Leave it

Foundation — prerequisite skills Psychiatric Service Dog Mobility Assistance Dog Guide Dog Hearing Alert Dog Medical Alert Dog Autism Assistance Dog Allergy Detection Dog Multi-Task Service Dog Service Dog In Training

About this task

The dog ignores a designated item, person, or distraction on cue.

How it helps: Service dogs must be able to ignore distractions including food, toys, and other animals in public.

Required foundation skills

Basic attention.

Training steps

  1. Place a low-value treat in closed fist, present to dog
  2. Wait for dog to stop trying to get it and look at you
  3. Mark and reward with a different treat from the other hand
  4. Repeat until dog looks at you immediately when fist is presented
  5. Add the cue "leave it" as you present the fist
  6. Progress to treat on the floor covered by your hand
  7. Progress to treat on the floor uncovered — body block if needed
  8. Progress to treat on floor with handler standing upright
  9. Progress to high-value items
  10. Progress to leaving other dogs, food, and people

Proofing criteria

Once your dog reliably performs this task at home, proof it in these environments and situations:

  1. Leave low-value treats on cue
  2. Leave high-value treats on cue
  3. Leave food dropped on the floor in public
  4. Leave other animals
  5. Leave strangers who approach
  6. Leave interesting smells on the ground
  7. Leave distractions in a store
  8. Leave food in a restaurant setting
  9. Leave items reliably on first cue in any environment

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