# No or Leave it!



## HavaneseSoon (Nov 4, 2008)

What is the difference between the two, when you are training?

How can we stop the biting on the pants and shoe laces?


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## Lilly's mom (Aug 10, 2007)

*I try not to use "no" very often and save it for really important issues. We use "leave it" and "take it". I am sure others will tell you how they handle things.*


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## RikiDaisyDixie (Apr 15, 2008)

*leave it*

to leave food or a treat on the ground and not get it till I say okay.

To leave the cat alone. For going toward the hamster...leave it.

I used I high pitched puppy yelp Ouch when they chewed on fingers or clothing. The same sound another dog would make when they were hurting them. They get it.

I have a more serious growl for worse tricks...like "accidently" peeing on the floor when I catch her...Daisy.

Or jumping on guests when I have told them off! It sounds more like ANGH! They immediately stop, they know I am serious when I do this one.


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## HavaneseSoon (Nov 4, 2008)

Thank you for the responses. 

Training is so much fun!


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## Laurief (Nov 7, 2006)

I use NO when it is a behavior that I do not want

but

I use LEAVE IT when it is sometehing they want to put in their mouths & I dont want them to have 

Not that is always works when it's deer or rabbit poop!! Usually that takes me running across the lawn at them :biggrin1:


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## ama0722 (Nov 28, 2006)

I think from my dog's stand point, I use "leave it" as a no word. I really try to not use No just more as a personal preference cause I combine it with things they also learn- no bark, no bite, etc. Leave it means to my dogs stop what you are doing and look at Mom. Then another command usually follows. When I have taught them leave it, I never let them get the cookie on the ground etc. I always pick it up and then I present it to them. But remember you can use any command you want. You could call it giraffe and they wouldn't care the difference.

As to things like puppy biting, I would always remove the object you don't want them to have- your pants, and give them a toy to show what they are allowed to go wild on. Dash was never a chewer, he skipped that stage or I bought way too many bullies <BG> but Dora was, she chewed the edging off everything, shoes, etc. She tended to chew little tiny bits of everything so I would suddenly notice and couldn't correct!


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## davetgabby (Dec 29, 2007)

here is a good article on biting /nipping, Do not take it lightly. It can escalate if left unaddressed. Believe it or not ,bite inhibition is the single most important lesson you have to teach your dog. http://www.dogstardaily.com/training/puppy-biting


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## marb42 (Oct 19, 2008)

That was a very helpful article! Linda, I remember Marble really had a problem biting our pants, shoes, shoe laces, etc. He would just attach himself while we walked. We all had to slow down, as running or fast walking would make him more likely to bite. When he did bite the pants, I would stop and say "no bite" to him and praise him when he stopped. I also carried a toy around and gave him that instead. It just took A LOT of repetition and practice, but he finally got it. He still tries it every once in awhile, but he will stop when I tell him to. 
Gina


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## Perugina (May 28, 2008)

Sophie bites at our heels like she is herding us, especially in the morning when we walk downstairs. I usually use a sharp/deep ah,ah,ah, or hey! and she backs off. I tend to misuse "leave it". You are only supposed to use it for things they are never allowed to have...:doh:


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## hyindc (Apr 21, 2008)

*Bite inhibition*

The article Dave referred you to is excellent on bite inhibition. Our first pup, Paco, chewed on everything. We literally went through cans of Bitter Apple; but the spray did not help when it came to our fingers, which often had little puncture wounds. He gradually learned that licking was ok, and very soft nips were ok, but that anything too hard was not. When he bit too hard, we would say "uh uh" in a load voice, and withdraw from play for a couple of minutes. It worked!! Within two months we discarded the Bitter Apple, and we've never had to tell Paco he was biting too hard. To this day, he nips us if we are too rough with the de-tangler (he is blowing coat), but he's learned to do it softly so it is hardly different than a lick.

The article also makes a good point about the need to teach limits to the non-biter too. Our second pup, Luke, never chewed on anything. However, if he got excited playing with us, he could bite quite hard. But, by playing with Paco, who would not tolerate a hard bite, Luke learned in about a week to use his mouth softly and carefully. Now, many months later, their mouths are a means of playing with each other, but they use their jaws like feathers.

As for terminology, we never used the word "no." We use "leave it" for them to drop something in their mouths that they should not have (e.g., a napkin that fell on the floor, a stick they pick up outdoors, etc.). We use "uh, uh" to make them stop some type of activity (e.g., chewing when they were pups, wrestling with each other too aggressively, etc.). "Uh, uh" means they need to stop and look up to us for further instructions or a treat.

I don't know about other breeds, but our two havanese have a tremendous capacity to learn the meaning of words. Paco must know 50 and Luke about 20. As a result, we use specific words or sounds for specific behavior, and have avoided general words like "no" that people tend to use in multiple contexts and I believe, makes training harder.


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