Teaching Your Dog the “Leave It” Cue: A Lifesaving Skill
- Sandra Winfrey
- 2 days ago
- 7 min read
Life-Skill Training with Positive Reinforcement
There’s one cue I believe every dog should know - no matter their age, breed, or lifestyle - and that’s the leave it cue. It’s not just a party trick or an obedience exercise. It can be a real lifesaver.
Whether your dog is eyeing a chicken bone on the sidewalk, a dropped pill in your kitchen, or a squirrel on the trail, the ability to disengage and leave it could prevent everything from upset stomachs to serious injury - or worse. And the good news? It’s absolutely teachable using reward-based, science-backed training methods.
In this post, I’ll walk you through why the leave it cue matters so much, how to teach it using positive reinforcement, and how to build up your dog’s reliability in real-world situations.
Why “Leave It” Is One of the Most Important Cues You Can Teach
Imagine you’re on a hike and your dog spots a rattlesnake. Or maybe you’re walking down the street and they lunge for a half-eaten chocolate muffin someone dropped. Or perhaps you’re training in a group class and your dog gets overstimulated by toys, treats, or other dogs.
In all of these cases, a solid leave it cue could redirect your dog’s focus, stop a chain reaction, and quite literally protect their life. But beyond emergencies, leave it is about building impulse control, strengthening communication, and giving your dog a skill that transfers into dozens of daily situations.
And for those of us using positive reinforcement methods, it’s also a beautiful way to show our dogs that disengaging pays off - not through scolding or yanking - but through choice and trust.
Another bonus? It helps dogs learn frustration tolerance.
Life is full of things they can’t have - squirrels, trash, moving bikes - and the more we help them learn to self-regulate and disengage, the less reactive and more resilient they become.
What “Leave It” Actually Means
Before we get into how to teach it, let’s be clear about what leave it means - and what it doesn’t.
Leave it means: “Disengage from that object, smell, food, or distraction - don’t go toward it, don’t touch it, and look to me instead.”
It doesn’t mean: “You can have it later,” “Just wait a second,” or “Don’t take it right now.”
Consistency matters here. Your dog should always learn that leave it means they won’t get access to that particular item, ever. This clarity helps them succeed and reduces confusion.
That said, there is a separate cue you can teach for delayed gratification - something like “wait” or “not yet” - but we want leave it to always signal “walk away completely.”
How to Teach the “Leave It” Cue - Step by Step
What You’ll Need:
High-value treats (something more enticing than the object of interest)
A quiet, low-distraction environment to begin
Patience and good timing
Your dog’s leash (for later stages)
Step 1: The Hand Game
This step introduces the concept of self-control.
Sit in front of your dog with a treat in your closed hand.
Let them sniff, lick, or paw at it. Don’t say anything.
The moment they back off or stop trying, mark the behavior with a “Yes!” or a click, and immediately reward them with a treat from your other hand - not the one they tried to access.
Repeat until they consistently pull away from the treat. You’re reinforcing the idea that not going for it gets them something even better.
Goal: Your dog learns that ignoring something leads to rewards.
When to move to the next step: When your dog consistently pulls away from your closed hand without trying to get the treat for several repetitions in a row.
Step 2: Add the Verbal Cue
Now it’s time to add the words leave it to the behavior.
Place a treat in your hand again, but this time say “Leave it” right before you present your closed fist. Don’t repeat the words again.
Wait for them to disengage, then mark and reward from the other hand.
Repeat several times, ensuring your timing is clean: say “Leave it” → show the temptation → wait for the disengagement → reward.
Tip: Keep your tone calm and neutral. Leave it isn’t a scolding - it’s an invitation to earn reinforcement by making a good choice.
When to move to the next step: When your dog begins to respond to the verbal cue alone by disengaging from the hand before it's presented, or immediately upon seeing the hand close.
Step 3: Move to Open Hand
Now test their impulse control further.
Place a low-value treat like their food in your open palm and say “Leave it.”
If they go for it, simply close your hand again - no yelling or pulling; nothing.
