How to Stop Dog from Biting Leash When Walking
Walking is a very healthy exercise for animals alike, especially for dogs and for us. But, there are times when walking your dog can be a very tedious task, especially when the dog is still just a puppy.
Puppies, or even strays that just got rescued, are not used to being on a leash, so they will keep on biting the leash or wiggling free. This is why today, I will be giving you tips and directions on how to stop dog from biting leash when walking.
Steps and Tips on How to Stop Dog from Biting Leash
Develop a New Habit
Learning how to stop dog from biting leash is like learning how to get rid of a bad habit; you need to replace it with a good one.
Learning a new behavior or habit means simply means that you need to have him focus his attention on other things. You need to focus on training him not to bite the leash when you attach it to his collar.
You ought to get him excited about walking outside enough that he forgets about biting the leash.
Introduce a New Toy
Give him a new tug toy. The goal here is to get rid of the old habit and introduce a new one. So, you have to provide a new toy that he can bite or pull away from you.
This way, he will lose his interest in the leash. But of course, getting rid of the old behavior won't happen instantly. Meaning, you will need to invest more time into training him or playing with him using the new toy.
Give Him a Cue
Another thing that you have to remember when learning how to stop dog from biting leash is that he needs to know that he is not allowed to do it.
Now, while you are introducing the new tug toy, you have to make it clear to him that he is only allowed to tug on this new tug toy and nothing else.
You can play games with him making sure that you give him cues when to tug on the toy and when to stop.
Do Not Respond
When your puppy or your dog bites the leash, avoid pulling it off of him or tugging it away. This might give him the impression that you are playing with him.
See, dogs, particularly find the tug of war, fun. So, if you tug the leash away from him when he bites it, he will enjoy biting it because he thinks you are playing with him. It is better just to leave him be, talk to him, and make sure that you got your message across without tugging the leash away from him.
Train and Reward
The best way for you to effectively execute how to stop dog from biting leash is to reward your dog after every good behavior. Meaning, after a whole walk without biting the leash, you should give him a treat and make sure that you let him know for what the treat is.
This way, he will understand that it is good to have walked without biting his leash because when he gets home, he will get more treats for being a good boy.
Practice in The Yard of Living Room
Before you could even get to have a successful walk without him biting the leash, you need to practice with him first.
First, you need to get ready with your leash, your excited dog, and your treats. Then, you can dangle the leash in a somewhat calm manner in front of the dog and see if he attacks it right away.
If he does, you may need to dangle it farther away from him. If he does not, give him a treat. This way, you can slowly get him to understand that biting the leash is a bad thing, and refraining from biting the leash can get him more treats.
Conclusion
Dogs, like humans, need exercise. However, unlike us, they are very playful, and they tend to get frightened when they are restrained. Now, if your dog tends to bite his leash and you don't know how to stop him from doing this habit, then you are on the right page.
Today, I taught you how to stop dog from biting leash. It is effortless and can be summed up through doing these steps:
- Developing a new habit for the dog,
- Making sure that he has a new toy to tug on instead,
- Don’t engage with his tugging the leash,
- Give cues,
- Train him inside the yard or the home,
- Reward every good behavior with treats.
Now that you know how to stop dog from biting leash, all you have to do is devote time and attention to training and rewarding your dog and, with enough time, love, and focus, you will be able to get your message through to him.