Comments on: Teaching Take It, Leave It & Drop It

By: My Two Male Dogs Play Too Rough For My Peers At The Dog Park | Ask Spike Online

Wed, 17 Jun 2009 20:25:07 +0000

[...] not know how to stop them from playing, then you can just grab him by his collar and command him to LEAVE IT. Keep in mind, that if you are not familiar with a dog, grabbing his collar may present a danger [...]

By: My New Dog Will Not Stop Chasing My Cats | Ask Spike Online

My New Dog Will Not Stop Chasing My Cats | Ask Spike Online — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 20:23:20 +0000

[...] the time to start laying down your rules. To keep your dog clawmark-free, your first step is to teach your dog the LEAVE IT command. When he has mastered that, put a non-retractable leash six feet long on your dog. I have said [...]

By: Trying To Find The Inner Alpha « Ask Spike Online

Trying To Find The Inner Alpha « Ask Spike Online — Mon, 23 Feb 2009 00:19:06 +0000

[...] your dog has a leash on, you can step on the leash at the first sign of aggression and tell her to LEAVE IT. This also gives the cat a chance to run away or pop the dog in the head with a claw should they [...]

By: Spike

Spike — Sat, 14 Feb 2009 00:15:08 +0000

Karina,

That is a great suggestion, and it can work. The reward of the treat manipulates the sitting behavior without having a physical touch, making it easier to have your dog sit without associating the touch (& attention) with the act of sitting. I purposely leave it out of any teaching of the SIT command for that purpose.

Thanks for the addition to the conversation,
Spike

By: Karina A.

Karina A. — Sun, 08 Feb 2009 06:15:35 +0000

Spike, this is great advice. Would you recommend touching the back when you say “Sit”? I’ve had a lot of suggestions from pet parents that this always works but in my years of experience dealing with behavior I’ve found that physical touch is a no-no (especially for a simple instruction like sit). What do you think? By the way, excellent steps for Taking It!