When they pull back or look away, mark and reward from the other hand.
Build up until they can ignore the open treat calmly.
When to move to the next step: When your dog can ignore the open hand with the treat reliably, without trying to snatch it, for at least 8 out of 10 repetitions.
Step 4: Generalize to the Floor
Next, make it real-world.
Place the treat on the ground, covering it with your foot if needed.
Say “Leave it” as you put it down.
Wait for them to disengage. When they do, mark and reward from your hand.
Practice with different objects: toys, food wrappers, even a sock - whatever your dog tends to go for.
When to move to the next step: When your dog consistently disengages from a variety of items on the floor without hesitation and looks to you for the next cue.
Step 5: Add Eye Contact
Once your dog is consistently leaving the item, encourage a check-in.
Say “Leave it,” then wait for them to look away from the item.
When they glance at you - even for a split second - mark and reward generously.
This builds the habit of not just leaving something but turning to you for what’s next.
When to move to the next step: When your dog reliably offers eye contact after hearing the cue and disengaging from the item.
Making It Reliable in Real Life
Now that your dog understands leave it in controlled setups, let’s transfer the skill to everyday life.
Practice with Movement
A thrown toy, a dropped snack, or a moving squirrel is much harder to ignore than a static treat. Use a leash to control distance and practice leave it with rolling balls or food tossed on the ground. Start slow and build up.
Reward with You
Always reward your dog with something you give - not the thing they left behind. This keeps the cue consistent and prevents confusion.
Add Distance and Duration
Can your dog leave it from five feet away? What about for ten seconds? Build these elements gradually.
Practice on Walks
Use safe moments to rehearse leave it with found objects on sidewalks, trails, or parks. Reinforce heavily when they succeed, and set them up for success with a short leash or gentle redirection if needed.
Add Distractions
As your dog becomes more skilled, layer in distractions - another dog nearby, children playing, the scent of food. Keep sessions short, positive, and always end on a win.
What to Avoid When Teaching “Leave It”
Avoid harsh corrections. Yelling or leash pops create stress and break down trust. We want our dogs to feel good about walking away.
Don’t poison the cue. If your dog learns that leave it always comes right before you take something away, they might learn to ignore it or bolt. Make sure it’s always followed by a reward from you.
Don’t rush. Moving too quickly from the hand game to real-life situations can overwhelm your dog. Go at their pace.
Avoid inconsistency. If sometimes “leave it” means “you’ll get it later,” and other times it doesn’t, your dog won’t know what to expect. Consistency creates confidence.
Real-Life Inspired Examples
These examples reflect common scenarios I often encounter during training sessions:
A young Golden Retriever struggling with sock stealing learned to leave it by practicing with low-stakes household items. Over time, the dog began choosing to disengage and check in with their person instead of grabbing the laundry.
In sporting dog training, many of my hunting retriever clients work on leave it to help their dogs stay focused during retrieves. Learning to ignore decoys or environmental distractions helps improve both their performance and their working bond.
For many puppies, neighborhood distractions - like a passing cat or skateboard - are especially hard to resist. With positive reinforcement and consistent practice, it’s common to see these dogs start offering eye contact instead of lunging, earning a reward for their polite decision.
A Cue that Builds Trust
At its core, teaching leave it is about partnership. We’re asking our dogs to trust us enough to walk away from something tempting. In return, we show them that their trust is always rewarded - with treats, praise, or a joyful interaction.
It’s a powerful cue, and like all powerful skills, it takes practice. But the payoff is big: a dog who listens in moments that matter most, and a relationship built on respect, communication, and mutual understanding.
If you’d like help working on this or any other cue, I’d love to work with you. I offer customized, reward-based dog training for families across Parker, Colorado, and nearby areas. We’ll teach your dog practical life skills, and we’ll teach you how to reinforce those skills in a way that feels natural and fun.
Ready to Start Teaching Your Dog?
Let’s work on it together. I offer one-on-one sessions and small group classes right here in Parker, Colorado, to help you build real-life skills like leave it with positive, reward-based techniques.
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