How to Train Your Dog to Leave It & STOP Scavenging on Walks

[@happyhoundsdogtraining]

If you've enjoyed this video please like, comment & share 🙂 It really helps! 🙋‍♀️COMPLETE DOG TRAINING SOLUTIONS: •❓🤨 STRUGGLING WITH LEASH TRAINING? 👇 ✅ 6 Weeks to Dream Walks: Step-By-Step Leash Training Program: e37240-61.myshopify.com/products/6-weeks-to-dream-walks-step-by-step-leash-training-program •❓🐿️ STRUGGLING WITH YOUR DOG CHASING ANIMALS (indoors or outdoors)?👇 ✅ Dog Prey Drive: How to STOP Animal Chasing: e37240-61.myshopify.com/products/dog-prey-drive-how-to-stop-animal-chasing-with-force-free-methods ►👀 WATCH NEXT: ✔️ Entire leash training playlist: kzbin.info/aero/PLiUh57UCWpFETiFT-EAa6pqZ_plP6tRDK ✔️ How to train your dog a basic "leave it": kzbin.info/www/bejne/q57XYZ18brJ7m6s ✔️ Dog Prey Drive: Train Your Dog to STOP Chasing Animals kzbin.info/www/bejne/d2inaqd7aZWrpac ► 🗣️ STAY CONNECTED: • Instagram (my most active platform): instagram.com/happyhounds_dogtraining/ • Facebook: facebook.com/HappyHoundsDogTraining.ca • Blog: happyhoundsdogtraining.ca/blog/ • Email list: view.flodesk.com/pages/61898eeb3a0e5bcf6f5411ec ►❤️ FAVOURITE DOG GEAR: ➡️ *ALL* my favourite dog items & discount codes: happyhoundsdogtraining.ca/shop 🧸 Amazing faux & real fur toys: www.tug-e-nuff.co.uk/?ref=happyhoundsdogtraining 🐕‍🦺 My favourite harness & dog gear: rockymountaindog.ca/?ref=ka8S8Xue 🦴 My favourite treat bag: amzn.to/3UUGF60 🦮 Beautiful custom biothane leashes (I use the hands-free version): www.hightailhikes.com?aff=212 Links included in this description might be affiliate links. If you purchase a product or service with the links that I provide I may receive a small commission. There is no additional charge to you! Thank you for supporting my channel so I can continue to provide you with free content.

[@411zebralover]

The holes in the lids are a fabulous idea!

[@happyhoundsdogtraining]

Thank you! Works great for letting the full smell out, without risk of them self rewarding 🙂

[@Pianorocker2006]

You're so much better than most of the trainers on youtube. Great work!

[@happyhoundsdogtraining]

Wow, thanks! I put a lot of time & effort into these videos, so Im glad you enjoy them 😊

[@theoutdoorminimalist]

My boyfriends dog loves scavenging on walks and hikes 😅 but he is getting better with his leave it. Excited to try this container method! Thanks for another great tutorial 🎉

[@happyhoundsdogtraining]

There can be pretty exciting finds on hikes! 😂 Glad he’s already improving!! I hope the containers help ☺️

[@Kodakingofcuddles]

Woah! I loved this video! I would have never thought of the container with holes idea!

[@happyhoundsdogtraining]

I'm so glad you liked it! 🙂 When I first switched over to FF training with my dog many years ago I couldn't figure out how to practice with outdoor snacks without her possibly getting them. The container idea was born 😂

[@caroline0001]

My dog tried to eat, what I think was, a dead pigeon on or similar bird, that was on our trail. He was on the long line so it took me some seconds to notice, luckly I noticed and could take him out of it.

[@happyhoundsdogtraining]

😬 Yeah, dead “anything” makes it onto the gross list immediately 😂 Glad you noticed & got it out!

[@kathyweist9236]

Cant wsit gor prey drive training!!! Will work now on leave it more!

[@happyhoundsdogtraining]

I love that you’re getting prepared for the prey drive video ❤️ That’s exactly why I made this. It’s taken me awhile to find enough bunnies & squirrels and such to film with, but I’m SO excited to show how I trained my dog to stop chasing them 😁

[@SusanKesslar-pq8qo]

My dog loves any type of animal feces. We live out in the country so he's had a plethora to choose from. Coyote, horse, fox, gopher, and of course other dogs poop. Grossest thing he's eaten was a dead mouse or gopher.

[@happyhoundsdogtraining]

One of my dogs nicknames is “poop hunter” so I can relate 😂😂

[@SuziQ.]

