# Teaching Gigi the 'leave it' command!



## AgilityIG (Feb 8, 2009)

Something that might help you out is "It's Yer Choice". Do a search on YouTube and Google and you will find a lot of videos and information.


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## sandooch (Jan 20, 2011)

Thank you. I'll check that out.


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## fjm (Jun 4, 2010)

I would have given her a jackpot for leaving the cat! Don't phase the food out too soon - think in terms of hundreds of repetitions, rather than 10s - that is one of the things I learned from Jean Donaldson's excellent book "How to train your dog like a pro". If the dog gets it right half a dozen times, we tend to think they have got it, and shouldn't need rewarding any more ...

I would reward profusely and enthusiastically every time she Leaves a new object or situation, and keep the rewards up for quite a while. Now she has learned one is on its way, part of the game could be running to the fridge or cupboard to find it. Or reward her with a cuddle, or a game of tug, if she values those highly. Poppy will come for cuddles; Sophy will do Sit/Stays for a game of tummy tickles - it is down to whatever your dog considers a reward!


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## AgilityIG (Feb 8, 2009)

Sorry, it was laaaaaaate last night when I posted. Here's a good "It's Yer Choice" video: 



 Susan Garrett is the one that originated this saying, but I can't find anything written/videod by her that is free off the internet. There would be info in her videos or book though.


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## Aireal (Feb 25, 2011)

yes i do! leave it is a HUGE command in my house and a must know for all. Gina took to it right away which was convenant but otherwise i start it with treat then work up to objects. here is a story from what happened to me on halloween (stolen from my other forum)



Aireal said:


> So took My Lucy out trick or treating with my friend and her kid and we went up to a house and a little terrier come running around (not a fenced in yard it was running loose). Well I hang back as to not crowd the little mutt and let Bean (my friends kid) go retrieve some candy. Well as we walked away the little fuzz ball runs out and starts to sniff Lucy's behind and I tell her LEAVE IT. Then that the thing BITES my dog. :hammer: Well Lucy didn't even so much as look at the dog as it chewed on her leg since I had given her a clear command so I dislodge it from my baby girl we continued on our way. Just thought I would share my Halloween story and show the importance of the leave it command as it can save lives (like that of a fuzzy little rat dog :flush
> 
> Also Lucy got alot of attention from the kids trick or treating and I’m thinking when I start her therapy work she would like to work with kids best. Good to know


anyways i use ther command alot and expecally with Gina and Tika with the cats as they have such high prey drive!


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## PoodleMomAnew (Dec 22, 2010)

Aireal said:


> yes i do! leave it is a HUGE command in my house and a must know for all. Gina took to it right away which was convenant but otherwise i start it with treat then work up to objects. here is a story from what happened to me on halloween (stolen from my other forum)
> 
> 
> 
> anyways i use ther command alot and expecally with Gina and Tika with the cats as they have such high prey drive!


And that works with the cats? Amazing!! Hunter wants nothing more than to pounce on my 3 kitties and has done so several times. Whether he wants to devour them or play with them I am not 100% sure but I am hoping it is to play. He is obsessed with them and follows them constantly with his eyes and on the rare occasion when they are walking on the floor, since they have learned to traverse the tops of the furniture to avoid him, off he goes bounding after them. Once he is on the run there seems to be nothing that will stop him.


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## sandooch (Jan 20, 2011)

Thanks for the video, AgilityIG. Those dogs certainly did show self-control. The lady in the video did not mention, maybe intentionally, to say 'leave it' or not when the food is on the ground. Do you think this would work better with me saying 'leave it' to Gigi? 

Aireal, you are so right about the life or death situation. One of my big fears is she is so fast with eating things that drop on the floor that I am nervous about accidently dropping/spilling our vitamins/medication. I am ever so careful with that, but you never know because one could drop that you don't see.

Another question about teaching her to 'leave it' with the cats....do you think she will start to think that "Hey, if I go after the cats, I get a goodie when I stop" and then intentionally go after them for that reason. I can see her trying to outsmart me that way.

fjm, I hear you on stopping the training once you think your dog has gotten it. I think especially when they are young they need to have these commands said over and over and over again, sort of like with our children, before it really gets into their heads.

