How do you teach leave it on walks?

To teach a dog to leave it on walks, start by introducing the cue in a controlled environment, such as at home, and gradually increase distractions. Start with a tasty treat under the toe of your shoe, let your dog sniff, lick and paw the toe of your shoe, and patiently wait until they get bored and give up. The moment they turn away from your shoe, mark it with a word or clicker and reward your dog with a treat from your open palm. Next, add your cue, make eye contact and say “Leave it!” firmly when your dog first notices the treat under your toe, and reward them with a tasty treat from your hand when they turn away. As your dog becomes more proficient, practice the "leave it" cue in different locations, such as on walks, and in the presence of various distractions, like other dogs and birds. Start using your “leave it” on regular walks when they’re on their lead, trying it first in quieter areas, and asking your dog to “leave it” when you see anything interesting on the ground or approaching you. The key is to ask your dog to “leave it” when they first notice and begin moving towards a target. If your dog fails to respond, calmly put them on their lead and stand still, holding them close to you for 30 seconds to 1 minute. In advanced training, try your leave it cue in a quiet area when they’re not on their lead, and you can try throwing a toy or simply ask your dog to leave alone things like other dogs and birds. Remember to say your cue when your dog first goes for something, not when they’re in the middle of a chase, and to give them a short spell on their lead if they fail to respond. Mastering the leave it command will help keep your dog safe and make your walks more relaxing and enjoyable.

Start by standing still and quiet. Allow your dog the full length of their lead. Once you have your dog's attention, you can move off - use your voice and treats to encourage your dog to stay close to you when walking. Always reward your dog when they're walking on a loose lead. If your dog moves too far away from you before the lead goes tight, stop and be still and quiet until they pay attention and move closer to you. Place something on the floor your dog would like to get to, such as a toy. If your dog pulls on the lead to get towards the toy, stop and call them towards you. Their reward for walking on a loose lead is getting to the toy. This way, the dog learns that pulling slows things down.

To teach your dog to leave something, you can start by teaching them how to 'leave it'. Start with a tasty treat in one hand and a boring ‘leave it’ item in the other. Hold the hand with the item out, let them sniff and wait for them to look or move away from it. When they do, mark this and reward them with the tasty treat from the other hand. Repeat this until your dog is reliably looking away, and then start to add in the cue. Say “leave”, hold out the ‘leave it’ item out, then as you pooch looks away, mark and reward them. Over time your dog will start to look away as soon as they hear the cue. Try it in new places and add in distractions. You can also begin to add in some movement by placing the ‘leave it’ item on the floor, and then dropping it from a low height. If at any point your dog is struggling to leave it, go back to a stage where they were successful and progress more slowly.