I guess this is “my thread”. Bella likes to eat poop. She used to eat her own poop, so we put her on Forbid, and she started eating my Labrador’s poop. They both got Forbid for months. She’s better now, but I’ve caught her waiting by Lily’s butt for a fresh one to drop. 🤢

[@denisem137]

Great video. My dog struggles with squirrels (prey drive) and the grossest thing she ever ate was turkey poop. She didn’t even pause to grab it so there was no warning, and since we were on grass, I didn’t see or know what she had in her mouth until I was trying to clear it out. Double gross! 🤢

[@happyhoundsdogtraining]

Sounds just like my dog! Squirrels were one of her top animals to chase, and her nickname is “poop hunter” because she seems to want to seek it out 😂

[@catherinefloyd4419]

What can I use as high value rewards if my dog is on a restricted diet? Only specially designed hypoallergenic foods are allowed at the moment

[@happyhoundsdogtraining]

How long is your dog on a restricted diet & for what reason? Allergies? I’d talk to your vet about your dogs specific situation, but I’ve had a few clients that were on very restricted diets and the vet approved uncommon proteins like crickets & kangaroo! One of my reactivity clients TONS of allergies, but did great on lamb (and loved it). I’d clear it with your vet though!

[@Meli-vi4oe]

I love your videos ! She loveeessss other dogs poop and she ate a hole bunch of disgusting trash. We will for sure try to implement that training in our routine❤ We are looking for a video that explains how to bring back a toy or a tree branch! so far our dog is easily going at it, but when she comes close to us while « retrieving » she always run around us wanting us to catch the toy. 😂 if you have any tips it would be appreciated a lot!! 🙌🏻🙌🏻🫶🏻

[@happyhoundsdogtraining]

Thank you so much! Glad you love them 😊 A video on teaching fetch is a great idea!! I play with my dog all the time ☺️

[@ASmith-sv3tb]

I have the problem that my dog will often have the item already in her mouth before I notice there was something even there (she is always sniffing at the ground on walks so it’s hard to recognize there is an item in time to say leave it unless it’s obvious). Then once she has it in her mouth she won’t drop it. When we train things like drop it or leave it and she knows training is going on (she can smell the treats or see me with something already) she will immediately do anything I say which makes it’s very hard to have the training be helpful since the gap from at home listening perfectly to outside and in the moment is too wide. 😕 for example if we try to train drop it at home, the minute she figures out I have a treat, it won’t take long, she won’t even pick the item back up again but will sit and hope for the treat.

[@happyhoundsdogtraining]

First: I’m glad you’re using separate cues for leave it & drop it. Lots of people don’t, and it’s confusing for the dog. (One’s an inaction and other is asking for an action, so they aren’t interchangeable). I’m not sure if you’ve watched it, but I have a full tutorial for how I train drop it. I want the cue conditioned so it’s an immediate reaction when they hear it. The second half of the video also covers lots of tips for problem solving (example why does dog drop in this situation, but not this one). I’ll link it here if you haven’t seen it! Train Your Dog to DROP It: Step-by-Step Tutorial kzbin.info/www/bejne/aqSndIOOmL-ee68

[@KarenMatlock-n5z]

My yorkie ate a used tampon. We had no idea until he finally threw it up🤮 Our Staffy ate an entire size 12 gym shoe. Trip to Vet to induce vomiting

[@happyhoundsdogtraining]

Hahahaha I think you might win for most shocking list I’ve ever heard 😳😮 Wow!!

[@adampahl9585]

This is real gross...my last boy tried to eat a used tampon in a very unsavory neighbourhood and i had to pull it out of his mouth. Going to try and avoid that situation with my new boy

[@happyhoundsdogtraining]

Definitely a situation worth avoiding hahaha. It's so gross what they'll put in their mouth!

[@okdubunf]

what do up think about just replacing the "leave it" cue with their name? functionally the behavior seems no different from a well-proofed recall

[@happyhoundsdogtraining]

I think it depends what your goals are! I personally like to keep cues hyper specific and meaning one thing/action to the dog for clarity. I’ll often use my dogs name to grab her attention BEFORE giving an action cue, or just while chatting with her. I wouldn’t want to substitute her name for “leave it” then because it gets confusing. I also use a separate recall cue (here) because recall for me means come all the way back to me from wherever you are, whereas with “leave it” I’m only asking for disengagement from what she’s interested in (even though she will usually return to me after hearing it for a reward).

[@happyhoundsdogtraining]

👏 Huge thank you to High Tail Hikes for Neirah's amazing hands-free leash! The coupon code "HAPPY10" will get you 10% off your entire order. Shop high quality custom biothane dog walking gear here: www.hightailhikes.com?aff=212 (affiliate link)

[@SuziQ.]

I’ve been looking at biothane leashes. Ultimately, I’d like a cross body leash I can use to walk both of my dogs together. Where is the best placement for the traffic handle? I’m still not sure I can walk both of them together, though. They’re strong pullers. It’s not a big problem with the Lab, but I need more control with Bella. Thank you in advance.

