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Five Minute Dog by Personable Pets Dog Training
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Five Minute Dog by Personable Pets Dog Training
#94 The Leave It response can be subtle. Very subtle.
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Your dog doesn't have to have a dramatic response to the Leave It cue. A simple 1 inch head turn is all it takes sometimes.
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Leave it is one of my favorite cues.
It’s a great, non-confrontational way to get my dog to stop what he’s doing and move on to something else.
But sometimes we think leave it should be some dramatic response by our dog—but sometimes the leave it response is subtle. Very subtle.
For example, in our advanced classes, we play a game called Leave It Alley. I put rows of treats and toys and food on the floor, and the owners have to walk their dogs through these alleyways. If at any point the dog looks interested or starts to move toward any of those items on the floor, the handler needs to cue leave it.
But a lot of times, they miss the leave it response.
If your dog is looking at a toy and you say leave it, and all he does is point his head forward—that’s a leave it. He doesn’t have to do a dramatic head turn. He doesn’t have to jump or rush forward. He’s looking at a toy, you cue leave it, and he simply moves his head an inch or two so that he’s no longer looking at the toy—that is a leave it.
That’s when we should be clicking or saying good boy and then giving them a treat.
So start paying attention to your dog when you ask him to leave something. Remember: a leave it response could be as simple as a head turn or even a refocus of what they’re looking at. They are disengaging from the item, so they’re leaving it.
They’re getting it right. Be sure to watch for those subtle little responses and reward them.