Learning to command "leave" is at the forefront of any dog's education. It is one of the most important commands that is helpful in many situations, both at home and outside. It is used to learn self-control and can prevent unwanted behavior of your pet. With its help, we can, among other things, stop our four-legged friend from eating something that could harm him. How do I teach my dog to command me?
In practical terms, the command "leave" has many valuable uses. In addition to stopping your pet from eating things that may turn out to be unhealthy or even toxic, this command can also protect valuables from damage. Since the health and safety of your pet is a priority, it should be borne in mind that the command "leave" in some cases may even save the life of your pet. Therefore, it is worth introducing it to the dog's training calendar relatively quickly.
Training the "leave" command has one more important goal. It shows the dog that it is a companion who also has certain restrictions. The pet must learn that there are behaviors for which it needs the consent of the guardian, i.e. things that he is not allowed to do. In practice, this means that in order to teach a pet to command "leave", the dog must associate the command with the undesirable behavior.
The training of the "leave" command is not the easiest one, so if we are absorbed in training another command, we should finish it first. Moreover, if we already start training and we do not go through all its stages yet, we should not start learning other commands.
The first stage of training includes elements that are to show the pet that waiting for the consent of the guardian for a given action is very beneficial. After all, why bother searching and quickly eating something that is lying on the floor, street or lawn, when you can get a much tastier bite from the caregiver. To learn the command "leave" we will need two types of dog treats, one of them must be more tempting than the other. The first stage of learning is best done at home, away from the distractions of your pet. The training begins with showing your pet a less attractive treat in an outstretched hand. When the student becomes interested in the delicacy, say the command "leave". The command should be given loud and clear, in a neutral voice (no shout).
Of course, at this stage, this command does not evoke any associations in the dog, so it will undoubtedly try to get to the treat. In this case, we quickly close our hand, preventing the pet from getting into the treat. We repeat this exercise a few more times (cycle of max 5 repetitions in one training session), waiting patiently for the moment when the four-legged friend, after hearing the command "leave", gives up the delicacy himself and turns his head away from his hand. At this point, we praise him and give him a more attractive treat (second hand). It is best to train several times a day for 5 minutes, remembering about at least a 15-minute break between sessions. A lot of patience and consistency will come in handy at this stage.
Before proceeding to the next stage of training, it is worth teaching the dog to pay attention to us when we say the command "leave". Instead of praising and rewarding your pet right away, when he leaves his hand alone, we say nothing and do nothing. The surprised dog will surely look at us and will be waiting for a treat. We praise it and offer it a treat only when the pet, after hearing the command "leave", looks up and makes eye contact with us (instead of looking at the hand). This exercise also requires a lot of repetition.
In the next step, we start teaching the dog not to eat something lying on the floor. For this purpose, we put a less tempting treat on the floor and each time the pet approaches with the intention of catching a morsel, we give the command "leave". If the four-legged friend ignores the command, we cover the snack with our foot. We repeat the exercise until the dog, after hearing the command "leave", gives up the treat lying on the floor. Then we praise it and reward it with a favorite delicacy. We repeat the exercises several times a day in short sessions.
The final stage of the training is learning in a less controlled environment, e.g. in a park. Before taking your pet out, you can hide treats on the daily walking route or ask a friend to spread the treats at the destination, just before our arrival. Keep your dog on a fairly short leash during exercise. When your pet senses the snack and looks for it, it will pull the leash towards it. You should then stop and say the command "leave". We wait until the dog stops pulling and looks at us (do not pull, do not pull the leash). Then he should be praised, rewarded with a treat and move on.
If your four-legged friend successfully assimilates all stages of training and follows the instructions consistently, you should gradually reduce your dependence on treats. We still praise it, we stroke it, but we offer less and less snacks. After a while, a reward in the form of verbal praise or affection will be an equally strong motivator.
The assimilation and consolidation of new behaviors and skills by the dog is always associated with some stress. The guardian's task is to conduct positive, friendly training, one that motivates the dog and evokes pleasant emotions.
If your pet succeeds while learning, it will be much more willing to take up new challenges.
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