more training tips

[Gina Heitz <brier@oregonsbest.com>]

Here is a leave it game and below another watch me game... 

Enjoy,

Gina 


PLAYING LEAVE IT

1.Put dog in a sit or down/stay in front of you.

2.Place a treat in your right hand and another treat of greater
value behind your back.

3. Hold out your right hand to the dog and show her the treat.

4. When she tries to take the treat, close your hand and say to her,
"LEAVE IT" in a monotonal voice. (don’t sound angry)

5. Do this repeatedly until dog turns his head away from the treat. Then
give her the treat you have hidden behind your back and say to her,
"TAKE IT." Praise with a "good take it."

6. Continue playing this until dog catches on 100% of the time. Now
switch hands and do the game with your left hand holding the treat and
hiding the more valuable treat in your right hand. She must know leave it
means leaving it no matter what hand you are holding the treat
in.

7. After awhile you will be able to up the ante by placing treats under
your feet, or on the floor, or even right on her paws. My dog has gotten
so proficient in this game, I am able to line several treats right up his
arm and he won't take them until I tell him to "take
it."

8. Take the dog for a walk onleash, and begin tossing food items or toys
on the ground. As you throw the item, call a leave it. If he goes for it,
say, "too bad, no treat," and continue walking toward the next
item. Don’t forget to reward with a hidden treat when the dog does leave
the item alone. Make a huge fuss over the dog whenever he leaves the
item, especially if there are outside distractions to contend
with.

What you will gain from playing leave it is a dog who will actually turn
away or walk away from the item he’s to leave. So make sure when you’re
playing a lot, and the dog is getting really good at it, that the dog
begin to turn his face away from the item, not just his eyes. Play, play
and play somemore!
TEACHING DROP IT

Make sure you make all training games a lot of fun for the dog. Start out
with something that the dog likes, but doesn’t consider too terribly
valuable. Play with him by making exchanges, first by exchanging an
item with a food treat and then finally with another toy. As soon as
the dog opens his mouth to drop the item, SAY "DROP IT!" That
way, he’ll begin to learn that you want him to spit out the item, even
when you don’t have a food exchange for him. So, dog has tennis ball in
his mouth - I say "drop it" - he drops it and I give him
another tennis ball right away. I tell him to drop it - he drops that
one, and then I give him the original ball back and tell him to
"take it." It gets really fun as you make the dog work faster
and faster. Have the dog sit close to you so your own movements can be
real quick. Again, play the dropping and leaving it games in rapid
succession, laugh a lot and praise praise and praise again when he does
what you want. 

WATCH ME GAME
1. Have the dog sitting right in front of you.

2. Place a treat right in front of your nose. Wait for the dog to look at
your nose, and say, "watch me." Then give him the treat. Do
this about 3-4 times.

3. Show the dog a treat and then bring your outstretched hand way out to
the left. The dog will stare at the treat, which will seem like forever.
Just wait. As soon as he looks directly at you, give him the treat and
make a huge fuss over him.

4. Repeat this process but bring your arm way out to the left while
holding the treat. Wait for the dog to focus on your face, and then give
him a treat.

5. Keep switching positions, and include one where your hand is holding a
treat right at your belly-button level, or down by your side, or straight
up in the air. Always wait for eye contact, and then give the rewarded
treat.

WHEN YOUR DOG IS STARTING TO LOOK AT YOU QUICKLY, AT THAT POINT, SAY,
"WATCH ME!" Don't say it until you're sure he's going to focus
on you!! When he's watching you all the time, begin phasing out the
treats by using them on an intermittant schedule (2nd time, 5th time, 3rd
time, 10th time, etc., until you can start using them only once in a
great while for reinforcement).