[@Dahlily]

I do have another question! What if a) your dog unfortunately has had plenty of experiences of finding things outside (she will still let me expect, but there's nothing i could trade with for a bone so I'm losing brownie points with those) and b) its really hard to see those food items because they're usually in tall grass etc, so its hard to even give the cue. She loves to sniff and so far I'm unable to distinguish between "i found food" sniffing and other sniffing.

[@happyhoundsdogtraining]

If you haven't watched it yet, I'd check out my "drop" training tutorial for those moments your dog has something in their mouth. Depending on your area it can be impossible to always cue "leave it" in time, so it's nice to have the back up cue for releasing the item from their mouth. I'd encourage you to bring treat rewards on walks to reinforce that behaviour/cue whenever you need it! I'll link the tutorial here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/aqSndIOOmL-ee68

[@genericusernameforme]

My problem is that my Golden wants to eat everything, i.e. leaves, sticks, mushrooms, etc., when I take him outside. He's responsive to leave it but it gets old saying leave it over and over just taking him out to go the bathroom.

[@happyhoundsdogtraining]

That would definitely get frustrating!! As I mentioned in this video building a reward history for leaving things alone can help make that their default behaviour. However, 2 other thoughts! 1) Watch your dog when he grabs things. Does he seem excited about the object, or does he quickly look to you after you see what your reaction will be? Some dogs start grabbing/stealing things as a demand behaviour because they know it gets them attention! I’d address that differently than this tutorial. 2) You can also consider an anti scavenge muzzle so he can’t grab anything. Might lower frustration while you work on training. Just make sure to condition it properly so your dog doesn’t mind wearing it!

[@genericusernameforme]

@@happyhoundsdogtraining Thanks for the reply. I did get an OutFox field guard to use while I sort the issue out long term.

[@kathyweist9236]

Mine searches out cat poo!! On walks

[@roxaneheslop3233]

My dog loves picking up dirty tissues off the ground and has swallowed it before. The worse thing he put in his mouth was a dead squirrel 😢

[@Dahlily]

She loves any leftover foods, really loves bones (which unfortunately people seem to be leaving around everywhere 😤), and the grossest thing was def human feces 😩

[@happyhoundsdogtraining]

I think I'd actually get sick watching my dog eat human feces hahaha

[@catherinemorris4563]

my lab goes crazy over fresh goose poop

[@happyhoundsdogtraining]

I'm not ashamed to admit I've put pigeon poop in the containers for practice because my dog was OBSESSED with it and watching her eat it made me gag 😂 She loves and wanted to eat all animal poop except geese... The timing of this comment is funny because I just shared a photo in my Instagram stories last night that I'd taken her to the park and she rolled in geese poop. Apparently geese poop is for collecting and brining home on her, not eating 😂

[@santabros2]

My dog eats geese poop 🤦‍♀️

[@happyhoundsdogtraining]

😂 Poop of any kind instantly hits the gross list 😂 My dog loves pigeon & bison poop

[@evilsmaster8876]

I have a Beagle, she will eat anything on walk. Bread and cheese are her favorites but honestly it doesn't matter. The grossest is probably, that she sometimes eats other dogs diarrhea. I haven't finished the video yet but i probably wont be able to follow this video because the rest of the family wont go along with it.

[@happyhoundsdogtraining]

😂😂 Yep, diarrhea would instantly win for the grossest snack 😂 That’s frustrating about your family not being on board! Do you think they’d be unwilling to do any of the training, or they wouldn’t keep reinforcing the skill on walks? Consistency is SO important for behaviour change 🙁

[@evilsmaster8876]

@@happyhoundsdogtraining i think inside they wouldn't want to do the training and that then leads them to do it sloppily and not keep reinforcing the skill on walks. I am trying to get my dog to stop barking at other dogs on walk and when others from the family do walk her i keep having to remind them to take treats. I don't see them walking her, which happens when i am at school, so i don't know if they do it the way i told them to. She didn't get better for a while but its vacation now and i am the only one taking her, and she is getting better fast, so they probably don't do the training correctly.

[@happyhoundsdogtraining]

That’s a frustrating situation for you to be in. I’m sorry. It’s quite telling if you saw such quick progress when it’s just you taking her out 😬I’m impressed you continue to try to advocate for the dog though!

[@evilsmaster8876]

@@happyhoundsdogtraining I could never not train her, even if i knew it was hopeless because i am the only one doing it properly. I just cant leave her in her anxieties without me trying to help

[@chrisdaviesguitar]

You shouldnt give dogs pork. It can cause a liver shunt. Got that from my vet.

