Dogs are binary creatures. It’s yes or no. Black or white. On or off. Get it! Or Leave it! Dogs don’t have shades of gray that let them process things like “just this once,” or “sometimes.”
Once you really understand this, dog training is much easier. You’re actually not tormenting them by holding dogs to strict criteria. You’re really being precise, clear, and explaining in a way your dog will understand. And giving him/her an opportunity to get things absolutely right!
Dogs don’t like “sometimes,” or “maybe.” If you let your dog do something sometimes, it’s confusing for the dog.
Stop and go
There are times that you want your dog to do something, then stop doing it. That’s where the “Get It! / Leave It!” game comes in handy. You may want your dog to “fetch” keys you dropped. That doesn’t mean he/she needs to grab your keys every time.
This is a game to play when you’re tired and really don’t feel like being super energetic. You can sit in a chair or on the couch to play this game, with your dog in front of you. All you need is a bowl of treats and your dog.
Take about 10 treats and put them in your hand, palm up, facing your dog. When your dog is sitting politely in front of you (remember your “Whacha gonna do?” game? from Book 4: Impulse Control.) take a single treat from your palm and give it to your dog as you say “Get It!” As your dog is munching, especially if he/she took it nicely, you can say “Good Get It!”
Do this about five or six times. Just hand your dog a treat and say “Get It!” and praise for showing good manners.
The hard part of Leave it!
For the next treat, take it from your open palm and say “Leave it!”, closing your hand around the treat. Do not let the dog get the treat, even if you have to endure some nibbling. Most dogs will test to see if you’re serious about it. When your dog backs off, say “Good Leave It!”
Put that treat back, choose a different treat, and start again with “Get It!” “Good Get It!”
Randomize the number of “Get Its” before trying another “Leave It!” but be sure that the “Gets” far outnumber the “Leaves.”
Why a different treat?
What’s the point of discarding the treat your dog had to “Leave?” Picture using the “Leave It!” when you’re out on a walk and your dog encounters goose poop. When you tell your dog “Leave It!” it means he/she is never supposed to go near that particular thing. And that by “Leaving It!” he/she will be heavily rewarded many times with even better stuff from your hand.
Imagine your dog knowing this behavior so well that he/she never again tries for the goose poop. Instead, your dog will make sure you see that icky stuff, notice she’s virtuously ignoring it, and she expects to be rewarded. It’s a scenario that will play out if you practice your “Get It!” and “Leave It!” game.
Final exam
When you think your dog understands “Get It! / Leave It!” it’s time to put them to the test. The mentor who taught us this game, many years ago, went to the ultimate extreme. He picked up McDonald’s french fries on the way to class and scattered them all over the floor. Our dog-and-handler “final exam” was to walk across that floor with the dogs ignoring the fresh, delicious fries. And every single dog was able to do it.
Don’t start with french fries. Expand your dog’s understanding by dropping the treat on the floor instead of keeping it in your hand when you say “Leave it!” When your dog succeeds most of the time, you can move on to other items to drop, or get, and other rooms and places to work in.
Most useful command
“Leave It!” is certainly a more-used command than “Get It!” in most of our lives. It can even save your dog’s life, depending on what he/she found lying around.
Practice the “Get It!” too. And if you teach your dog the names of different objects, people will be amazed when you tell your dog to “Get the keys!” and he does!
