# Help Teaching a New Command - Leave It



## ActionJackson (Oct 25, 2010)

I'm sorry if I'm duplicating this topic, I searched and couldn't find anything specific.

I want to teach the 'leave it' command to my pup while he is still young and impressionable lol. Any tips for how to approach this one? I tell him leave it and he just looks at me like 'yeah right' :doh:


----------



## iansgran (May 29, 2010)

You train it with lots of treats--put something down of the floor in your hand and while he tries to get it don't let him have it. If he backs away, even just a second, say leave it and give him a treat (not the one you were baiting with) Do it again and again and again


----------



## pwrstrk02 (Aug 11, 2010)

And again and again


----------



## Bender (Dec 30, 2008)

I start with non-eatable items, like a fork, or a set of keys, then work towards things that taste yucky (strong mints, crackers with hot sauce...) and then things that are tasty. It seems to help them get the concept of 'ignore that one, I have something better' when they really don't want it in the first place.

Lana


----------



## Ljilly28 (Jan 22, 2008)

A clicker is great for training "Leave it". Put a low value treat on the floor, and keep a high value treat in your hand. Place your foot over the low value treat and let him sniff and do whatever trying for it. When he finally looks up at you, click and give him the higher value treat. Make sure not to let him have the one from the floor even when you're done. Once he gets the game, you can add the command 'Leave it". 

After that game is no longer challenging, take the same type of low value treat and put it openly on the floor with pup on a leash and hide the high value treat in your right hand. Simply walk by the treat( don't yank or correct the pup, simply walk briskly.) As you pass the low value treat,attract the pup's attention in a fun way( make a silly noise, dart a little to the left). If he looks at you moves to engage with you, click and give him the higher value treat. After 5 times of doing this successfully, add the "Leave It" command, and give the better treat. Tone down the distraction so you can eventually walk by and say "Leave It" and the pup looks at you for the better treat. 

3 out of 4 of my goldens learned a reliable leave it this way, but Tango did need a little more enforcement once she understood the command. She had a hard time resisting the super-rewarding gross stuff I want her to leave, like rotting apples that fall off trees in the orchard where we hike and once a dead field mouse she wanted to parade all around from person to person on a hike ( blech). In that case, I did use an aversive NO! LEAVE IT, and then gently escorted her about twenty feet by her collar( not pulling or correcting). After these two incidents, she does "Leave It" when asked. These were not very aversive, but did veer from the positive methods above. The trick is that usually whatever they do not want to "leave" is rewarding to them in and of itself, so you have to be able to up the ante so what you have is better, lol.


----------



## goldensrbest (Dec 20, 2007)

Hi, jill, i am getting no where with stay, with spirit, he always moves, when i move to the side, been trying to teach this for weeks now, it seems he just does not understand, and i would love to go to classes in portland, but just too far. thanks.


----------



## Ljilly28 (Jan 22, 2008)

The thing with "Stay" is to progress gradually. Set him up to succeed. Maybe you take only half a baby step, step forward again and say OKAY to release him with a treat and some praise. Don't try using the word "stay" at first until he understands the behavior you want. The most important part of teach stay is in the release word. I use "Okay" but many dog people prefer "Break" or "free". You can even have him sit while gently holding his collar. Roll a ball and say stay. Then, say OKAY, and let him go. Once he lets you take a baby step back, take one to the right, then two to the left etc. Reward him for each little victory. Increase the duration of a stay very slowly.


----------



## RedDogs (Jan 30, 2010)

Like Jill said, we want to wait to add the cue until you know your dog will leave the item (because he just did multiple times!).

If we add the cue too early or causally, dogs can quickly learn that "leave it" means "hurry and get it before someone else does" or that it means "Smell the really cool thing!"

We start with paper or biscuits as the item and by the first sessions most people are presenting it on a flat palm. A few weeks later, most dogs can keep walking while biscuits are tossed their way. 

But be willing to bet $100 your dog WILL respond before you are making it harder.


----------



## Braccarius (Sep 8, 2008)

I always laugh when I think low value treat vs. high value treat. To my two EVERYTHING is a high value treat.


----------



## Kailani's Pack (Nov 21, 2010)

What's a good age to begin working on "Leave It", or even "Stay" ?

Kailani is 11 weeks (only been home for a few days) - but she's responding to Stay with a hand sign (a closed hand being raised over her head...usually with a piece of kibbel in it, but not always), and we're working on name recognition. 

Any suggestions on when to start these other commands? And are there any others I should be doing already?


----------



## RedDogs (Jan 30, 2010)

Puppies can learn just about anything adults can.

Because of the socialization period closing around 12 weeks, good experiences (not bad and NOT neutral!) with surfaces, sights, sounds, smells, textures, sounds, experiences.... is definitely a priority over specific behaviors at this point. But it's definitely great to start training behaviors.


----------



## Kailani's Pack (Nov 21, 2010)

Thanks for the reply!

I think our breeder did a pretty good job introducing her to many things before we got her, because she doesn't seem particularly phased by anything yet...

But is there anything specific anyone can think I should make sure she's had a positive experience with before the window is up? I've seen a few lists online, but was just thinking maybe someone would have had specific things that are really important. 

I'm going to search the forum as well, maybe there's a list on here somewhere.


----------



## LibertyME (Jan 6, 2007)

if everything food is too high...then you can do the same thing only use a toy...



Braccarius said:


> I always laugh when I think low value treat vs. high value treat. To my two EVERYTHING is a high value treat.


----------



## Phiddler (Sep 1, 2008)

Zip has done a great job with "leave it," and I often give him as his reward the very thing I told him to leave. I also do the same with with recall. I will call him away from his friends, and then reward him by sending him back to play. It has worked beautifully, and he is always willing to come or leave it, because he usually gets as a reward what he wanted in the first place anyways. If he doesn't, then he gets something else of value (praise, another treat, etc.).


----------



## tippykayak (Oct 27, 2008)

I can't improve on the method LJilly is describing for a positive "leave it." It's really powerful if you build and maintain it consistently.

The only thing I'll add is that if you don't want to use an actual clicker, you can accomplish something very similar by saying a quick, happy "yes!" in the place you'd click. It's slightly less precise than a clicker, but it has the advantage that you can do it even if you're not quite ready with a clicker. Make sure that the "yes!" is as consistent in pitch, tone, enunciation, and duration each time as you can make it.


----------

