In this video, KPA CTP Hannah Halpern demonstrates how she taught her scavenging-loving dog, Portlee, to Leave It. Portlee is hard-of-hearing, so when he becomes distracted by an object on the ground, Hannah claps her hands or pats her leg to get Portlee’s attention. As soon as Portlee offers eye contact, Hannah rewards him with a treat. Once Portlee is leaving objects on the ground consistently, Hannah transfers the clapping into the cue for Leave It. Now when Portlee hears a clap, he turns away from the distraction and toward Hannah; she marks that decision with a thumbs up and reinforces with a treat. Hannah and Portlee now enjoy their walks together without worrying about hazardous objects!

For more ideas about how to get started training your dog, check out our blogs and the Dog Trainer Foundations course! The Immersion version of the Dog Trainer Foundations course offers an even more personalized, structured learning experience plus five hours of coaching to help get you to the next step!

Happy Training!