How to Train a Dog to Leave It

"Hi this is Elise for ExpertVillage.com and in this second part of the two videos that we’re talking about teaching your dog to leave it, we’re actually going to do the transfer it to an object that they’re not going to get. This is handy when you’re thinking about walking through the woods and coming upon a porcupine or walking down the street and coming upon a dead squirrel, we’re going to ask our dogs to leave it and we want to back away and not try and get it. then we’re not going to release them to go and take it because that would be silly, so we want them to understand that sometimes we’re going to ask them to back away from an object and they are going to get a reward, but it won’t be that object that we’re asking them to back away from. This is Ursa and we’re going to be working with a shoe over here, alright so I want her to understand that I want her to leave the shoe alone. Ursa, leave it. If she leaves the object, I’m going to praise her. Good girl, good girl, good girl. Then I’m going to remove the object. Okay and I’m going to release the dog. It’s very important that you don’t say okay as we did the first time because then the dog is going to think that it’s okay for her to get the object. Now if some people might think that there’s a shoe sitting in front of the dog, what does she really care about it? Well, if you knew this dog, you would know that she likes shoes. But let’s make it a little bit harder for her and I’m going to use a toy and I’m going to make it a little bit harder because I’m going to throw this toy. Ursa, leave it – good girl, good girl, good girl. Leave it – good girl. I’m going to put the object away, okay before I release the dog from the training session, what a good job. Can you slap me five? Good girl. And that’s the second part of how you transfer the dog onto the leave it where they understand that they’re not going to get that object, but they are still getting something for leaving the object."