- Not a substitute for professional veterinary help.
Dogs are curious, and it’s perfectly natural for them to want to investigate anything and everything they come across. But it’s not always safe for them to access everything they’d like.
Teaching “leave it” is an important way to keep your dog from picking up something that could be toxic or dangerous to them. It’s also a good way to tell your pup to leave people or animals alone.
Whether you’re teaching “leave it” to a puppy or a fully grown dog, the process is the same: you’ll break the behavior into stages and gradually increase the difficulty. “Start in a low distracting location and with an item your dog can be successful with,” advises Jen Zatorowski, UW-AAB, CPDT-KA, a certified dog trainer on Rover. From there, slowly and methodically increase the difficulty.
To help, we’ve broken the skill into four stages. Read on to learn how to teach your dog a super-strong “leave it” cue.
Teaching a “Leave It” in 4 Stages
Before teaching your dog a “leave it” cue, make sure you have two types of treats: a lower value treat and a higher value treat. You’ll use the lower value treat as the item you want your dog to ignore. The higher value treat is the reward. The message? Ignoring something enticing means they’ll get something even better from you.
You’ll use either a clicker or a marker word—like “yes!”—the moment your dog does something right. It’s your way of saying, “I like what you just did, and there’s a reward coming for it.”
Stage 1: Teaching the behavior
Once you have your different treats and marker word/clicker ready, here’s how to teach your dog a simple “leave it,” using positive reinforcement training.
- Sit close to your dog and have your treats ready. You’ll place the low-value treat in a closed hand, and the higher value treat behind you in the other.
- Present the low-value treat in your closed hand to your dog. Let them sniff, lick, and paw at it, but don’t let them eat it.
- Wait for your dog to disengage. Eventually, your dog will pause, look away, or pull away for a second.
- The moment they disengage, mark the behavior with a click or “yes,” and give them their reward. Remember: don’t use the treat you told them to “leave.” Instead, give them the higher value one from your other hand.
Stage 2: Adding the cue
Once your dog is successfully ignoring the treat in your closed hand, it’s time to add the cue. To do this:
- Sit close to your dog and put the low-value treat in your closed hand. Again, you’ll have the treat of higher value in the other hand.
- Before presenting the treat in your closed hand, say “leave it.” Only start adding the cue when you’re confident your dog won’t go for the treat in your hand.
- Mark the disengagement and give them their reward. Give them the high-value treat from your other hand.
Stage 3: Increasing the difficulty
As you practice your “leave it” cue, you’ll want to gradually increase the difficulty. Here are some different ways to do this:
- Present a low-value treat with an open hand. If your dog tries to initially go for the treat, close your hand around it until they disengage. You can also hold it at a higher level to make it a bit easier for them at first.
- Place the low-value treat on the floor. Start with the treat close to you. Cover it with your foot in the beginning if you need to prevent your dog from self-rewarding. With each successful repetition, gradually move it closer to your dog until it’s between their paws.
- Drop the low-value treat on the floor. Again, start by dropping the treat close to you before gradually dropping it closer and closer to your dog, eventually dropping or rolling it between their paws.
- Increase the value of the treat you want your dog to ignore. Just make sure your reward is of higher value.
- Stand up when presenting or dropping the treat. Standing up increases the difficulty, as your dog is still eye level with the treat but no longer eye level with you.
- Set up food bowls or treats around the house and walk your dog around them. Leash your dog and take them for a “walk” around the tempting items, gradually decreasing the distance between them and the food.
Stage 4: Generalizing the behavior
As your dog successfully progresses in learning their “leave it” cue, you’ll want to help them generalize the behavior in different places and with different items. The goal is to use the cue for anything your pup wants to engage with—a wall they want to climb, a person or dog they’d like to greet, or something icky they find on the sidewalk.
To do this:
- Practice in different locations inside your home. Once your dog is successful in the living room, move on to the kitchen, bathroom, and bedrooms.
- Practice in different locations outside. Start just outside your door and then gradually move down the driveway and then on to the sidewalk before moving on to more public places like the park.
- Practice with different items. Switch out treats for shoes, socks, or toys. Using a flirt pole is also a great way to practice “leave it” with dogs with a strong prey drive.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Practice makes perfect when it comes to training. But knowing what to avoid will help you streamline the process. Here are some common mistakes that pet parents make when teaching “leave it.”
- Starting with too much temptation. According to Zatorowski, this is one of the most common mistakes pet parents make. Instead, you’ll want to start with a lower-value item that your dog is more likely to ignore, making sure it’s not easy for them to access and self-reward.
- Saying your “leave it” cue more than once. By repeating your cue, you weaken its strength. Instead, be patient and wait for your dog to offer any disengagement. If they don’t, then it’s a sign to take a step back.
- Punishing your dog for making mistakes. If your dog is consistently going for the treat and ignoring your “leave it” cue, then it’s another sign you’ve leveled up too quickly.
- Training for too long. Keep sessions short and positive. About 5 to 10 minutes each day is plenty of time to dedicate to your “leave it” training.
- Pushing through frustrating sessions. If you or your dog are distracted, bored, or frustrated, take a break and do something fun. Pick training back up when you’re both feeling better.
If you’re feeling stuck, consider working with a local dog trainer near you for expert advice and a customized approach for your unique pup.