Thank you all for your advice.


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## fjm (Jun 4, 2010)

I reward mine for coming to me - leaving the cat is almost incidental!


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## AgilityIG (Feb 8, 2009)

sandooch said:


> Thanks for the video, AgilityIG. Those dogs certainly did show self-control. The lady in the video did not mention, maybe intentionally, to say 'leave it' or not when the food is on the ground. Do you think this would work better with me saying 'leave it' to Gigi?


The general rule of thumb (for me anyway) is to never name a behavior until you love the behavior you are getting. Once you are getting that behavior, THEN add the word you are going to use.


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## sandooch (Jan 20, 2011)

I see. Okay, that's what I'll do then. Thank you.


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## Aireal (Feb 25, 2011)

PoodleMomAnew said:


> And that works with the cats? Amazing!! Hunter wants nothing more than to pounce on my 3 kitties and has done so several times. Whether he wants to devour them or play with them I am not 100% sure but I am hoping it is to play. He is obsessed with them and follows them constantly with his eyes and on the rare occasion when they are walking on the floor, since they have learned to traverse the tops of the furniture to avoid him, off he goes bounding after them. Once he is on the run there seems to be nothing that will stop him.


YES it does work with cats! Gina is obessed with the kitties and and will star them down so i will norm make a soud like clapping to get her attention say leave it then get her to interact with something else, a toy bone or even going outside for a run or a game of fetch.



sandooch said:


> Thanks for the video, AgilityIG. Those dogs certainly did show self-control. The lady in the video did not mention, maybe intentionally, to say 'leave it' or not when the food is on the ground. Do you think this would work better with me saying 'leave it' to Gigi?
> 
> Aireal, you are so right about the life or death situation. One of my big fears is she is so fast with eating things that drop on the floor that I am nervous about accidently dropping/spilling our vitamins/medication. I am ever so careful with that, but you never know because one could drop that you don't see.
> 
> ...


no i don't really think she will start to hunt the cat just to get the command but then these guys are soo smart. but then it only the begining stages i use treats so she is not gaining something sooo rewarding, it more something just better then the kitties like playing fetch or a bone that was already out i am just hand giving it to her lol

the leave it command come in so handy with all walks of life, dropped food, nasty things in the yard, other animals it is a wonderful command!!!!


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## Cynthadia (Oct 22, 2010)

I always taught the "leave it" command in conjunction with the "out" command. To me, leave it means the dog must look away from the object of its attention. The out command means the dog must spit out whatever is in its mouth.

I've always subscribed to the belief that what the dog puts in its mouth is mine until the dog swallows it. Once swallowed, it becomes the property of the dog, but only temporarily until it becomes mine again during poop patrol.

Yeah, it's a cute parlour trick when the dog spits out what it started to eat or play with, but it's also a life-saving exercise for the dog. Example: One day many years ago I had a standard poodle who I had off leash. He ran behind a huge tree and came out the other side with something in his mouth. I gave him the out command, at which time he promptly spit out what was in his mouth - a chicken bone. 

I mainly teach leave it as a way to get the dog to be a thinker, and not a reactor. All I'm looking for with leave it is a turn of the head. Turning the head, as opposed to staring, is a submissive gesture for a dog. 

I don't reward "out" with food. I think that's too confusing for the dog. instead, I reward with a very quiet (almost whisper) "good." 

I also don't reward "leave it" with food, or anything else for that matter. However, once the dog learns leave it, then I teach the command "take it." I teach "leave it" by saying in a quick, low, very gutteral voice the word "ich", or equally effective in the same quick, low, very gutteral voice the word "wrong."

And speaking of whispering, I've always tried to whisper commands to my dogs instead of using my regular or yelling voice. I've found that whispering causes the dog to be hyper vigilant to my voice and also acts as a calming influence on the dog and me.

Cynthia


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## sandooch (Jan 20, 2011)

That is interesting about the whispering. When I give Gigi a command, I alway use a bit of a loud voice. I think I'll try whispering and see what she does. Thanks.


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