In this video I’m showing you exactly how I taught my miniature dachshund, Stella, “leave it” (aka drop it) in the two situations I use the most: with toys and with food/treats. I’m not even going to pretend Stella has it perfect in every scenario—on walks with dogs and squirrels it’s still very much “does not compute” for her—so I’m keeping this focused on the easiest places to start and where it actually matters day-to-day. For toys, I taught “leave it” without treats at all. I make the tug toy super exciting, then the moment I say “leave it” I go totally still and boring. When she finally lets go (even if it takes 30 seconds or longer), the reward is that play instantly starts again, and I use “okay” as her release word so she knows when she’s allowed to re-engage. For treats/food, I use a “bait” treat plus separate rewards. I start with a closed fist, reward the second she stops trying, then level up to an open hand, then the treat on the ground, and finally tossing it—always in baby steps with quick reflexes to cover it if she dives. The biggest takeaway: consistency and patience, because with Stella it can feel like nothing is clicking… until one random day it does.