Introduction to the “Leave It” cue
In both busy cities and peaceful countryside, dog obedience connects human expectations and canine behaviour. The “Leave It” cue is a key tool in dog training, helping us communicate with our dogs to ensure their safety and our peace of mind.
For those that are looking to engage a dog trainer, check out our guide to understand all the considerations so that you can make the best decision for your pet. You can find our guide to dog training in Singapore here!
In this article, we’ll break down this important cue and give you practical techniques to strengthen your bond with your dog.
For those curious about dog obedience, explore our framework detailing how we effectively shape and reinforce essential behaviors in dogs, providing actionable insights to get you started. We wrote a detailed article regarding our obedience training framework here!
The “Leave It” Cue
At its core, the “Leave It” cue is a pillar of self-control and focus for your dog. Imagine a bustling dog park—children laughing, cyclists passing, and the occasional dropped snack on the ground. Here, the “Leave It” cue is crucial for keeping your dog safe during a walk, allowing you to stop your dog from interacting with potential hazards or distractions like food scraps or unknown substances. This ensures your dog leaves things that could be harmful out of their mouth, enhancing impulse control.
The “Leave It” cue is powerful because it creates clear communication between dog and handler. When practiced with a new puppy, this cue builds a partnership, helping your puppy show the right behaviour and strengthening your bond through mutual respect.
This step-by-step guide offers a general framework to teach your dog the “Leave It” cue. Keep in mind that every dog is unique, and training should be tailored to their individual history, strengths, and weaknesses. Later in this article, we’ll share how our chief behaviorist trains her Australian Shepherd, Storm, to master “Leave It,” providing real-world insights into the nuances of this process.
Step 1: Wait for the Behaviour and Reward it Timely
Start by observing your dog’s behaviour closely. When your dog shows curiosity about an object but looks away or checks in with you instead, take note. Celebrate this decision with a quick and generous reward, connecting your dog’s natural instincts to the behaviours you want. These early rewards set the stage for a reliable response to your “Leave It” cue.
To spot precursors, watch for signs that your dog shows just before following a cue. Pay attention to their body language and eye movement. For more on the science behind this training, check out our article on operant conditioning.
While training, pay attention to your dog’s wellbeing. Look for signs of stress or fatigue, and keep training sessions enjoyable. For more on how emotions affect learning, check out our guide on classical conditioning.
Step 2: Shape the Behaviour
To teach your dog to leave an object, start by introducing something your dog likes, like a treat or a toy. Watch your dog’s reaction. When the dog looks at the object of interest, closely monitor for the moment they look away. Use a hand gesture or another target to redirect their attention. When the dog looks away from the object, immediately reward them with a higher value treat. This reinforces the desired outcome of the “leave it” cue. Practice this regularly to ensure the behaviour is well-learned.
Step 3: Add a Cue
With the foundation set, introduce a verbal cue. While using the lure, say “Leave It.” This phrase should come before the desired behaviour to trigger your dog’s attention shift. Repeatedly using and reinforcing “Leave It” will help teach your dog to respond to the cue.
Step 4: Remove the Lure
As your dog becomes consistent, start phasing out the physical lure. Keep the same procedure: Show the item of interest, but now use only your verbal cue, which is “leave it”. Be patient; give your dog time to learn that the cue requires a specific behavior—looking away. When they look away upon hearing the cue, praise them. This helps the dog understand that responding correctly to the cue leads to a reward. Repeat this process to make training fun while teaching your dog.
Step 5: Be Generous but Strict
Your criteria for rewards must be clear and consistent to effectively teach your dog to leave objects. Decide exactly which behaviours deserve a high value treat and stick to it. For example, only reward your dog when they truly “Leave It” by looking away from the object of interest. Do not reward them if they simply hesitate or stop before engaging with the object. Consistent rules are crucial in shaping a confident and reliable dog. When the handler is clear and consistent, the dog understands the rules and behaves reliably. However, if the handler is unclear, the dog will also be uncertain, leading to inconsistent and imprecise behaviour. This clarity impacts the dog’s life and interactions with other dogs. For more guidance on setting and maintaining these standards and paying attention to different treat strategies, check out our Canine Good Citizen Programme. Repeat these steps consistently to ensure success.
Step 6: Review and Iterate
Behaviour can change, and new situations might affect your dog’s responses. Stay observant and be ready to adjust your training to keep the “Leave It” cue clear and consistent. Remember, consistent rules are the key to strong obedience, even when life gets unpredictable.
