Teaching Your Dog to Leave It Alone

by Jodi Anderson

Jodi Andersen, a New York-based professional trainer, is the founder of Training Works for Dogs and the author of The Latchkey Dog.

Text Copyright the American Kennel Club, Inc., 2006. No portion of this article may be reproduced without permission of the copyright holder. Reprinted with permission from AKC Family Dog, January/February, 2006.
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A little more than 15 years ago-in preparation for the birth of my first daughter-I enrolled in a Lamaze class. Four of the women in the class were due to give birth within a week of each other and, consequently, we became fast friends and continued the friendships well after our babies were born. For the better part of the next 18 months after the babies' arrivals, we met weekly at one another's homes, taking turns hosting playgroups.

The first playgroup convened at the home of a family that had a dog. As a new mother (and also a dog owner) I was immediately struck by the home's dramatically stark decor. Unlike my own house (where clutter rules), nothing in this home was even visually out of place. The coffee table was devoid of the numerous and necessary remote controls, and the floors were missing the dozens of familiar dog and baby toys. This house had obviously and efficiently been cleared of any and all objects and, if not for the distinct sound of a whining dog (coming from behind a closed, far off bedroom door), one might never have guessed that a dog (or for that matter a baby) lived there at all. I admit I felt a small pang of envy in the midst of such order. When I asked my new friend why she had removed her dog from the fray, she halfheartedly admitted that her dog's behavior around anything that wasn't nailed down left allot to be desired. In fact, she complained, whenever the dog was within eyeshot of a remote control or a baby toy, he would quickly snatch it, run off with it, and destroy it.

Tami and Stella having breckies.
Peter Rose, Scotland

As luck would have it, the next playgroup was at my house. I spent precious sleep-deprived hours making beds, vacuuming, and preparing an impressive meal (for the half of my guests who were on solid food). I seriously considered removing the myriad valuable, breakable, and choke-inducing objects that were strewn from one end of my house to the other but, alas, admitted that such an effort would be futile. My dog, a 1-year-old Golden Retriever named Blue, was bewildered by the mass intrusion but nevertheless stood like a trouper and patiently
tolerated the swarm of strange, visiting human pups as they squealed, drooled, and rolled over, next to and around him.

Camelot, counter surfing
Owned by Chelo & Tom Lewter

When there was a moment that my dog felt the need to investigate a strange new smell or an even stranger new baby toy, I would simply say "Leave it" and faster than a new mother can say "There's a dog near my baby," Blue would comply by stepping away from whatever he was looking at and reach for one of his own toys. Although I would never have left my dog (or any dog) alone with a very young child, no less these fragile newcomers, I must admit, I was glowing with maternal pride that, although my baby daughter did not yet understand what "Leave it"
meant, my dog did.

At the end of that play date, I could tell that the mother who had hosted the earlier get-together, although unimpressed with my housekeeping skills was clearly impressed with my dog. She asked if I might offer some advice about how to modify her own dog's behavior. She confessed that she longed for her dog to be part of her now growing family, but running interference between the baby and whatever the dog felt the need to put his mouth on was more than she could handle. Locking him up seemed the lesser of two evils. As a new mother, I understood her dilemma. As a dog trainer, I offered the following advice.

First Steps

Much like teaching a child, teaching a dog to ignore what doesn't belong to him is a process that requires patience and timing. Start by picking three dog toys your pup enjoys. Then, choose three things that your dog is not allowed to have, like a shoe, sock, or a remote control. Once you have chosen the six objects, haphazardly place them all over a large open space. Next, walk your leashed dog near and around each object, leaving enough slack in the leash for him to smell and touch whichever of the six things he chooses. If he expresses even the slightest interest in one of the objects that you do not want touched, say "Leave it!" while simultaneously giving a leash
correction. (If your dog already has the object in his mouth, open by pressing the very back of his jaw and say "Drop." Praise him when the object falls from his mouth, even if you had to pry it away from him.)

Continue to move around the room. If the dog expresses any interest in one of his own objects, praise him generously. Let him know you are very pleased when he is interested in his own things and (as long as whatever he's looking at is his) he's more than welcome to pick it up. Repeat this exercise for several days, changing the objects daily. When your dog begins to understand the "game" he will begin to look at something he wants but will only touch it if you tell him he can.

Lady Florence of the Jean, "Flurry" (age 12)
adopted by Janet and Hoppy Hopkins, Green Valley AZ.

Whenever you bring something new or valuable into the house, repeat the exercise and your dog will quickly learn what is and is not his to touch. You can even do this with food in various places throughout the house. Dogs really do want to know who's in charge and what's expected of them. Locking away life's temptations (or the dog) teaches absolutely nothing. And fostering your dog's hunting instincts by allowing him to grab and run off with your baby's pacifier only strengthens the out-of-control behavior. But taking the time to teach your dog to "Leave it" could prove to be the most valuable parenting lesson of all-for you and your dog.