LISTEN UP The value of LEAVE IT or DROP IT
 

I live in a big city - in fact the largest one in Canada. Unfailing every year at least two stories of dogs being poisoned are in the news. A sad commentary on the nature of humans. And rarely is the perpetrator ever caught. But that is another rant all together.

These are two quite different commands. Both incredibly usefull when you walk your dog or say accidentally drop one of your meds on the floor.

I start with the Leave it command. I prepare myself with numerous treats in hand and then drop one treat on the floor instantly saying in a no nonsense tone of voice Leave it! I immediately reward the puppy from my hand. This continues on reward etc until I have utilized all the treats in my hand, I then pick up the treat I dropped and sometimes but not always give it to my dog.

Drop it is much more difficult to train in my opinion. I start with low value toy and a very high value treat. Drop it command is given - the dog drops it - reward is given - sometimes one treat sometimes multiple treats for obeying. THen I pick up the toy and say take it to the dog. The dog takes the toy voice or praise reward.

Every single day you do this until you get to 95% or better obedience in the house.

Now take the training out to your backyard. Then on walks

This training might literally save your dogs LIFE!

Leave and drop have saved my dogs lives multiple times. My chi has literally spat out a chicken bone on command that he found. One of my dogs found a poisoned meatball and she dropped it when I shouted. And I drop pills sometimes (I have shaky hands) and they'll leave those too.

Seriously cannot overstate the value of these commands.

Teddy has selective listening but I've been slowly working on it come stay leave it and drop it

Good for you

I so agree with this life-saving advice. My Lexi knows these commands very well - because she knows she will get an ultimate favorite treat & lots of praise, hugs & kisses for obeying & she likes this so much more than what she thinks the item I dropped may be worth. I am not saying she did well always in the beginning - with me needing to induce vomiting quickly that thank the Lord worked when I accidentally dropped a pill.

Macy and I do therapy visits at a nursing home once a week. Leave it is one of the most important things to teach if you do any kind of nursing home visits with your dog. Pills, raisins and M & Ms are a few of the things I have seen on floors in resident's rooms. Thanks Gemy for the tip on leave it and drop it.

You are very welcome. For those of us reading but maybe not knowing - raisins and chocolate are very toxic to dogs - and most human medication too.

Every dog you ever have in your life. Needs basic commands. leave it ,drop it,stay, come. Sit . Could save there life easily. More is better but at least these.Even Winnie listens. She good at 20 commands...But its always her idea

Oh yeah, I see "that" look in her eyes. Lol Reminds me of my Lexi at times.u

Great post Gemy!

Haha, love the little shirt, and Winnie's adorable face.

Drop it, leave it, and a a few related personalized commands have saved Max and Teddy when they each found chocolate, chicken wing bones, and other things on our walks. It's amazing the things they find!

Completely agree! I wonder if Bella would do if she had something se really valued in her mouth, but at least for a treat in training she will drop things.

Max picked up the leave it command very quickly. At a class we were told to put a treat on the floor next to our foot. When Max went for it I put my foot over the treat and calmly said "leave it". When he backed off i gave him another treat that I had in my hand and said "take it". Within minutes of starting this exercise I did not need to put my foot over the treat. I would say leave it and he backed off from the treat looking at me. It came in very handy very shortly after that when Toni went to open a big bottle off Tylenol and someone (I will never admit to who did this) had not closed the bottle and hundreds of pills fell on the kitchen floor. Of course Max sees these small things that are close to the size of treats we give him all over the place and immediately went for them. She said "leave it" and he stopped in his tracks and looked up at her without touching a single pill. This command is a must.

REally great postings folks. It s so nice to see that other Yorkie owners recognize the value of these commands.