Teaching Your Dog to Leave It

Teaching your dog the "Leave it" command is very important. It's one of those commands that can literally save their life. You never know when a dog may pick up something that is bad for them, such as something poisonous or sharp, like glass. Learning to "Leave it" on command can keep your dog from eating something that could hurt him. You may see your dog heading straight for something that could be deadly to him if he bothers it, such as drinking antifreeze.

You can teach your dog the "Leave it" command using food or something else tempting that will fit in your hand. Have some treats in your hand and another supply on a nearby table. Bring your dog to a sitting position in front of you. With the treats in your hand held out for your dog to see but don't let him get them. When he starts to sniff them, close your hand over them. Yes, your dog is going to be confused. Do this again. When you do this several times and your dog anticipates it by showing little interest hold out your hand and say, "Leave it." When your dog looks away from what's in your hand, praise him and reward him.

You're teaching your dog to be uninterested in something that normally interests him. You have to wait until he displays that lack of interest and then reward him for it.

There is also the "Drop it" command which is slightly different. With the "Drop it" command your dog already has something in his mouth and you want him to let go of it immediately. Drop is a great command to teach puppies. How often do you walk into a room and find them carrying around your shoe or some other favorite item? You start to get it from them and it turns into a game of chase. Not fun. Teaching a puppy to "Drop it" can get them to drop things on the spot.

Teaching "Drop it" isn't difficult. Take some of your puppy's favorite toys and have a pocketful of some really tasty treats. Encourage your puppy to chew on one of her toys. When she's having a good time chewing on her toy wiggle a great treat under her nose and say, "Drop it." Make the trade of the treat for the toy. Then give her a different toy to chew on. Your puppy may be excited by the treats and lose interest in the toys, but try to repeat this exercise several times so she gets the idea that "Drop it" means letting you have the toy. Keep practicing for a few minutes each day. Remember that puppies have short attention spans. Gradually you can reduce the treats and just give on now and then, but you should surprise her and give her a lot of treats sometimes to keep her guessing. You can also make other trades -- trade a stuffies for a chew toy. Or trade something else to eat for what she's chewing on. Always use the "Drop it" command.

"Drop it" is a good lesson for all dogs to learn. Your dog should not growl at you or take exception when you take something away from him.

Source:http://ezinearticles.com/?Teaching-Your-Dog-to-Leave-It&id=8155305