The one command I wish I'd taught Zeus earlier than I did
Seven years in, and if I could go back and change one thing about Zeus's early training, it would be teaching a rock-solid "leave it" much earlier than I did. I taught sit, stay, come, heel all in the first few months — standard stuff. "Leave it" didn't get serious attention until closer to year one, and in hindsight that gap caused more near-misses than anything else: food off counters, something concerning on a walk, another dog's toy at the park. It's a deceptively simple command that prevents more real-world problems than almost anything else in the obedience list. If you're early in training a puppy right now, move this one up the priority list.
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This is very useful information, thank you Marcus. Storm is still young and I have been focused mostly on basic commands so far. I will move "leave it" higher on my list based on what you and others have said here.
Esto es correcto. Diablo learned "leave it" at 10 weeks for exactly this reason — too many things on walks he could grab before I knew better. Should be in the first five commands, not an afterthought.
Great practical advice, Marcus — "leave it" really is one of the most underrated safety commands. For German Shepherd owners building out a training plan: allinpets.com/pets/dogs/german-shepherd
#GermanShepherd #train #dog
Agreed completely. Blitz had "leave it" rock solid by 12 weeks and it's saved him from a handful of genuinely dangerous situations since — dropped medication, broken glass, the usual hazards of the world. Non-negotiable early command for any breed, not just working dogs.
This is a great point and underappreciated. "Leave it" requires the dog to override an impulse, which is cognitively more demanding than commands like sit or stay. Starting it early, even in a basic form with low-value items, builds the impulse control pathway before the dog encounters higher-stakes temptations like food or other animals.