By Dianne Atkins, Former Chief Instructor
Hills Howler Edition: July 2020
“This is an update to the way Hills Dog Club is teaching ‘Leave It’. Please do yourself and your dog a favour by learning this well. In fact, teach it to your friends and family, you’ll be their ‘dog whisperer’ and they’ll appreciate your efforts.”
– Tony
“Leave it” is one of the most valuable lessons to teach a dog. “Leave it” teaches your dog impulse control that can be useful in many situations, from food that has fallen on the floor, something your dog picks up on a walk, or to come away from another dog or animal or any object you do not want him to approach.
Like the recall, this is important for their safety and should be taught very early on in your training program. This is not a difficult exercise to teach, and we can make a game of it.
Put a piece of food in the palm of your closed hand, and extend your hand towards the dog’s nose and give the “LEAVE IT” cue. Keep your fingers closed around the food. It is vitally important that you do not move your hand away from the dog if he is pushing into your hand to grab it.
It is up to your dog to turn away from the food. Immediately he does, then mark it and using the cue “TAKE IT” reward the dog with the food in your hand.
Repeat this exercise daily until your dog does not attempt to take the food. When you are sure that your dog understands “LEAVE IT”, and does not attempt to eat the food you can use various other items of distraction – balls, toys, etc. – to build impulse control.
After you have trained “LEAVE IT” and your dog understands what you mean, it is important to remember to go back to the basic training programme outlined above at least once a week and practice this exercise.
If you get into the habit of saying “LEAVE IT”, “LEAVE IT” constantly, but do not go back to the training programme and reward your dog for leaving something, your cue will become completely ineffective.
