Most of us have heard of the behavior exercise : Leave it!
When the skill is learned the dog will turn away from an object he desires voluntarily because this action has been highly rewarded in training set ups.
Here is a version of this game I thought would be fun and useful.
The dog learns that the longer he waits and “leaves” the desired object the higher the earnings become. I add more and more rewards as the exercise progresses. Interestingly, as the task in reality becomes harder the dog realizes that waiting pays off tremendously and so in a way makes it easier for the dog to resist taking the offered temptations.
It also keeps the dog engaged in the process, helps the dog relax, builds trust and the game is fun for both the human and the dog.
