Training To Use A Leash

[Guest]

We have been trying to get our puppy to become use to having the leash on just around the yard, doing very brief 2mins walk around and then basic ''sit'' commands with it on etc. However she seems more interested in biting the leash and then trying to play TUG of WAR! What should I be doing in this instance...ignoring it??? Any help appreciated thankyou! She is 10weeks old.

[luvsdogs]

I haven't had this problem, so can't really say. You could start teaching give. Have a food treat near her nose & when she goes to sniff the food she should let go of the lead, while saying give. You could also start teaching leave it, saying it b4 she takes the lead in her mouth.

It's generally said to start lead training by having a short piece of light rope attached to the collar. Then adding more length & finally adding extra weight. I have since heard that this encourages pulling as the pup gets to feel the weight on the lead & they can go where they like.

The other way was to not move at all, be a tree, while the pup tries to pull. When the lead is loose is the only time you move forward.

[VJB]

My dog went through a "stage" doing this and I found the best method was to not react, but to stand still. As soon as I reacted, she found it more of a game and would become more excited. If I stand still, she drops the lead, and we continue our walk. Probably different for individual dogs though.

[persephone]

In the past, I have used a chain leash for the first few times... pup won't chew that ..and you can walk around happily

[MsBex]

Ooh I was so excited when I read the title thread!! Have an 11wk old Cocker Spaniel doing the exact same thing! Today however was the first time I took him to school to pick up my boy (had his 2nd vaccination last week) and he was SO distracted he didn't even try to bite it!

What I was doing at home (totally novice puppy owner mind you!) is keeping it as short as possible and whenever he rolled over to grab it, let it lie flat on the floor so it became boring! Stopped him biting it, but we didn't get far around the yard

[Nekhbet]

wipe something like chilli sauce or a little vicks on the leash and ignore the behavior. Puppy will learn that chewing on the leash it not as exciting as he thought it was!

If puppy wants to play teach it which things are play toys and which things are unacceptable to chew. Create the habit now and you wont have a dog that goes around picking up random things to play with either!

[giraffez]

My pup did this when he first started. He grew out of it now that he is used to being on a leash. In the beginning, i let him play with the leash at home so he is used to sniffing and smelling it, then he just grew out of it.

[tez]

Jane was a shocker with this problem but seems to have grown out of it now(at 7 months). She really only started to do it at about 5 months. Seemed to be at the end of her walk and when she caught sight of the lead out of the corner of her eye.

Same as the others...mouthing the lead led to stop walking, no eye contact ect. If she started tug of war then I would follow her so the lead was never able to be pulled tight. She would then lose interest in the 'game'.

[corvus]

I carried a tug toy with me whenever I walked Kivi on leash for the first 6 months or so. If he got the tugging urge I'd just present him with the tug toy and he was happy to let the leash go and act like an idiot with the toy instead. He grew out of it in due course and it was never a big deal. I guess it depends on whether you want to stop tugging all together or just redirect it to something appropriate.

[pmiller]

When we first tried to get him ready for walks in the backyard our CKCS did the same thing. We held out a treat in front of him and tried to get him to walk following the treat. He would do it for a short period of time (30 seconds) before going for the lead. We thought he was going to be a nightmare to walk and were really disheartened. At about 20 weeks, when we first took him out for a walk, he simply lost interest in the lead. He still has a little chew of it just as we are about to go out the door, but being outside is much more interesting for him than the lead. So my humble advice is to keep the training in the backyard short and sweet and my prediction is that he will lose interest once you can officially take him on the street for a walk. It is so much fun walking a dog...especially as the weather in Melbourne is really starting to pick up!

[Bellatrix]

I had this problem too with both of my cavs and all I basically did was make the lead very short and holding treats up and rewarding after a few steps. They soon get to understand that the lead is a good thing and stop attacking it The biting of the lead stops when they become occupied on other things (such as going for a walk). However, being 10 weeks old, you are probably best trying in your backyard.

When my two see their leads and harnesses now, they get excited because they know we are going somewhere. You WILL get there

Be patient and persistent. Only do short practice sessions otherwise the pup will get frustrated. I think I did two or three 5 minute sessions a day and they picked it up within a week.

Goodluck

EFS

Edited September 20, 2009 by Bellatrix

[Jetty]

Jet did this when he was younger before he got the gist of walking. I got told if you have a chain lead, it can stop them from biting as they dont like it on there teeth?

[Nekhbet]

I dont like chain leads only because on some pups it's a little rough and can impede training. The leash is more then a tether it is your training tool.

I have also seen a small breed smacked in the head with a leash accidentally, put training a couple steps backwards that day.