How To Train A Dog To Leave It

Introduction

Teaching the leave it cue to your dog is a great way to practice impulse control and reinforce good habits. Dogs are always on the lookout for things that taste good, whether it’s something they found in the garbage can or dropped from the table. It’s important for dogs to learn that there are some things they should avoid, especially if those things could be dangerous. The leave it cue teaches them to resist temptation and look to you instead.

What is leave it?

Leave it is a very useful command to have in your dog’s repertoire. It means, “leave that thing alone and come back to me!” It can be used to teach your dog not to pick up something they shouldn’t, like a piece of trash or food that isn’t theirs. This command can also be used when you want your dog not to jump on you when excited or steal something from you.

In order for this command to work, though, it’s important for both you and your pup to understand what leave it actually means—and how best it can be used in real-world scenarios.

How to train ‘leave it’

Training “Leave it” is important for dogs that are food- or toy-focused. When you teach your dog to leave something alone, you will be able to give a quick command and they will stop their behavior immediately. This can be useful when they scavenge the trash, steal food from the counter or table, or pick up items off the floor while walking on walks with you.

It’s important to note that there are multiple ways of teaching this command so choose one that works best for your dog and your lifestyle!

Teach your dog to look at you

Teach your dog to look at you. This is great for training purposes, especially if you want to get a dog to stop doing something or focus on you. Use “look at me” as a command for good behavior and not bad behavior, so your dog will know it means something positive when they hear it. He’ll soon learn that looking at you means he’s doing something right!

Ask your dog to leave it while you’re holding a treat

When you’re working on teaching the leave it cue, it can be helpful to have a treat in your hand. This gives your dog more incentive to listen to you and follow your commands, because he’ll be more interested in what’s in your hands than the item that he’s getting possessive over.

You may also want to train without treats at first so that your dog learns what “leave it” means without associating this instruction with food rewards. Once he has learned how much fun it is for him when his owner says “leave it,” then you can start using treats again as rewards after giving him this command successfully once or twice first!

Practice the cue with an unattractive food item

You can practice the “leave it” cue without involving food by using something that is not tempting or appealing to your dog. One great way to do this is with a piece of paper. You can use any kind of paper, but for most dogs it’s best if the surface is smooth and doesn’t have a lot of texture (like newsprint).

When you’re ready, hold up your dog’s favorite treat near his nose and say “leave it.” Then toss the treat behind him while saying “go get it.” If he turns around to go get it, reward him with praise and another treat! Otherwise, repeat until he stays facing away from you while holding his position. The process may take some time depending on how quickly your pup learns new things—but once he catches on, you’ll be able to keep introducing new items into his training sessions without worrying about whether or not they’ll tempt him too much!

Practice the cue with an attractive food item

Practice the cue with an attractive food item. To teach Leave It, you’ll need to use a treat that your dog really loves and that has great value to him (think bacon bits or peanut butter). Start by holding a piece of food in front of your dog’s nose, so that he can see it but not eat it. Then say “Leave it” as you move the treat slightly away from his mouth, while at the same time removing his paw from the food if he tries to grab it. If he follows your hand and releases the treat, give him lots of praise! If not, repeat this step until he gets into a good habit of dropping whatever is in his mouth when asked. When he becomes successful at this exercise with one hand movement away from his face (and after three or four repetitions), start adding more steps by moving both hands away together—one backwards while one forwards—and then finally moving both hands around him in opposite directions before returning to start position once more.

Practice this new behavior in safe locations before trying it out where there are distractions such as other dogs or people around you. As always when working on new commands like this one though remember not only ensure safety firstly but also make sure there isn’t anything potentially dangerous nearby such as sharp objects such as broken glass bottles etcetera because if these things happen then do damage may occur which could cause serious injuries for either yourself or others depending on how far apart they are placed between each other.”

Practice around distractions

Your dog should be able to leave it in any situation. So you’ll need to train him in all kinds of situations.

In the home (with other people around, other animals, children)
In the yard
At the park (with other dogs, children and adults)

Leave it is a great way to teach impulse control and help prevent dogs from eating things that could be dangerous.

Dogs who are trained in leave it can be very useful when it comes to keeping them safe. The command “leave it” means not only for a dog to stop what he or she is doing, but also that they should move away from whatever food item or object you have designated as being off-limits. Teaching your dog this command can help with many different situations, such as when you need him/her to step away from something poisonous on the floor (like chocolate) or if you want him/her away from an area where there might be traffic (such as the street).

Conclusion

Trainers often use leave it to teach a dog to stop and wait at the door or when crossing the street. It also means if they pick something up that shouldn’t be in their mouths, you can ask them politely to give it back!