Wait and Leave It – What’s the Difference?
By Cinda Bishop, Mucho Poocho Doggy Day School
Many people use “leave it” as a cute trick for their dog to show off his good manners. For example, they will place a treat on the floor, look at the dog and say “leave it.” After a few minutes, the dog is then released to get the treat. It’s a great thing to teach your dog. It teaches them a bit of self control, and if your dog happens to be a bit grabby, it can protect your fingers from accidental nips. However, for this particular behavior, I prefer “wait” – that lets the dog know that he will eventually get the treat. Wait is also useful when going through doors and gates, loading up in the car or at meal time.
So how does a dog learn these things? It’s simple. In just a few lessons a day your dog will learn these two commands, and impress your friends and family with his good manners.
“Wait” can be used in a sitting, standing or down position. It is easiest to practice at a doorway or at meal time.
In a doorway or at a gate, with the leash held tightly in your left hand, give the “wait” command and begin to open the door or gate slowly. If the dog begins to move towards the door, give a correction and repeat “wait.” When you can open the door or gate without the dog moving towards it, reward and release. Practice until you can open a door and go through it and your dog will wait until released to follow you. Getting in and out of the car is also a good time to practice.
At meal time, while holding the food dish, give the “wait” command and slowly begin to set it down. If the dog moves toward it, remove it quickly and repeat “wait.” Continue until you can set the dish on the floor without your dog touching the food until released. With a grabby dog, you may want to begin with him on leash so you will have more control.
For a reward, hold a treat in the palm of your hand. Show it to your dog and say, “wait.” If he grabs for the treat, quickly close your hand until he relaxes. Show it again and say “wait.” If he pauses, even for a few seconds, give the treat and praise him. If he lunges for the treat, close the hand again. Timing is important in this exercise. You need to give him permission to take the treat BEFORE he grabs it from you. You will gradually increase the length of time between showing him the treat and allowing him to take it.
Note: This exercise should NOT be done with dogs that are food aggressive!
Use the “leave it” command to teach when something is off limits – for example, chewing shoes or chasing the cat. “Leave it” means not now, not ever, never! Once your dog understands “leave it,” you can use it in many different situations. It can mean “leave the neighbor’s cat alone” or “don’t bark at the UPS man” or even “don’t pick up that chicken bone off of the ground.”
Begin with your dog on a leash, and set him up by leaving a shoe (or whatever he has a tendency to want to destroy) out in the open. If he isn’t particularly interested in shoes or tearing up household items, use a wrapper from a fast food meal – most dog’s just can’t resist a double cheeseburger wrapper! Walk your dog past the object and when he shows any interest in the object, give a gentle tug on his leash, followed by “leave it.” Praise him for the correct response and walk him back past the object again until he shows no interest in it. This may take several sessions, but it will result in your dog learning his limits. Before long, you will find your dog looking at you when he approaches something he’d like to grab. Praise and reward generously for this. Anticipating when your dog is thinking about grabbing the object or chasing the cat and correcting him immediately is much more effective than correcting him after he’s grabbed the object or begun running after the cat. Consistency is the key – if it isn’t ok to chase the cat today, it won’t ever be ok to chase the cat.
Teach your dog these two simple words and you’ll never have to worry about grabbing a forbidden snack or running past you out the door. Remember that training should be fun for both of you. Your dog enjoys the time and attention you spend with him and of course the praise for a job well done. Make training a part of your daily routine, and you will have a companion you will enjoy being with for many years to come.
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Category: Training
