We all know that dogs love to eat, not only food but also other objects (and sometimes animals!) that aren’t good for them. Certain foods can cause digestive issues, upset tummies, diarrhea, or even more serious medical conditions. Teaching them one simple command could prevent your pup from eating things that could make them sick and may even save their lives.
TikToker @rusty.and.ollie shares videos of her two dogs: a Golden Retriever “menace,” named Rusty and her sweet rescue, Ollie. In a recent video, she demonstrates how she taught both of them the “Leave It” command, using Rusty to show us all how to do it step by step.
Rusty’s mom shared in the video’s caption, “In no way am I a dog trainer, but the ‘Leave It’ command is a great skill to have. This is one of the first things we taught both Rusty and Ollie, and it has stopped them from gobbling up dangerous human food or objects. In fact, Rusty doesn’t even TRY to eat food that drops on the ground in the kitchen anymore.” This is a command all dogs could use!
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Reactions and Questions About the ‘Leave It’ Command
Viewers were excited to watch and learn how to effectively teach this command to their dogs, and many said they’d be working on it. We’ll be working on it with our dog, too! Some have had great success with it, like Rusty and Ollie’s mom did. @Brioche Bun the Dog shared, “Yes! It’s to the point where I give her something new and she has to double-check with me like 5 times by looking at me to make sure that she can eat it, lol!”
Commenter @oliviarix6 asked, “What about on a walk?” Rusty and Ollie’s mom replied, “Good question! I would practice this indoors first and then bring a treat bag with you on a walk, and when the pup goes for something they shouldn’t, say, ‘Leave it,’ and then reward when they earn it. This might take a little longer than inside because of all the distractions.”
@Sarah E Mitchell shared her story, “We’re working on Leave It. We’ve really struggled with training our pup.” Rusty and Ollie’s mom replied, “You’ve got this! The Leave It command can take some dogs a few months and some a couple of days. Consistency is key.”
We couldn’t agree more. A lot of people give up after just a few attempts, not realizing that some commands simply take longer for some dogs to learn than others.
This story was originally reported by PawNation on Nov 8, 2025, where it first appeared in the News section. Add PawNation as a Preferred Source by clicking here.