Week 4 Leave It Command

 Equipment Needed:  6’ Leash, Training Collar, and Food Reward 

 

Explanation and Goal of Exercises:  This begins to teach your dog to leave something or someone alone.  This is important as later on your dog could be interested in something dangerous to themselves.  The goal of this exercises is to start the process and understanding of the “Leave It” command. 

STEP 1:  First have your dog on leash and collar so they do not wander off. 

STEP 2:  Take a food reward and put it in your closed fist. 

STEP 3:  Present your fist to the dog but not all the way up to their nose. 

STEP 4:  Say “leave it”.  If they are at your hand already do not snatch your hand away.  Snatching your hand away ends up having the dog go after your hand in an unpleasant way later on. 
 

STEP 5A:  If they leave your hand alone, say the release word, “Yes”, as you open your hand for the dog to take the food reward. 

STEP 5B:  If they are licking, gnawing, or pawing your hand or in any way trying to the treat, wait it out until they back off and stay off.   When they do that, say the release word, “Yes”, and open your hand to give them the food reward. 

STEP  6:  Repeat this for 15 repetitions with the goal in mind to get 3 sets of 4 in a row easily. 

AFTER THIS:  The next step will be to use the directions, but with your hand open at first.  The other difference will be that you will close up your hand if the dog attempts to get it but you have not given the release word, “Yes”