Leave It
Teaching Bryn to disengage from something tempting on cue — a critical safety skill and impulse control builder.
Adolescent Note
An adolescent dog encounters temptation EVERYWHERE. Leave it is a safety net for the teenage brain that says 'I wonder what happens if I eat that mysterious thing on the sidewalk.' Invest heavily here. Over-reward. Practice constantly.
Training Stages
Teach the concept: ignoring the visible treat earns a better treat.
- Place a low-value treat in your closed fist. Present your fist to Bryn.
- She'll lick, paw, and nose at your hand. Wait. Do nothing.
- The moment she pulls away or looks at your face, mark ("yes!") and reward with a HIGH-value treat from your OTHER hand.
- Repeat until she immediately looks away from your fist when presented.
Advance When
Bryn turns away from the closed fist within 2 seconds, 9 out of 10 times.
Watch Out
Rewarding from the same hand — she must learn that leaving the bait earns something BETTER from elsewhere.
Saying 'leave it' too soon. Let her understand the game first, then add the cue.
Tips
The key insight: leaving something alone is always MORE rewarding than taking it. The reward must always outvalue the bait.
Keep your hand still. Don't pull away — that starts a chasing game.
Transfer the concept from your hand to items on the ground.
- Place a low-value treat on the floor. Cover it with your hand if needed.
- Say "leave it." When Bryn looks away or backs up, mark and reward from your pocket with a high-value treat.
- Gradually remove your hand from covering the bait. Be ready to cover it again if she dives.
- Practice with the treat uncovered on the floor while you stand upright.
Advance When
Bryn ignores an uncovered treat on the floor when you say "leave it," 8 out of 10 times.
Watch Out
Letting her get the bait treat after the exercise. She should NEVER get the thing she was asked to leave. Pick up the bait.
Not having high-value rewards ready. The payoff for leaving it must be immediate and excellent.
Tips
Stand on the bait treat as a safety net while you're training this on the floor.
Practice with various items, not just treats: toys, tissues, food wrappers.
Proof leave it against moving and real-world temptations.
- Practice leave it while walking past a treat on the ground.
- Toss a treat on the floor and say "leave it" as it lands.
- Practice with items she finds on walks: sticks, food wrappers, other dogs' leavings.
- Practice with moving distractions: rolling ball, running squirrel (at a distance).
Advance When
Bryn responds to "leave it" while in motion (walking) and around moderate real-world temptations.
Watch Out
Practicing only with treats. Real-world leave-its involve dead animals, garbage, and other dogs — work up to those.
Using leave it as a correction rather than a cue. Keep your tone upbeat.
Tips
On walks, reward EVERY leave it with something great. This is a safety skill — over-reward it.
Leave it is a one-time cue, not a continuous one. Once she's left it, redirect her to something else.
Proofing — The 3 Ds
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Duration
Leave it is a momentary behavior (disengage, get rewarded, move on).
📏
Distance
Practice from right next to her, then from farther away.
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Distraction
Low (treat in your hand) → medium (treat on floor) → high (food on a walk) → very high (other animals, moving objects).
Generalization
Practice with a wide variety of items: treats, toys, food, tissues, sticks, puddles, other dogs' toys. Each new item is a new challenge. Practice indoors, in the yard, on walks, in stores.
Troubleshooting
Bryn grabs the bait before you can cover it
You're moving too fast. Go back to the closed-fist stage. Only place items on the floor when she's reliably ignoring your hand.
Bryn leaves it but then circles back to grab it
Mark and reward faster to interrupt the return. After she leaves it, immediately redirect her attention to something else (a different treat, a toy, movement).
Related Skills
Name/Focus (Watch Me)
Teaching Bryn to look at you when she hears her name — the gateway to every other skill.
Drop It
Teaching Bryn to release whatever is in her mouth on cue — a safety essential and the key to productive play.
Impulse Control Games
A collection of games that teach Bryn to think before she acts — building the self-control muscle that adolescent dogs need most.