Help! He's grabbing at everything and I can't find the Leave it game!

[mlee]

Hey everyone, Peyton is now realizing that he's tall enough to get at some new things in the house that he couldn't reach before and he's still going after tissues, winter hats, socks, anything he can grab and then run off with. I read about a "leave it" game on here but now i can't find it. I know that it has to do with putting down 3 things that Peyton can have and 3 things that he can't and having him on a leash.....Does anyone know where this post is and can either explain the game to me or copy it in here? Thanks so much!

 

[kidsanddogs]

I don't know about the other post, but here is how I do it. It's also posted on my website below:

1. First find 2 treats that your dog likes. Then take the treats and your dog over to a place on the floor or to a low table like a coffee table.

2.Put one treat in your pocket and set the other on the floor or table right in front of your dog's nose.

3. As you set this treat down, you'll notice that your dog is staring at it and drooling. As you set it down, say, "Leeeave It" very slowly and firmly, but in a normal voice. Keep your hand right there. If your dog leans in to get it, just cover it with your hand and repeat, "Leave It."

4. Wait just a few seconds, then grab the treat and praise your dog wildly telling him what a good dog he is. Then, give him the second treat you have brought as a reward. Don't give him the food he is learning on.

5. Repeat this game several times a day, just for a few minutes. As your dog starts to understand what "Leave It" means, you may begin to move your hand away just a little bit farther each time.

6. Eventually, you should be able to leave a treat on the table, sit in your chair, and be able to trust that your dog will leave it alone, at least for a minute or two.

 

[makka619]

okay.. I tried leave it tonight for the first time... I want to make it so that when anything he has in his sight he will leave on command.

I just found it too easy. I put the treat in front of him, he didn't budge, looked at it, but didn't move towards it or anything. I said leave it, clicked and treated with a different treat. It just seems like he is applying other lessons to this one... he must have known I wasn't just leaving it there for him to take lol. I just didn't get the chance to stop him from going after it because he wouldn't. I hold treats in my lap sometimes when training and he knows he can't jump and get them because I will stop him. He has to stay and wait for dinner.

So my question... Do I need to wait for him to go for something to teach the leave it command? Like not let him see me put something down and get him to walk by, when he sees it and goes for it ... teach leave it?

 

[Doberluv]

That's a great way to teach it. The way I taught it was designed to not only teach the dog what the cue "leave it" means but to teach the dog to develop a sense about which things he was allowed to play with and what stuff was mine. (mine, mine, mine) LOL.

So, I put 3 toys spread out on the living room floor (or outside on my lawn where there's more room) and 3 items that were mine and not for him...all spread out. Then I walked him with a leash on my left and had liver treats and my clicker in my right hand. When he would show interest and put his nose toward an item that was a no no, I said leave it and kept walking. The second he ceased his interest in it, I cilcked and treated.....kept walking around. If he showed interest in a toy, I'd let him pick it up and tell him good boy, c/t. Then we'd go some more. If he by accident got hold of a no no, I'd go ahead and take it and replace it on the floor, saying "leave it" and praised him a little, but no c/t when he left it. So, everytime he would start to look like he was going for a something of mine, I'd say "leave it" and keep going, c/t etc.

I varied the 6 items each time we practiced, so nothing was the same, but 3 would be my stuff and 3 would be his stuff.

I think you could practice with that way described by Kidsandogs as well as this way. My pups seemed to develop a sense about what were toys and what were not toys this way. The food way is good too. I recommend doing both.

 

[makka619]

Cool sounds like a good excercise and I will be training it.

I was doing it kidsanddogsway. I was just so confused if he would actually be learning the difference between leave it and stay. Essentially to me that is what he was doing, stay. I have taught stay with treats in front of him so he wouldn't go for them until I allow him. In the last few days I have really noticed that he has become patient and will stay, like for this. It was like one night he just suddenly stayed for dinner, no twitching or anything until I walked back to him and said okay. If I do a good mixture of things as you suggest with the leave it command it should help to differentiate between stay and leave it.

So exciting when you understand what you should do lol.

 

[Herschel]

mlee, I'm sure "leave it" will be of great help to you, but a puppy isn't going to remember to "leave it" when he isn't supervised. Leave it might work very well while you are around or if he is on leash, but if you aren't watching then anything is fair game.

The best way for you to have your dog stop going after those things is to stop offering them to him! Each time he finds something new and stimulating, you are reinforcing that it is good to take novel things like that.

Puppy proof your house if you don't want your puppy to destroy. It took us a good 2 months of trial and error, but we finally figured out everything that our dog could possible reach and he hasn't really destroyed anything in so long. In fact, we've even caught him putting his toys away (and we haven't taught him that command).

 

[Doberluv]

Yes, I agree with puppy proofing a house. You don't want to be constantly worrying about your stuff and having to take things away. And if you don't catch your pup in time, it's true....the $100.00 pair of shoes was a lot of fun to chew on and it's too late. He's been reinforced. Nothing can take the place of supervision. But for the future, when the dog gets older and civilized, the lesson in teaching him what is your stuff and what are appropriate toys will help. I didn't leave my puppies loose in the house until they were reliable about getting into things they shouldn't. Lyric took quite a bit longer than other pups I've had to mature that way. In fact, he still every once in while will grab a kleenex or something to play with. He's still kind of a goof ball.

That's pretty cool Herschel how they put their toys away all by themselves. Send them over this way to teach my dogs, will you? LOL. I never have done that with them. It's very cool.