(private information for SCDR AND CBBR)
Leave it
o A FRIENDLY trick. The one command that people seem to think they have to say in a particularly angry sound. Why? It’s just a trick like ‘Sit’ or ‘Shake’.
o We can use a ‘Leave it’ for everything that we want our dogs to disengage with, like a dog on a lead, a child in the sand, the cat or the food they are about to pick up. However, it is not a ‘Drop’ Command which is what we use when the dog has something in their mouth and we want them to let go off it.
o Don’t expect your dog to have a solid ‘Leave it’ after practising this for a few days. Just like any training the behaviour requires practise. We start like this:
o Gradually we need to bring the behaviour further into reality by dropping treats or other things and rewarding our dogs big times for leaving them.
o We need to make sure they never get what we asked them to leave. So, set the training up for success.