Kroki

Question · Puppy

How do I teach my puppy to leave it?

The short answer

Close a treat in your fist and let your puppy sniff, lick and nibble. The second it pulls its nose away, say “Top!” and give a different treat from your other hand. Repeat until it backs off quickly, then say “Leave it” just before you show the fist. Keep each round to a minute or two and puppy-proof the floor meanwhile. Kroki, a reward-based training app for puppies and dogs, teaches Leave it in short steps and adapts the pace after each try.

How to do it, step by step

  1. Clear the floor before you train

    A puppy between eight weeks and six months explores with its mouth, so socks, cables and tablets will tempt it all day. Lift away what you can first. Training “Leave it” works best when the puppy is not also meeting forbidden things every few minutes.

  2. Let the closed hand be boring

    Sit on the floor with a dry treat hidden in one fist and better treats in your other hand behind your back. Hold the fist at nose height and say nothing. Your puppy will sniff, lick and maybe chew. Stay still; the hand simply does not open.

  3. Pay the backing off

    The moment your puppy moves its nose away, even for a second, say “Top!” and hand over a treat from the other hand. Never open the tempting fist as payment. Your puppy learns that turning away from something brings food from you.

  4. Open the fist a little

    Once your puppy pulls away fast five times in a row, open your hand flat with the treat on the palm. If it lunges, close the hand gently and wait. Mark and pay every time it holds back on its own.

  5. Name it and move to the floor

    Now say “Leave it” once, calmly, then show the open hand. Later, put a treat on the floor and cover it with your shoe if your puppy dives. Reward eye contact or a turn of the head, always from your hand.

  6. Keep sessions tiny and spread out

    Two or three rounds of one to two minutes a day are enough for a young puppy. End while it is still keen and give it a chew toy afterwards, so the urge to mouth has a good outlet.

Is your dog already grown?

An adult dog, especially a rescue that once lived on scraps, may have a strong habit of grabbing food from the pavement. Sessions can run three to five minutes, you can practise on walks sooner, and you will often need tastier rewards. The page for grown dogs covers walks, old habits and lead handling.

What research says about teaching puppies self-control

More practice is not always faster practice. In one study, dogs that trained once a week reached the learning goal in fewer sessions than dogs that trained five times a week (Meyer and Ladewig 2008). A study with 44 beagles pointed the same way: one or two sessions a week beat daily sessions, and a single session at a time beat three run back to back (Demant and colleagues 2011). Neither study tested puppies or said how many minutes is ideal, but both suggest that breaks help learning settle, so a few good tries and then a pause is a sensible rhythm for a young puppy.

“Leave it” is often taught with a sharp “No!” or a jerk on the lead. A review of the research concluded that aversive methods like these can harm a dog’s physical and mental health, and found no evidence that they teach better than rewards (Ziv 2017). With a puppy that is still forming its view of your hands, rewards keep those hands something it trusts.

Scientists have not studied the cue “Leave it” on its own. The method on this page rests on the general findings above: practice with breaks in between and a reward for the behaviour you want.

Help, my puppy grabs everything anyway

  • It mouths socks and shoes all day: tidy them away for now. A cue cannot cover a whole floor of temptations yet.
  • It is teething and chews furniture: offer a frozen washcloth or a soft chew toy and swap whenever it starts on the table leg.
  • It snatches the treat as soon as the fist opens: you opened too early. Go back to the closed fist for a few rounds.
  • It works in the kitchen but not in the garden: the garden is a new level. Start with the closed fist again outside.

Mistakes that slow a puppy down

  • Paying with the forbidden treat. Then “Leave it” really means “wait a bit, then take it”.
  • Repeating the cue. Say it once; if the puppy goes for the food, make the next round easier.
  • Practising only when the puppy already has something in its mouth. That is a job for “Drop”, a separate cue.
  • Shouting when it fails. Puppies learn faster when a mistake simply earns nothing.

When to see a professional

“Leave it” keeps a puppy safer, but it is not a safety net yet. Get help straight away if:

The help pages list services in Germany, Austria and Switzerland only. Elsewhere, ask your vet practice who they recommend near you.

Frequently asked questions

How old should a puppy be to learn leave it?

A puppy can start “Leave it” from about eight weeks, a few days after moving in. Use the closed fist only and keep each round under two minutes.

Is leave it the same as drop it?

No, “Leave it” means do not touch this, while “Drop” means let go of what is already in your mouth. Teach them as two separate cues with two separate words.

Why should I never reward with the treat my puppy is leaving?

Paying with the forbidden item teaches your puppy that waiting earns it in the end. Always reward from your other hand, so leaving it alone becomes the winning move.

Can leave it stop my teething puppy from chewing furniture?

It helps a little, but teething puppies need to chew. Give a good chew toy, praise when it uses it and keep valuable things out of reach until the adult teeth are in.

My puppy eats grass and leaves outside. Should I use leave it?

Yes, once it works indoors, but expect the garden to be much harder. Practise with a planted treat on a short lead first and reward generously when your puppy looks at you.

How many treats does a puppy need for leave it practice?

About ten pea-sized treats per round are plenty. Take them from the daily food ration so your puppy does not put on weight.

What if my puppy barks at my closed hand?

Barking is frustration and means the step is too hard. Hold the fist a little further away so pulling back comes more easily, and pay the first quiet second.

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