“Leave It/Drop It”
Dogs, especially retrievers such as Labs, are highly oral, meaning they like to pick things up in their mouths. While this can be a good thing when you're teaching your Lab to retrieve, it's not so good when he starts to pick up things that could be harmful or that you simply don't want in his mouth — decaying animal carcasses, for instance, old bones that he's found on the ground, or your favorite pair of shoes. To ensure that your Lab doesn't eat or chew on anything he shouldn't, teach the “Leave it” and “Drop it” commands.
Practicing “Leave It”
Practice the “Leave it” command on walks. Any time your Lab shows interest in something you don't want him to have, say “Leave it” in a happy tone of voice. If he turns to look at you, click and treat him for paying attention to you and walk away from the object. If necessary, you can mine the sidewalk with items you want your Lab to ignore, such as food, socks, or shoes.
Another way to teach “Leave it” is to have some extra-special treats on hand as you walk. When your Lab stops to investigate something, show him the treat and then move it in the direction you want to go. When he follows the treat, say “Leave it” as you walk away. Give the treat when you're several feet away from the item he was interested in. Your Lab will learn that “leave it” means to move away from something.
With all commands, teach your dog that he's to remain in the requested position until you give a release command, such as “Okay.”
Testing the Command
When your Lab starts making the connection between “Leave it” and moving on, practice the command without the treat. Test your dog's willingness to obey by mining the walkway with enticing items. Give lots of praise every time he responds correctly to the words “Leave it.”
If you want to practice “Leave it” another way, hold a good-smelling treat in a closed hand. Hold the hand out so your Lab knows you have a treat. If he starts to sniff, paw at your hand, or nudge you in an attempt to get the treat, say “Leave it.” Don't repeat the command, and don't open your hand. As soon as he stops trying to get the treat, say “Good leave it!” and give him the treat. Practice until your dog ignores the hand with the treat as soon as you say “Leave it.”
Other Ways to Teach “Leave It”
You can also teach “Leave it” using the tree method. Set up distractions with items your Lab will want to get, such as treats, bones, an empty food carton, or fast-food wrapper. Stand just out of range of the object and let your dog make all the attempts he wants to get it. During this time, simply stand silently — like a tree. The second he stops trying to reach the item, and either sits or looks toward you, click and treat, saying “Good leave it” as you do so.
Continue this scenario until your Lab learns that staying with you is rewarded, while going for the gusto isn't. Up the ante by requiring him to walk by the item before you click and treat. Any time he tries to go for the item, ignore him until he returns his attention to you. It can be useful to have a helper who can whisk the item out of the dog's reach (so that you don't have to be the bad guy) and pull the dog away from it.
In advanced “Leave it” training, walk the dog closer to the object, add objects that are even more desirable, or have a helper offer the dog some type of food. This is necessary to ensure that your Lab will leave anything you tell him to. Eventually, you can reward him for paying attention to you in the face of something he really enjoys.
The “Drop It” Command
To teach the “Drop it” command, give your Lab something he likes, such as a favorite toy. Avoid giving him anything he shouldn't be chewing on in the first place. When he has the item in his mouth, take it in your hand and say “Drop it.” If he lets go, give him lots of praise, then return the item to him. Let him have it again for a minute, then repeat the command. Practice with different types of items so he learns to drop anything you tell him to.
If he doesn't drop the item, gently remove the item from his mouth, saying “Drop it” as you do so. When it's out of his mouth, say “Good drop it!” Then return it to him and start over again.
The other way to approach a refusal is with an offer of a trade. If your Lab doesn't want to release a treasured item from his mouth, show him a treat or toy that he especially likes. If he drops the item in his mouth to get the new object, say “Drop it” as he does so, then praise him and give him the treat. Then give back the original item. From this exchange, your Lab learns that he gets rewarded for obeying “Drop it,” both by a treat and by getting the first item back.
Practice the “Drop it” command frequently until you're sure your Lab associates the action of dropping something with the words “Drop it.” Then you can start using it as a command. Gradually reduce the number of times you reward him for responding until finally you're giving only praise.
