How to Train “Leave It”

The Leave It command should first be taught through simple repetitions in a controlled environment.

Do not immediately start using “Leave It” on walks or in real-life situations before your dog understands what the command means.

Anything you want your dog to eventually do in real life... first teach it in simulation.

1. Start With Your Dog on a Leash

1. Put your dog into a Sit and Stay.

2. Have them on a leash.

3. Then place something valuable in front of them, such as a piece of food.

4. Say: “Leave It.”

If your dog goes for the food:

1. Say “No — Leave It.”

2. Give an abrupt pop of the leash.

3. Put them back into the Sit/Stay.

If they immediately try again…

Repeat the sequence.

No — Leave It.

Abrupt pop of the leash.

Then reset.

2. Reward Them for Holding It

The moment your dog stops trying to get the food and holds the Sit/Stay…

Reward them.

You are teaching going for it = No / Leave It.

Leaving it alone = Reward.

Do not make the exercise overly complicated.

Run simple repetitions until your dog begins understanding what Leave It means.

Build Repetitions Before Real Life

This is extremely important.

Do not teach Leave It for five minutes and then immediately start throwing the command around on a walk.

If your dog barely understands the command and you repeatedly say, “Leave It… Leave It… Leave It…" you can start making the command meaningless.

Build the understanding first.

Run the simulation again and again.

Give your dog enough repetitions that they have data to go off of.

3. Slowly Make the Simulation Harder

Once your dog understands the basic exercise, slowly increase the difficulty.

Run with the philosophy:

“What’s the difference?”

What’s the difference between:

• One piece of food and two?

• Food three feet away and two feet away?

• A low-value item and something more valuable?

• Doing it inside and doing it outside?

Not much.

Each little change is small…

But eventually the result is massively different.

Then Start Using It in Real Life

Once your dog clearly understands Leave It in simulation, you can begin applying it to real situations.

Now if your dog sees something on a walk and you say, “Leave It.”

They already have something to reference.

They know what the command means.

If they ignore a command they already understand…

Hold them accountable.

Then reward them once they make the correct decision.

The difference is that you are no longer trying to teach the command for the first time in a difficult situation.

The dog already knows the job.

Key Takeaway

Teaching Leave It starts with simulation.

1. Put your dog on a leash.

2. Put them into Sit and Stay.

3. Place something valuable in front of them.

4. Say “Leave It.”

5. If they go for it, say “No — Leave It” and give an abrupt pop of the leash.

6. Repeat if they try again.

7. Reward them once they hold the expectation.

8. Build repetitions.

9. Slowly increase the difficulty.

10. Then begin using the command in real life.

The concept is simple: Anything you want your dog to do in real life, first teach it in simulation.

Build the understanding first, then build reliability through it.