Step 7: Wean off the Treat
Over time, try using intermittent reinforcement. Vary the value and frequency of rewards to keep the behaviour strong, even without a treat. This approach helps avoid treat dependency and promotes lasting obedience.
Step 8: Increase the difficulty
Once your dog can express the behaviour reliably on cue without treats, you can increase the difficulty by asking them to leave a higher value treat or perform the leave it in a distracting environment. This will generalise your dog’s understanding of the desired behaviour to different context which results in an extremely reliable “leave it”!
Case Study: “Leave It” Training for Storm
Everyone’s schedule is packed, and not every dog needs performance-level training. However, foundational “Leave It” skills are incredibly useful for day-to-day management—whether it’s avoiding a confrontation with another dog, steering clear of dangerous objects, or simply leaving something they shouldn’t eat.
For our chief behaviorist, Qiai, training her Australian Shepherd, Storm, has been an exercise in tailoring techniques to meet his unique strengths and weaknesses.
Building the Foundation: A Simple Bedtime Routine
Qiai started with an easy and consistent training setup. Every night before bed, she placed a treat in front of Storm and gave the “Leave It” cue. When Storm refrained from going for the treat, she rewarded him. Occasionally, she would give a release cue, allowing Storm to take the treat as a reward for his patience.
This simple exercise helped Storm build a reinforcement history for “Leave It.” Over time, Storm learned to associate the cue with self-control and the possibility of a reward.
Addressing Contextual Gaps in Training
While Storm had a solid understanding of “Leave It” during stationary scenarios (e.g., when a treat was presented by Qiai), he struggled to generalize the cue to more dynamic situations. For instance, if Qiai dropped a treat or toy and gave the “Leave It” cue, Storm responded strongly. However, if Storm discovered an item independently—such as a treat or toy lying on the ground—the behavior was less reliable.
A Nuanced Training Approach
To address this, Qiai adjusted her training strategy to focus on Storm’s weaker contexts. She preset treats around the house in specific locations, lured Storm to the area, and gave the “Leave It” cue. If Storm attempted to grab the treat, Qiai covered it with her foot to block access. When Storm adhered to the cue, she either rewarded him or gave a release cue, allowing him to take the treat.
This adjustment strengthened Storm’s understanding of “Leave It” in scenarios where he encountered items independently. By making the treats appear less “available” until released, Qiai reinforced the idea that the cue applied even in unstructured situations.
Tailoring Training to the Individual Dog
Notice how Qiai’s approach didn’t rigidly follow the step-by-step framework outlined earlier. Storm already had a reinforcement history for “Leave It” in some contexts, but he also had a history of picking up items from the ground. This dual history meant Qiai had to focus on specific weaknesses in Storm’s behavior and adapt her strategy accordingly.
This tailored approach highlights a critical point: every dog is unique. Their training needs should reflect their individual strengths, weaknesses, and experiences. By identifying gaps in a dog’s reinforcement history and focusing on those areas, you can create a more balanced and reliable response to cues like “Leave It.”
Training, when approached with nuance and empathy, doesn’t just teach your dog new skills—it strengthens the bond between you and your pet, ensuring mutual understanding and trust.
Troubleshooting Common Issues
Even with your best efforts, you might face challenges in training. Your dog might hesitate or seem confused by the cue. Check your consistency and clarity. Look for external factors like distractions or internal ones like hunger or restlessness that might affect your dog’s behaviour.
If problems continue, go back to earlier steps to reinforce basics. Adjust the value of rewards—try using a higher-value treat to regain your dog’s focus. Additionally, adjust the difficulty of the exercise. Use an object of lesser value to the dog, or increase the distance between the object and the dog, making it easier for the dog to practice self-control.
Professional dog training can provide personalised advice. Don’t hesitate to seek support; it can be very helpful in your training journey.
Towards Happy Training
Training your dog is not merely about teaching them cues but nurturing a relationship steeply founded in trust and understanding. The “Leave It” cue, once mastered, defends your dog from possible harm and reinforces your status as a trusted guide in their world.
Remember, as you guide your faithful friend through the realms of obedience and companionship, your shared experiences shall weave a narrative rich with growth and mutual respect. May your training sessions be as rewarding for you as they are for your dog, and may your adventures together reflect the harmony of your bond. Happy training!
