Two of the foundation behaviors I like to teach are recall (coming when called) and leave it or wait (meaning leave something alone).
Often a dog will learn to come to the cue of TREAT or will wait for his dinner upon hearing the cue LEAVE IT, but will not reliably do those behaviors at other times. I hear from pet owners about how their dog is really great at sitting while they prepare their dog’s meal and waiting until the food bowl is on the ground to go to it. I also often hear about dogs that will come quickly when called with a cue that is something like, “Treat!” or “Greenie!”.
However, those same people do not have reliability when it comes to asking their dog to come with any other word at any other time; and they do not have reliability when it comes to their dog waiting to greet visitors or to grab something from the ground.
Why Your Dog May Only ‘Leave It’ When It Comes To Dinner
Well, for one, in those specific circumstances, pet owners are very motivated to teach their dog what they want their dog to do. They are focused on getting the outcome they want to see. [Read more…] about Why Your Dog Only Leaves It For Dinner