It is important to teach your dog at the beginning of his life to set him up for a happy and obedient life! One of the most universal commands taught to dogs, “Leave It” works effectively in a host of different situations. And it keeps you away from the negativity of always using the word “no”. Whether you’re telling your tiny pup to stop chewing on your slippers or you’re trying to get your larger dog to stop sniffing at your neighbor’s rear end, the command “Leave It” works effectively if you know how to train him to listen and obey.
If you want to learn how to teach your dog the “Leave It” command, let me tell you - it is fairly simple and straight-forward. This command can be taught incrementally, in just four small steps combined with a significant amount of repetition and patience. By the end of six or eight weeks, even the most tempting treat or satisfying slipper will be left to lie when you tell your dog to “Leave It”. Follow these steps for dog training success:
Step One. Begin indoors. Start by putting something on the floor that your dog might want. This may be a piece of food, a shoe, or something else that your dog might usually be interested in. Have some treats available and bring your dog over on a leash to the item. Be ready for when your dog first notices the object (as he will!) and give a firm “Leave It”. Combine the command with a tug on the leash, using your foot to keep the object away from him.
You’ll likely need to repeat this step many times. Possibly over and over. The goal is to get your dog to look at you at some point during this process. Once he looks at you, take this time to reward him with a treat and verbally praise him. If he goes for the object, put the treat under his nose and lure his face away from the object while repeating the phrase “Leave It”. Practice this repeatedly with various objects while you teach your dog what the command means.
Step Two. When your dog becomes successful while on the leash, then you’ll know it is time to take the leash off. To make it more challenging, set up a sort of obstacle course. Walk with your pup off leash, navigating through the objects. Repeat “Leave It” each time he looks at one of the items. When he understands, he’ll look at you for a treat each time you say “Leave It”. At this stage, treat and praise him each time he obeys. If he does grab something, pull it out of his mouth immediately—making it unpleasant so he won’t repeat this.
Step Three. Once your dog has mastered the “Leave It” command inside the house, feel free to move outside. Use the same technique for any type of outside distractions, keeping treats ready. At first, if your pup is attracted to something you may have to give his leash a tug. Get him to focus his attention on you. If your dog doesn’t succeed well at this stage, go back to practicing inside until he gets it.
Step Four. These steps may take approximately six weeks from the start until your dog can obey your leave command without needing a treat for reinforcement. As time passes, wean your pup off the treats by giving one every second time. Never stop using verbal praise to reinforce your puppy’s new obedience trick. When he gets it without a treat every other time, pare it back to every third time and eventually stop giving treats altogether.
Effective obedience training for your dog required a great deal of patience, firmness, and repetition. Eventually your dog will defer to the “Leave It” command every time you say it. You’ll find yourself on the way to an obedient, happy dog in no time! And you will get immense satisfaction when you teach your dog these easy, but essential commands.
