I have a 4 month old JRT and she walks on a leash very well. She stays right next to me and doesn't pull or anything. The only problem is that she likes to bite the leash. Sometimes she just holds onto it as if she was holding her end of it (it's actually kinda cute) but sometimes she thinks it's time for tug-o-war. I always stop walking and wait until she drops it but she hasn't stopped doing it. Any suggestions?
Jessie
Favorite Answer
You can try a few things:
-Give her something to carry, even a stick. Keep her busy and if her mouth is full, she can't bite the lead.
-Use the lead the way you'd see a show handler use it--keep it going straight up from the back of her head. She can't reach it there.
-When you see her beginning to want to get playful, break into a little jog. (Do this before she starts biting the lead)
-If the dog knows Down, put her in a Down every time she tries to bite the lead. Worked very well with my dog because she was stopping the walk temporarily and she hated that.
I know someone will come along and suggest a bitter spray, but I've never seen a dog who was ever deterred in the slightest by a bitter spray.
erna
She's playing because it's very interesting and gets a reaction. When she does that, just drop it and walk away(meaning you have to train in your house or backyard). She'll learn that by biting the leash, the fun stops.
Phoenix
A puppy should always be trained on a light metal-chain leash, otherwise she will learn that a lead can be chewed through, and you will always have a problem.
Don't play tug-of-war; just hold your end and ignore her until she gives up the game, then praise her when she stops. She'll learn.
Abbbbs
Hello (:
There are three simple options (what i can think of)
1) Hold the leash slightly higher, where your dog can't reach it, so it would be harder for your dog to chew on .. Like this:
http://static.guim.co.uk/sys-images/Guardian/Pix/pictures/2010/3/2/1267535033349/Man-walking-dog-001.jpg
&&&
http://from-the-doghouse.com/Scoop%2BHowl/Thunder_Dog.jpg
See how the lead is held higher ?
2) Put your dog on a harness. If your dog is on a harness, the lead is clipped on further along the back, and your dog would not be able to reach the leash.
like on this picture...
http://schutzhund-training-store.com/images/medium/schutzhund-dog-harness-training-harness-leather-harness-padded.jpg
3) Next time you're dog chews the leash say "NO" in a stern enough voice, and squirt you're dog with water (from quite a distance, so it doesn't hurt the face)
Good luck.x
Anonymous
She is a puppy she thinks its playtime. You will have to say no in a stern voice repeatably until she understands. It may take awhile but eventually the dog will understand. Also I have heard if you use a newspaper to scold an animal it scares them & they may have a reaction to this when they are older & have been known to bite people with newspapers in their hands thinking they will use it on them when actually the are not.