Impulse control · Medium
How to teach your dog to leave it
Leave it can stop your dog eating something dangerous: chocolate, a chicken bone, pills.
By Pawfessor Editorial TeamUpdated
- LevelMedium
- Practice timeAbout 80 min in total, over short sessions
- Reps per session3–5
- You needTreats
Leave it is one of the most valuable safety skills. The key: what your dog leaves is never as good as what they get for leaving it.
Before you start
- Two kinds of treat: less tasty (in your hand) and very tasty (in your pocket)
Step by step
- Hold a less tasty treat in a closed fist
Frequently asked questions
What's the difference between leave it and drop it?
Leave it means don't touch that. Drop it means let go of what's in your mouth.
Can leave it really save my dog's life?
It can prevent your dog from eating something dangerous, like a chicken bone or dropped medication, if practiced until it's reliable.
Pawfessor programs for this
More commands
Drop It
Drop it gets things out of their mouth calmly, no chasing, no fights.
Take It
Take it teaches polite mouths. They only take things when invited.
Marker word
A marker word tells your dog the exact moment they got it right. It's the foundation every other command is built on.