Gum, chicken bones, wrappers…. It’s all-out there, like a mine field for your dog to pick and choose on a walk.
Some dogs will not pay any attention to these extraneous temptations. Many will not only scope it out but be in total fixation.
It can be a problem, but there is something that pet owner can do – teach dog to “leave it.”
Some dog owners yell leave it and then tug their dog away from the gross thing they want to scoff up on the street.
Instead, go back to the basics in teaching “a reliable leave it” command and it’s quite simple.
Start with a treat in a closed hand (also have a treat in the other hand, unseen) and present it to the dog, simultaneously telling the pet to leave it.
The moment the dog it from your hand, tell him yes, and reward from the other hand. Progress to putting the treat in an open hand and repeating the exercise.
Eventually, proceed to putting treats on the ground (further away first, and then moving the treat closer) and repeating the exercise, remembering to make sure the dog does not retrieve it, then mark and reward the dog with the treat (since what is on the ground is “forbidden.”
As with anything outside, it may be more challenging at first for the dog to comply with the command.
But, as long as a dog understands to leave it is more rewarding than what they are going to grab, they will gladly turn their noses to that temptation and quickly turn to their owners for his reward.