[yorkietalkjilly]

LEAVE IT: I taught Tibbe using the trade-out method.Gave him a toy to take in his mouth as I hid a treat behind my back. When he dropped the toy in his routine play, I said "Leave it", immediately gave him the treat. Repeated over & over for a few times each session for a couple of days. He soon was dropping his toy on his own, trying to get a treat but he didn't, only got one when he responded to my instruction to do so. After a time as he was playing with a toy, I would say "Leave it" before he got the chance to drop it on his own and if he dropped & looked at me, I instantly treated him & praised him with a "Good boy"and would repeat the exercise again. Once I gave the command and he didn't drop it on command, I would say "uh oh" & turn away from him to start to let him know that "uh oh" meant no attention and no treat. After a minute -60 seconds, would turn back around and start over with "Leave it" and keep going through the treating/praising if he did drop it & turn to me and"uh oh", no treat & turning away if he didn't.

At this point in the training, after he'd started learning to drop the toy as a result of the verbal command to "Leave it", if he dropped it on his own to get a treat, he got none. I only treated when I had said "Leave it", as this starts teaching him at this stage in the training that responding to the command is what gets him the treat now.

Later, I would put toy on the floor & tell him to "Leave it", treating him if he avoided taking it in his mouth.

Once he got very good at leaving it - dropping the toy on command, I would hold two treats, one in each hand, offering him one and holding one out in front of me so he could see it. Once he took the first treat, I would say "Leave it". He didn't know any better at first & his first reflex was eat treats, at which time I would say "uh oh", retract the hand with the second treat & turn away. Eventually once he dropped the first treat, he got the other offered treat immediately and big, big praises. Dropping food out of its mouth on command is a big step forward in the "Leave it" training. That is VERY BIG. Immediately I got two more treats, offered him one, held the other out in the other hand so he could see it and said"Leave it". He ate the first treat immediately! That's how it goes.So, I said "Uh on", turned away, retracting the hand with the other treat, waited 60 seconds then turned back & got another treat, started over with "Leave it". Eventually, he got it - a game - when playing"Leave it", you drop whatever you are given - whatever it is - even food - and you will immediately get a second treat. And big big big praises & happiness from mommy! Then I would place the treat on the floor and tell him to "Leave it", praising if he did.

After a while, I even tried him on chicken pieces. He learned to drop a piece of chicken when I said "Leave it", because he knew he would get the second piece in my hand instantly! I could place the meat on the floor in front of him and he would back off if I said "Leave it". He did it to get the piece he knew was waiting - that piece of chicken & the praise. You can literally train a dog to do anything, even delay instant food gratification if you are patient, keep the sessions very short & let them know that if there is no proper response, no treat/praise is forthcoming but, oh, boy, if they do leave it, the reward is immediate & good!

The last piece you have to know is when you use the "Leave it"command in a non-training way as when the dog picks up a sock or a dropped pill, always go get them a good treat & praise, praise, praise when they do drop the object. ALWAYS get them their treat. I don't care if you are ill - get the dog his treat & praise him lovingly. It will keep the lesson in his head that dropping the object or food in his mouth is the thing to do as he's ALWAYS going to get his reward/praise and a happy, happy mommie. There are many ways to do this lesson so as others give their methods, pick what best works for you and your dog.

I prefer not to tap my dog on the nose or otherwise discipline him if he doesn't ignore or drop the object, though some do. With some nervous dogs that can cause them to become a little gunshy of the lesson.

Make a game of it, keep it short, stay patient & repeat the game frequently- even when he is old. Hope he learns it well. It can save his life.

Once he's learned "Leave It!", you can use that term when he is nipping at ankles, fingers or licking you obsessively or whatever to get him to stop, back off and get his treat and praise of "Oh, you good boy!".