[@happyhoundsdogtraining]

Do you have any research to support that, because I can’t see how it would cause a liver shunt? Almost all liver shunts are congenital, so dog had issue from birth. If a dog has a liver shunt already they’re typically put on a lower protein diet, but that would reduce all meat in their diet, not just pork. My vet knows what I feed Neirah and has never mentioned a shunt risk, so I’m genuinely curious if there’s research to support that claim!

[@happyhoundsdogtraining]

Do you have any research to support that, because I can't see how it would cause a liver shunt? Almost all liver shunts are congenital, so dog had issue from birth. If a dog has a liver shunt already they're typically put on a lower protein diet, but that would reduce all meat in their diet, not just pork. My vet knows what I feed Neirah and has never mentioned a shunt risk, so l'm genuinely curious if there's research to support that claim!

[@josevelasco3245]

Then what happens when you run out of treats? This works for a while but you are constantly feeding and bribing and trying to distract. You must introduce punishment so it is reliable and you are not stuffing their face with food to replace the food on the ground. Reward with the treats instead when they don’t eat food off the ground after you punish the behavior.

[@happyhoundsdogtraining]

I doubt this conversation will change either of our minds so perhaps it’s not worth having, but I’ll add my two cents. Reinforcement isn’t bribery; it’s payment for a job well done. She doesn’t need to see the treats to execute the skill; she performs first & is rewarded for it afterwards. If I don’t have treats on one particular walk her “leave it” is equally strong due to the reinforcement history we’ve built over time. You seem quite stuck in a punishment mindset, but I’d encourage you to reconsider that. There’s actually ZERO evidence that punishment produces more reliable behaviours. Zero. It’s outdated and has been widely debunked. I prefer using modern, effective methods. Why use punishment with its potential for fallout when its not warranted or required? I enjoy my relationship with my dog where I’m teaching her the behaviours I want with kindness and reinforcement. She’s trained beautifully (as is evident in this video) and she gets EXCITED to train with me. I’ll continue choosing that over punishment any day.

[@josevelasco3245]

@@happyhoundsdogtraining you can continue to lie to people but positive only has a low ceiling when working with dogs. You need to have reward and punishment. Even mom dogs punish - what makes you think the dog understands your logic and not hers. You won’t need “leave it” anymore once they get the right amount of correction, just like mama dog does. The reward is there to get the desired behavior we need from the dogs to live in society. They are animals and have their own desires and reinforcements. Force free may work with mild mannered ones with basically zero issues but as soon as you run out of treats and you are not present they will revert faster than you can say NO. I GUARANTEE you will not be able to fix loose leash walking and bad leash reactivity with force free. I assume you believe this since you say punishment doesn’t work. I can get a dog to loose leash walk with the correct tool, timing and big reward in one walk session. I adopted a female APBT 3 months ago with leash pulling and dog reactivity and it’s gone after our relationship, structure and correct method was used. Yes the method includes punish the lunging with the right tools (fast and firm) and rewarding the neutral behavior. She no longer needs the Hermes springer when taking her out. She remembers what she needs to do because in the end she is just insecure around dogs. I didn’t punish her thoughts only the action. She now walks right past dogs with my thumb only holding the loose leash because I actually fixed the bad behavior. I tried to use the positive only with treats and it absolutely did not fix it. It was ridiculous and all she did was get full and it actually in a way made her pulling and lunging worse as she would turn for her “reward.” Anyway, yes we will agree to disagree but I have tried it myself and found it lacking when it comes to real issues . Soft issues on mild mannered dogs are easy and should use positive only, that I can agree on. I will check out your page and see what kind of hard dogs you have dealt with. We are all trying to help the animals but different paths. Anyway Happy New Year!

[@happyhoundsdogtraining]

The last thing the Internet needs is arguments that drag on & on, so this will be my last reply. However, your claim of “I GUARANTEE you will not be able to fix loose leash walking and bad leash reactivity with force free” is awkward when that’s literally something I do weekly…. Aggression & reactivity are 90% of my business, and yes, force free ABSOLUTELY works for them. I doubt that you implemented reinforcement properly, which is likely why you didn’t see results. Saying that something didn’t work for *you* is vastly different than guaranteeing an entire methodology fails for everyone. Switching from a punishment-based mindset is tough & definitely takes new skills! The learning curve can be hard, but it’s definitely achievable. I wish you luck on your training journey!

[@josevelasco3245]

@@happyhoundsdogtraining if you start uploading videos doing this with hard high drive dogs unedited in the process, I will go back. Like I said I did try this for 2 years and found it works to a certain point only. I trained my soft mannered male APBT with 99% positive and it’s great but I won’t be able to stop him from chasing deer with it. So yeah you show us force free is the only way and punishment is not an option with a high drive big problem dog, I will be the first one to go back. Thanks