The "leave it" command is an essential command that can be used in different scenarios. If your dog has ever picked up something in it's mouth that it should not be eating or chewing on, this command is going to ensure that you are able to take that thing away from them before they ingest it and potentially cause harm to themselves. It is also very important for anyone with a dog who may have guarding issues, meaning they growl when someone (human or dog) comes near them while they have a certain toy, treat, bone or any item they may be possessing.
This command is important not only so your dog does not continue to chew or ingest something dangerous, but also so that they understand that the possession is not theirs, and that upon your command they must let go of the item so you can safely take it away.
As shown in the video, while the dog is chewing on the bone, we approach with a treat. That will take their attention from whatever they are chewing on. We give the "leave it" command, and once the item, in this case the bone is removed by you, you can immediately give them the treat to reward and condition them that when they listen to our commands, they get the reward. We like to repeat the command after they successfully follow it, as you can hear John say "good leave it", to once again reinforce the command that they must follow.
Always leave off on a positive note when commands are followed by your dog so that they associate following our lead with a reward and a dopamine hit, in this case the treat.
A great way to begin working on this command is to buy a bone or toy that the dog is interested in, but instead of just giving the dog the bone to play with, we use the bone to teach this command first. Until the dog learns to let go or leave it, the toy or bone should be put away until the next training session. Once they understand that when we say "leave it" they must drop whatever is in their mouth, then you can allow your dog to take the bone away to chew and enjoy. We suggest that before you allow your dog to play with any toy or bone, you teach this command. If this command is not taught, the dog can see these high value bones or toys as being their possession, which can potentially lead to a guarding issue in the future.
As with all of the commands that we teach, patience and consistency is crucial. Always remember, we condition through repetition!
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