How to Get a Puppy to Leave Something Alone

Puppies are curious creatures, a trait that is often just as frustrating as it is cute. Teaching a puppy to leave things alone is a critical step in ensuring the safety of the animal and helping him to build proper manners. The ̶0;leave it̶1; command is very specific; it demands that the puppy stop what he is doing immediately and not return to the activity. A strong "leave it" can save a dog̵7;s life, or at the very least save you the trouble of pulling a dead animal out of your pup̵7;s mouth.

Things You'll Need

  • Two types of dog treats
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Instructions

    • 1

      Sit down with your pup in an area free of distractions. Hold one type of treat in your closed fist. It's best to keep the more desirable treat as a reward and use a less desirable treat as the "leave it" bait.

    • 2

      Hold your fist out to the dog. He will likely sniff and paw at your hand, attempting to grab the treat.

    • 3

      Say, ̶0;Leave it,̶1; and then wait for the dog to look away from the treat. As soon as he looks away, say, "Yes,̶1; enthusiastically and reward the dog with a different kind of treat from your other hand.

    • 4

      Reset the activity by engaging in a brief play session with your pup.

    • 5

      Hold your closed fist out again, say, ̶0;Leave it,̶1; and then, as soon as the dog looks away, say, "Yes,̶1; and reward the dog with a different treat. Repeat this activity until the dog looks away as soon as you say the "leave it̶1; command.

    • 6

      Reset the activity again. Hold your fist out and say, ̶0;Leave it,̶1; but do not reward the dog until he makes eye contact with you. As soon as he looks up, say, ̶0;Yes,̶1; enthusiastically and offer a treat from the other hand.

    • 7

      Increase the time between the dog looking at you and the reward by delaying the ̶0;yes̶1; and treat incrementally with each successful ̶0;leave it.̶1; Ideally, your dog will look away from the fist, look at you, and wait for the reward. This may take several training sessions.

    • 8

      Reset the activity and start a new training session. This time, place the treat on the ground and cover it with your hand. Say, ̶0;Leave it,̶1; and reward the dog with a ̶0;yes̶1; and a treat from the other hand when he makes eye contact.

    • 9

      Practice this behavior several times, and then try the command with the treat uncovered. If the dog looks away from the treat, reward him with an enthusiastic ̶0;yes̶1; and a different type of treat. If the dog snatches the treat, remove it gently from his mouth and start again with the treat covered. This helps cement that ̶0;leave it̶1; does not mean ̶0;leave it unless you think you can grab it before I stop you.̶1; Removing the treat helps the dog learn that cheating on a ̶0;leave it̶1; will not work out in his favor.

    • 10

      Increase the distance between you and the treat to slowly build ̶0;leave it̶1; into a powerful command that immediately draws your pup̵7;s attention away from what he is doing and directly to you.