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Teach your dog to “leave it”
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This resource is a special perk for our members. To join us, first is to book one of our services. If you’re already a member, log in to enjoy full access.
This essential game teaches your dog the super important “leave it” cue, helping them make great choices around any tempting item they might find! It builds brilliant self-control by showing them that ignoring something interesting means an even better reward from you. It’s perfect for keeping them safe from socks, dropped food, and anything else they shouldn’t have!
With practice this will help you achieve:
- Ignoring dropped food or socks
- Safe choices around household items
- Avoiding things on walks
What you'll need
- Some really tasty high-value treats (small and easy for your dog to eat)
- A quiet, low-distraction space to start (like your kitchen or living room)
Step-by-step
- Treat in hand: Start with some food in the palm of your hand, facing your dog. Hold it steady at about nose height. Don’t wave it around; just let them notice it.
- Say “leave”: As your dog walks over say “leave” and close your hand. Do not move your hand away. If your dog tries to nudge or lick your hand, say “Leave” again in a calm voice.
- Reward for disengagement: The moment your dog moves their nose away from your hand, or even just hovers above it without touching, say “Yes!” and immediately give them a treat.
- Open hand, reward choice: Once they understand, you can start to keep your hand open, food visible. If they go for it, close your hand and repeat the “leave” cue. When they move away, see if you can open the hand again and if they can do this for 3 seconds, say “Yes!” and reward.
- Increase difficulty: You can do this by placing the food on the floor instead and eventually adding a bit of movement to the food.
- Learning a solid “leave” is a skill that takes time, so in the meantime set them up for success by putting shoes out of reach and puppy proof the garden too!
- The Counting Game: You can use other distraction techniques too this will help keep them out of trouble. Take a look at the Counting Game.
Top tips for success
- Your rewards can be extra special, even more exciting than the tempting item in your hand!
- Once they master this with food, you can practice with toys or other objects!
- If they don’t immediately “leave it,” close your hand and wait. Patience is key!
- This game is all about teaching your dog to make the choice to disengage, which is super empowering for them.
Members only
This resource is a special perk for our members. To join us, first is to book one of our services. If you’re already a member, log in to enjoy full access.
Is your dog a professional item thief?
It can be a little stressful when your dog has a habit of grabbing anything and everything, from dropped tissues to your favourite socks! If you'd love to teach a rock-solid "leave it" for peace of mind, I'm based in Epsom and here to help. A fun, personalised One-to-One session can make a huge difference for safe choices around the home.
