Leave it...help

[lizzyjo]

Ruger is 8 weeks old today..he keeps chewing on my computer cords, lamp wire, magazines....i tell him to LEAVE IT ...he will back off, but go right back to doing what ever...My question is how do i reinforce the leave it. i have traded whatever for a toy. I think he is learning that leave it is a good thing.....HELP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Good_Karma]

8 weeks old is still very young to have mastered a command like "Leave it", so give it some more time. How did you train "Leave it"? He probably doesn't understand what it means yet.

Don't forget to also reward him when he is chewing on an appropriate toy.

[Emoore]

At 8 weeks old, he's not going to be able to learn which things to leave alone. He has the attention span of a gnat. Even if he did "leave it," he'd be right back at it in 10 minutes. Lamp wires and computer cords can kill him; you should probably teach a new behavior like "leave it" with things that won't kill him.

At this age, you really have to keep him in a safe area where he can't get to those things.

[Lilie]

I would suggest you remain as constant as possible. So when you see your pup chewing on the cord, make sure you say "Leave It!"... redirect....praise! Don't say, "HEY! NO! STOP! LEAVE IT! YOU'RE GOING TO KILL YOURSELF!" Which would be a natural thing to do.....

[lizzyjo]

Ok. I must admit I probably dont know what I am doing. My laptop is in the living area by my chair. Thus the cords are behind my desk and chair as well as the lamp wire. I do not leave him in here unless I am here with him. I have comtemplating putting pvc wrap on the wires. He is insistant on going behind my chair. What am I doing wrong. I have rewarded him for leaving stuff alone, but eeekkk...I am lost for how to stop thiis behavior.

[KZoppa]

Shasta is 8 months old and we still work on leave it regularly. She didnt fully understand what i was telling her to do until she was about 5 months old. best you can do is continue to discourage him, giving him something he IS allowed to have. The PVC wrap might be a good idea. Also anxiously waiting for when he's too big to fit behind the chair will help too. Shasta gave up trying to squeeze into spaces she once fit after she got stuck and we had to rearrange to get her out lol. Keep it positive and he'll get it.

[Emoore]

Maybe you could put him in an x-pen in the same room with you? So he can see you or and you can see him but he can't get into trouble?

I have this pen that I bought off Craigslist:

Amazon.com: Iris CI-604 Indoor/Outdoor Plastic Pet Pen, 4 Panels: Kitchen & Dining

Amazon.com: Iris CI-604 Indoor/Outdoor Plastic Pet Pen, 4 Panels: Kitchen & Dining

Here's me and Rocky getting it ready for the puppy:

[lizzyjo]

Thanks for the advice friends....He has chew toys, bones, a stuffed kitty, and a few other puppy toys. I guess I am being a impatient with him. He is such a funny little guy. he is getting his sit ( sort of) and bringing his toy back to me and dropping. It is hard to get use to having a puppy. I will say tho, I havent used my power chaiir as much as I used to... he is really good therapy. A few extra pain meds. and I am doing ok. Ruger is good for me and I want to be as good for him as he is for me.

[JudynRich]

When our dogs were pups everything was unplugged unless in use and we were right there. 8 weeks is very young for "leave it" training... if the cords are in good condition maybe rub some of that bitter apple on the cords (not frayed at all of course!!!).

[KZoppa]

Petsmart sells this stuff called Bitter Yuck. Its intense. Drove my friends dog nuts because she couldnt bring herself to get past the stuff to chew on anything. Its serious stuff too because if you touch ANYTHING that has touched the stuff or touched stuff its been sprayed on, its on you. You can taste it. It's definitely a great deterrant but P>O>W>E>R>F>U>L!