new location

 College - Level 3

  1. START Loose Leash Walking (LLW)

  2. SHOW dog a treat

  3. SAY “LEAVE IT”

  4. TOSS a treat forward and to the opposite side that the dog is walking (If dog is on left, toss to the treat to the right)

  5. WHEN dog goes after the treat, use your body to firmly block and walk into the dog

  6. REPEAT until dog does not attempt to go after the treat

  7. REWARD with a treat as the dog ignores the treat

 Some Tips to REMEMBER

  • TRY using the leash as little as possible!  You want the dog to look away on his own accord

  • NEVER give the dog the object that he is supposed to be “leaving”

  • DON’T expect to have the same response when you start changing objects

  • PRACTICE the LEAVE IT exercise

    • · With all types of objects (anything you want your dog to ignore e.g. Kleenex, dirty socks, kids toys, etc)

    • · When you feed your dog, then release him to eat his food

    • · When walking and dog pulls you towards mailbox, another dog, skateboarders, etc.

  • WAIT until he really understands the cue and responds 100% of the time before trying to use it without leash 

 Sign up for a class today, even if you and your dog know some of the commands that are being taught. Classes offer a lot of situations where your dog must ignore the other dogs and people in the class and focus on you. It is an excellent way to solidify your dog’s Leave It skills. 

Michelle Jackson
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WAIT Command