Dog Training "Leave It" command

The "leave it" command is a great one to teach your dog.  You can use it when they are trying to eat something they shouldn't, or if they are trying to pull you over to something.

To start with, find a high value treat - something your dog very rarely get and LOVES! That's the secret to dog training - your motivator (the treat) has to be valuable enough that your dog wants to do what you ask to get the treat.

Ok, the first level of the "leave it" is to hold the treat in the palm of one hand.  When your dog goes for the treat, tell them to "leave it" and close your hand (so the dog can't get the treat)  Don't pull your hand away - leave it right where it was.  As soon as the dog looks away for even a split second, for any reason at all, tell him "good leave it" and reward. Stay on this level until your dog really gets it, work on this one for a few minutes a day, every day.  Work to longer and longer times before treat rewarding. Eventually you will be able to put a treat on the palm of your hand, tell the dog to "leave it" and the dog backs up/looks away/etc

The second level of "leave it" is to put a treat on the floor and hold your foot over it so your heel is on the ground and the treat is under the toe of your shoe.  Tell the dog to "leave it" - if he goes for the treat, simply step on the treat to prevent the dog from getting it. When the dog looks away, tell him "good leave it" and give him a treat from your hand, NOT the treat on the ground!  Again, practice this every day for a few minutes. There is a reason we give the treat from the hand, not the one on the ground - we don't want the dog learning that food can be found on the ground, all food comes from you!

These two levels of "leave it" are great if you drop food on the floor, or if your dog likes to eat things he finds out on walks.  When you are comfortable with this command, start combining it with a second command, ask your dog to "leave it" then sit, or come, or something else.