How to Keep Your Dog from Eating Your Cat's Food
Begin by showing your dog a treat that will fit inside your hand., Say “leave it” in a firm voice., Allow the dog to explore your hand., Praise him immediately., Repeat this as necessary., Move the training to the floor., Say “leave it” and then...
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Begin by showing your dog a treat that will fit inside your hand.
The goal with “leave it” is to teach your dog to leave things alone that you don’t want him to mess with.
To accomplish this, you will train him that he will get something better (a tasty treat) when he “leaves it” as you command.
Show your dog the treat and let him see what you have.Make sure you have a treat ready for him in your other hand, but don’t let him see this one. -
Step 2: Say “leave it” in a firm voice.
Don’t yell at your dog, or you could scare him.
Simply say it in a firm voice that makes it clear that you are issuing a command.
Then, hold out your hand with your fist closed around the treat.You can also connect a gesture with the command.
Since you will be teaching this command with a closed fist, a fist held sideways could be a good gesture. , Because your dog knows there’s a treat inside your fist, he will probably try to get to it.
He may paw at your fist, nose at it, or lick you.
Ignore all of this and do not say anything.
Wait until your dog stops trying to get at the treat.Usually, once the dog realizes he can’t get at the treat, he’ll stop pawing after a few seconds. , As soon as your dog stops trying to get at the treat in your fist, praise him and give him the treat you were holding in your other hand.
Go over the top with your praise so that your dog knows that you like it when he “leaves it.”, Repeat this exercise at least ten times in a row.
You may need to continue the training across several days or even weeks, depending in how quickly your dog catches on.The key is consistency.
Praise him and give him a treat as soon as he stops trying to get at the treat in your fist.
You should eventually be able to just show him your closed hand and say “leave it” for him to obey.
Your dog will eventually move away from your hand as soon as you say “leave it.” , Now you will place a treat on the floor and instruct your dog to “leave it.” It’s recommended that you use “high-value” treats (like pieces of cheese or meat) for the reward treats and something less exciting for the “bait” treat that you will place on the floor., Cover the bait treat with your hand.
Allow your dog to investigate.
Because this is a different situation than the treat in your fist, he may not immediately associate it with the “leave it” command he already knows.Wait until the dog stops trying to get at the bait treat. , As soon as your dog stops going for the bait treat, praise him enthusiastically and give him a “high-value” reward treat as you remove the bait treat from the floor.
This will help teach him that listening to you is more enjoyable than going on his own.You will need to repeat this process more than the simple training.
Repeat the process at least 40 times in one session. , Once you have thoroughly practiced the technique with you removing the bait treat from the floor, you will progress to leaving it on the floor.
Tell your dog “leave it” just as before, but this time, hold your hand about an inch or so above the bait treat so that he can see it, but not get at it.
Wait until the dog stops trying to get the treat.
Then praise and reward him immediately.
Try to keep the dog from getting the treat off the floor.
If he does manage it, show him the “high-value” treat, allow him to smell it, and then withdraw it.
This will help teach him that you have better treats than he can get on his own, and he will not get them unless he obeys. , When your dog is responsive to the “leave it” command with the treat on the floor, it’s time to try it standing up.
Put your dog’s leash on and hold it while you stand next to the bait treat on the floor.
Tell him to “leave it.” Cover the bait with your foot if the dog tries to grab it.
If the dog does not go for the treat, praise him and give him a “high-value” treat.
With enough repetitions, your dog should learn to look at you when you say “leave it” in anticipation of a tasty treat, ignoring the bait treat altogether. -
Step 3: Allow the dog to explore your hand.
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Step 4: Praise him immediately.
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Step 5: Repeat this as necessary.
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Step 6: Move the training to the floor.
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Step 7: Say “leave it” and then place the bait treat on the floor.
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Step 8: Immediately praise and reward the dog.
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Step 9: Leave the bait treat in view.
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Step 10: Try the training standing.
Detailed Guide
The goal with “leave it” is to teach your dog to leave things alone that you don’t want him to mess with.
To accomplish this, you will train him that he will get something better (a tasty treat) when he “leaves it” as you command.
Show your dog the treat and let him see what you have.Make sure you have a treat ready for him in your other hand, but don’t let him see this one.
Don’t yell at your dog, or you could scare him.
Simply say it in a firm voice that makes it clear that you are issuing a command.
Then, hold out your hand with your fist closed around the treat.You can also connect a gesture with the command.
Since you will be teaching this command with a closed fist, a fist held sideways could be a good gesture. , Because your dog knows there’s a treat inside your fist, he will probably try to get to it.
He may paw at your fist, nose at it, or lick you.
Ignore all of this and do not say anything.
Wait until your dog stops trying to get at the treat.Usually, once the dog realizes he can’t get at the treat, he’ll stop pawing after a few seconds. , As soon as your dog stops trying to get at the treat in your fist, praise him and give him the treat you were holding in your other hand.
Go over the top with your praise so that your dog knows that you like it when he “leaves it.”, Repeat this exercise at least ten times in a row.
You may need to continue the training across several days or even weeks, depending in how quickly your dog catches on.The key is consistency.
Praise him and give him a treat as soon as he stops trying to get at the treat in your fist.
You should eventually be able to just show him your closed hand and say “leave it” for him to obey.
Your dog will eventually move away from your hand as soon as you say “leave it.” , Now you will place a treat on the floor and instruct your dog to “leave it.” It’s recommended that you use “high-value” treats (like pieces of cheese or meat) for the reward treats and something less exciting for the “bait” treat that you will place on the floor., Cover the bait treat with your hand.
Allow your dog to investigate.
Because this is a different situation than the treat in your fist, he may not immediately associate it with the “leave it” command he already knows.Wait until the dog stops trying to get at the bait treat. , As soon as your dog stops going for the bait treat, praise him enthusiastically and give him a “high-value” reward treat as you remove the bait treat from the floor.
This will help teach him that listening to you is more enjoyable than going on his own.You will need to repeat this process more than the simple training.
Repeat the process at least 40 times in one session. , Once you have thoroughly practiced the technique with you removing the bait treat from the floor, you will progress to leaving it on the floor.
Tell your dog “leave it” just as before, but this time, hold your hand about an inch or so above the bait treat so that he can see it, but not get at it.
Wait until the dog stops trying to get the treat.
Then praise and reward him immediately.
Try to keep the dog from getting the treat off the floor.
If he does manage it, show him the “high-value” treat, allow him to smell it, and then withdraw it.
This will help teach him that you have better treats than he can get on his own, and he will not get them unless he obeys. , When your dog is responsive to the “leave it” command with the treat on the floor, it’s time to try it standing up.
Put your dog’s leash on and hold it while you stand next to the bait treat on the floor.
Tell him to “leave it.” Cover the bait with your foot if the dog tries to grab it.
If the dog does not go for the treat, praise him and give him a “high-value” treat.
With enough repetitions, your dog should learn to look at you when you say “leave it” in anticipation of a tasty treat, ignoring the bait treat altogether.
About the Author
Kathryn Green
Kathryn Green specializes in lifestyle and practical guides and has been creating helpful content for over 23 years. Kathryn is committed to helping readers learn new skills and improve their lives.
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