# "Leave it" command



## Anaz (Jul 6, 2011)

I've been reading the thread about teaching the "leave it" command, I just have a question about it. 

The way I'm doing it is holding treat in my hand and say "leave it", when Kira tries to go for it I close my hand, when her attention breaks I say "good girl" and treat her with the opposite hand.

My question is how do I get her to establish eye contact with me? Ideally I would like to say "leave it" and have her look to me for further direction. Right now she leaves my hand alone after a few seconds but she stares at my hand the entire time.

Also, does it make a difference if I treat her with a higher value treat or just the same treat as the one I told her to leave?

Thanks,

Anaz


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## Rerun (Feb 27, 2006)

Never ever treat her until she makes eye contact. Wait it out.


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## Rerun (Feb 27, 2006)

Sometimes, early on in that training, I will make a low whistle or other low sound to get their attention to shift to me for a split second, then praise and reward. Start over.

I don't like to use the treat to lure them to my face, personally. So I make a low sound and/or wait it out. Inititally it may feel like forever, but before long it'll be instant.


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## doggiedad (Dec 2, 2007)

when i taught "leave it" i placed
a treat on the ground (in a bowl, paper
plate, aluminum foil, my trainer didn't
want the dog eating off the ground.
gotta love it.) with the dog leashed we
approached the treat. when the dog was in range
to take the treat we turned away from the treat.
as i was turning away from the treat i said "leave it".
once the dog learned "leave it" we started doing it
off leash. when the dog was off leash we didn't
turn and walk away. then to practice more i would
place some treats along our route before going
on a walk. then i would bring the dog out leashed
or unleashed and give the command once my dog found
the treat. i don't remember making my dog look at me
before giving the command or after giving the command.


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## kennajo (May 20, 2011)

so can I have my dog on leash and walk by the cat and if he doesn't pounce on the cat when I say leave it we're good.....:wild:j/k the poor cat stays wet from doggy slobber but takes in stride


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## MaggieRoseLee (Aug 17, 2001)

One of the things we need to work on, and why the clicker helps US while teaching, is it STOPS us from blending and mixing up our training and behaviors.

Do I want to teach a 'leave it'?

Or do I want to teach a 'watch me'?

These are TWO different behaviors. So if I try to teach both at once, it's like trying to teach a 'sit' and a 'down' AT THE SAME TIME TO OUR DOGS. So it's confusing!!!!!
The clicker marks the behavior I want. So if my dog 'leaves it' that has NOTHING TO DO WITH MY DOG STARING AT ME! 

And if my dog does a 'watch me' that has NOTHING TO DO WITH A LEAVE IT! I ask 'watch me' for attention. I ask 'leave it' so my dog stops sniffing the skunk, eating the poo, scratching at a snake. 

Here's a good video to teach a 'leave it'.





 
Another one


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## Tihannah (Dec 27, 2009)

These are great videos. I taught Kaiya the "leave it" command after stumbling across the first video in about 10 minutes. I like Zak George. And I agree, these are two seperate commands - watch and leave it...


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## mchy (Jul 5, 2011)

Exact same problem as Anaz. I can sympathize especially because from your display picture, your pup looks so much like mine. I have the same problem in that she keeps staring at my hand, and ADD will kick in and she will lose interest in the treat. we'll see if the suggestion of whistling to catch her attention will work.


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## Cassidy's Mom (Mar 30, 2003)

Although watch and leave it are two different commands I like to have a default watch built into a lot of other things. If you want her to stop mugging your hand for the treat and back away from it, start by marking and rewarding that. Once that's pretty solid there's no reason you can't add eye contact to it so that she needs to back away from the treat in your hand and _also_ look at you. 

I do what Rerun said - simply wait her out. The SECOND she looks at you, mark it and reward. It may take awhile at first, but I guarantee that once she figures out that eye contact will be rewarded she will start offering it up more and more. Have you seen this game?






It's not exactly a watch OR a leave it, it's an impulse control game that includes both behaviors, but as defaults, not cued. I want my dogs to "leave it" when I tell them to, or to "watch" me when I tell them to, but I also want to be able to hold out a treat and have them immediately look away from it and up at me, without saying a word, until I release them to take it.


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## kennajo (May 20, 2011)

I really like these videos for training(how do I subscribe to them?) and I use the "leave it " command regularly and the "wait" also. All joking:blush: aside though (last nights post) how can I transfer "leave it" from food to a running cat or even a cat that is frozen because "oh no here comes THAT dog again!" Rocky is in play mode or drive mode and tunes me out. 

Great thread!!:thumbup:


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## Anaz (Jul 6, 2011)

Thanks for the videos, they're great! 

I'll try the methods used in the videos and be patient and wait for the eye contact.

Thank you everyone!


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