# "Leave it" becomes ransom game



## Katja (Mar 9, 2012)

We've trained "leave it" relatively successfully, but I think Keke is changing the game, and I need advice.

He'll get hold of something he knows I really don't want him to have, like the sink scrubby, or a pencil, or a dish towel, and I suspect that he's doing it in order to trade it for a treat. He plays keep away until he sees me go get a treat, then he drops the item immediately and doesn't try to get it back.


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## threefsh (Apr 25, 2011)

Riley has tried this with us. (They are such smart little buggers!) If wasn't poisonous or a choking hazard, I would turn my back on her and walk into another room and ignore her until she let go of it. If there's one thing Vs hate, it's being ignored.  It works even better if you go in another room and shut the door on him. He'll learn really quickly that being a brat gets him nowhere!

Also, have you trained "drop it"? "Leave it" is great for *before* they have something in their mouth and you don't want them to touch it. "Drop it" means they should immediately let go of whatever is in their mouth. I've actually practiced this command with objects I don't want her to mess with, so she gets used to dropping things that she isn't allowed to have.

All bets are off when it comes to fabric softener sheets. I swear, it's like V crack.  There is not a thing in the world that can persuade Riley to let go of a sheet once she's grabbed it. :


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## RubyRoo (Feb 1, 2011)

We have the same problem. I have learned the ignore trick works very well. 

We do that a lot with fetch when it turns into chase me game. I walk away and say bye and then she always drops it.


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## harrigab (Aug 21, 2011)

I've got about 4 croc sandals of the same foot, for some reason Ruby always picks up the "right" croc or slipper and runs off with it and hides it. She "leaves" other items when told to though. I think she just likes to see me hopping about...


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## datacan (May 15, 2011)

Harrigab, next time only buy left, leave the right at the store ...save 1/2 off the price


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## Katja (Mar 9, 2012)

Thanks for the suggestions, folks! I suspect that if I ignore him, he'll hunker down and happily chew the towel or scrubby to shreds, but I'll give it a try.


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## Emily1970 (Apr 21, 2011)

Threefsh, you're right. Softener sheets are like crack to my V's too. I have to make sure I have discarded it before I bring items into the room to fold or Chuck or Riley will sniff it out instantly. Chuck is good about leave it, but right now Riley won't leave it, drop it, or anything. He's been kept down too long and has a serious case of "I'm angry" going on.


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## Lindsey1420 (Jan 28, 2012)

threefsh said:


> All bets are off when it comes to fabric softener sheets. I swear, it's like V crack.  There is not a thing in the world that can persuade Riley to let go of a sheet once she's grabbed it. :


My Jack is the same way! I actually dont even use them, only on my husband's work uniforms. When I used them for all the loads of laundry he would lick until you thought you forgot to put it in the drier. Or he would sit there and chew on the item because it smelled like the dryer sheet. 
We are staying with the in-laws right now and she use dryer sheets by the box full. Jack like to just stand in there, I guessing smelling the room. :


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## Vizsla Baby (Nov 4, 2011)

My in-laws had a dog years ago who would gather trash, underwear, socks, anything in order to get a treat & he was richly rewarded each time. It got worse as it got older so I'd try to stop it now. 

Keke might thinks it's a fun game of chase.

With Sadie we use a gentle but stern voice and she gives it up every single time. She even brings it to us to give it back - LOL!

Let's see, over the last 24 hours I've pulled out of her mouth a candy wrapper, 2 pencils, and a powerade bottle (can you tell I have a teenage son who leaves stuff laying around full time!)

She always looks so sad when I take her prize but I just divert her attention to something else more interesting & she forgets about her "loss".


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## jld640 (Sep 29, 2010)

One solution for eating dryer sheets...

Dryer balls are a good alternative to the dryer sheets. When a friend told me about them, I thought she was crazy until I tried them. They have no fragrance. I can't feel a difference in softness of the clothes. Dryer balls do a bit better with static; although, some of that may be the season. In my experience, they do not shorten drying time (the box says it will) and I found that 4 balls are needed when doing a load of heavy fabric (like an entire load of jeans). With all that said, I'm pretty much done with dryer sheets.


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