Teaching Your Dog To "Leave It" and "Take It"
Dogs, especially puppies, love to put things in their mouths. But most of the times it can be something dangerous or just something you don't want them to touch. You can tell your dog not to touch if you don't want them to by using the "Leave it" command.
1. Before you teach your dog to "leave it" you should teach your dog how to take something. Make sure there aren't any other distractions around, as any training exercise. Make your dog "sit.
2. Once she sits take a treat out and feed it to her and at the same time saying “take it”. Repeat this step at least 15-20 more times and each time giving her a treat when saying “take it”.
3. After you have repeated this step of feeding your dog and saying “take it” your dog should have a pretty good idea of what take it means. At this point you can teach the dog the “leave it” command.
4. First find 2 treats. Then put one treat on one hand, your left, and another treat on the other, your right.
5. Show your dog that you have a treat on one hand. Your dog might try to sniff it and take it. Wait until your dog gives up and backs away. "Click" and give your dog the treat from your other hand and praise it. Keep on doing this a few more times.
6. Now try this again with the command, show the treat again. When you're dog sees the treat you should look for a particular action, you want it to try to ignore the treat and look away, once this happens give the “take it” command and give the dog the treat that was in your hand. Try it a few more times until your dog fully understands it.
Here are some tips to help you teach you dog to "take it" and "leave it".
- When you are doing this sometimes it is helpful to put your treats out of the dogs reach so she does not try to reward her self.
- (When teaching your dog to "take it") Do not let the dog go to the treat, but instead bring your hand quickly to her mouth.
- If you are unsure if your dog knows what “take it” means you can test him or her, wait till your dog looks away or gets focused on something else. When you know longer have your dog’s attention, say “take it” and hold out a toy or a treat, if your dog quickly turns around and grabs the treat/toy, you know that the dog has a fairly good idea what “take it” means.
1. Before you teach your dog to "leave it" you should teach your dog how to take something. Make sure there aren't any other distractions around, as any training exercise. Make your dog "sit.
2. Once she sits take a treat out and feed it to her and at the same time saying “take it”. Repeat this step at least 15-20 more times and each time giving her a treat when saying “take it”.
3. After you have repeated this step of feeding your dog and saying “take it” your dog should have a pretty good idea of what take it means. At this point you can teach the dog the “leave it” command.
4. First find 2 treats. Then put one treat on one hand, your left, and another treat on the other, your right.
5. Show your dog that you have a treat on one hand. Your dog might try to sniff it and take it. Wait until your dog gives up and backs away. "Click" and give your dog the treat from your other hand and praise it. Keep on doing this a few more times.
6. Now try this again with the command, show the treat again. When you're dog sees the treat you should look for a particular action, you want it to try to ignore the treat and look away, once this happens give the “take it” command and give the dog the treat that was in your hand. Try it a few more times until your dog fully understands it.
Here are some tips to help you teach you dog to "take it" and "leave it".
- When you are doing this sometimes it is helpful to put your treats out of the dogs reach so she does not try to reward her self.
- (When teaching your dog to "take it") Do not let the dog go to the treat, but instead bring your hand quickly to her mouth.
- If you are unsure if your dog knows what “take it” means you can test him or her, wait till your dog looks away or gets focused on something else. When you know longer have your dog’s attention, say “take it” and hold out a toy or a treat, if your dog quickly turns around and grabs the treat/toy, you know that the dog has a fairly good idea what “take it” means.