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How Can I Stop My Dog from Biting the Leash While Walking?

April 6, 2020 by Mary Telesz

Dog biting leash while walkingBiting or chewing on the leash, or just carrying the leash in its mouth are common dog behaviors. At first it is kind of cute, but after a while it can become annoying. If your dog learns that it can chew through the leash and free itself, you can find yourself in a situation that is dangerous to your dog. A dog biting the leash while walking can actually be a sign of underlaying tension.

Why Your Dog Bites the Leash

The first step to correcting your dog’s behavior requires that you understand why your dog is biting the leash while walking. To your dog, the leash is a toy. What better way to express the thrill the dog feels when it’s time to walk? Dogs express their excitement by putting their mouth on the leash and chewing on it, shaking it, jumping or simply carrying the leash with them.

An anxious, over-aroused dog may be biting the leash while walking to release tension. This is common behavior in shelters, where many dogs grab and chew on the leash when first taken out. Dogs are more likely to do it when being led out of their environment to interact with other dogs. The more wound up a dog is, the more likely the dog will bite the leash.

Steps to Take to Prevent Leash Biting While Walking

When your dog gets excited and grabs at the leash each time you pick it up and try to attach it, your first instinct may be to react by yelling “NO!” and perhaps swatting the dog away. These reprimands will only make an anxious dog more anxious, an impatient dog more impatient, and an excited dog more excited. A better and more effective approach is to teach your dog to stay calm when you grab the leash.

Teach Your Dog to Relax at the Sight of the Leash

Begin the training at a time when the dog has already had some exercise and is a little less anxious to go for a walk. Have a handful of small treats in your pocket, ready to reward the dog for the right behavior.

First, simply let your dog observe you touching the leash while it’s hanging on its hook or laying on the table. Don’t pick it up. If your dog stays calm, that is, stands still or is lying down or sitting, give the dog a treat. Repeat touching the leash and rewarding your dog for staying relaxed a few times. If the dog gets excited, put the leash down and withhold treats. Repeat the process until your dog understands that it should stay calm whenever you touch the leash.

Dog seated with leash onNext, touch the leash and move it a little, rewarding the dog for remaining calm and not rushing towards the leash. If the dog gets excited, put the leash down and go back to simply touching the leash and rewarding. Gradually begin to move it, rewarding the dog with a treat while it stays calm.

Once you are able to move the leash without the dog getting excited, begin moving the leash around your dog while rewarding relaxation. Speak to the dog in a calm voice, praising it for staying relaxed and giving treats.

Attach the Leash While Your Dog Remains Still or Seated

If your dog is standing, ask the dog to sit. Praise the dog softly and give a treat. Clip the leash onto the collar or harness while the dog remains sitting. If the dog does not move, praise and treat.

If the dog gets excited and tries to grab the leash or move ahead, unclip the leash and put the dog back in a sit. Once the dog is calmly back in a seated position, reward it with a treat, and try again.

Make this process part of your routine. Be consistent and insistent. Whenever you reach for the leash, reward your dog for remaining calm. If your dog gets excited, go back a step and repeat the process. Before long, this process will teach your dog to regard the leash as a cue for relaxation, rather than a reason to get excited and grab the leash in its mouth.

Reward Your Dog When it Behaves Calmly on the Leash

Now that your dog is able to remain calm when you clip the leash on, you need to teach your dog to walk calmly at your side in a heel position, whether on or off leash. Begin training with your dog off leash in a low-distraction area where your dog is comfortable, such as inside the house or a fenced yard. Use treats to keep the dog at your side.

When your dog understands the concept of heel, you can introduce the leash into the training. As before, reward the dog for staying calm when you attach the leash. Once the leash is clipped on, immediately cue the dog to heel. If your dog starts mouthing or tugging at the leash, stand still and ignore him. This deprives the dog of the walk and the reward of your interaction. As soon as your dog lets go of the leash, tell it to “heel” and reward the dog for complying.

Enjoy Your Dog Walking!

Dog walking on leash with owner If you consistently ignore bad behavior and reward calm behavior every time you pick up the leash and take the dog for a walk, your dog will stop mouthing the leash. For more information or for professional dog walking services, contact the pet experts at Paw Pals.

Filed Under: Dog Walking

Contact Paw Pals for More Information

Paw Pals specializes in professional dog walking, dog sitting, and pet sitting services. One of our reliable, adult staff members will keep your pet safe, while providing your pet the love and care they need when you are away. Contact us to learn more!

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Paw Pals Pet Sitting, LLC
14001-C Saint Germain Drive #213
Centreville, VA 20121
(703) 345-1695

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Paw Pals Pet Sitting
Paw Pals Pet Sitting
4.9
Taylor Smith
Taylor Smith
21:22 03 Oct 21
I never worry when Mary and team take care of my dog!
Michæl Silva
Michæl Silva
21:38 01 Jul 22
Mary at Paw Pals Pet Sitting is the greatest! She has helped me train my pooch Chico how play nice with other dogs and for that I am extremely grateful! A+A+A+A+A+A
Kwi Kim
Kwi Kim
22:37 17 Jun 22
I hired Paw Pals based on my sister’s referral. Meet & greet was very thorough and detailed. I was surprised that my finicky cat came to check the sitter out. Subsequently, a sitter watched my cat over several separate visits, and it was clear through the visit reports that my cat loved the sitter. All the visits were completed having followed my directions & with professionalism.I would highly recommend Paw Pals to anyone who’s looking for a dependable, personable, & professional sitter.
Joseph Walter
Joseph Walter
19:55 13 Jun 22
Paw Pals provided a large number of photos of our pets along with a personalized message on how our pets were doing with every single visit. I would highly recommend using Paw Pals, we'll be continuing to use them whenever we go on vacation.
Ashley Manning
Ashley Manning
09:50 11 Jun 22
Highly recommend as pet sitters!Initially, a sitter from the company will visit the house to meet the pets and learn where everything is. Tatiana took careful notes and we got her some spare keys.While we are away, Paw Pals sends sitters to come and look after our boys. They feed them, scoop litter, bring in mail and packages, and they will even manage trash, recycling, blinds and lights so that everything is comfortable for our kitties. Each time they check in, we receive an email message with updates and pictures, which is so comforting when we are on the road.Also, if you don’t let Paw Pals know when you are home, they assume something has happened and will continue to care for your babies. If something were to happen, I know they would be okay.Five stars for Paw Pals!
Brian Wood
Brian Wood
04:08 22 May 22
We have used Paw Pals for a number of years now and would highly recommend to anyone looking for help with their pets. Great communication from owner Mary and flexibility to make adjustments in schedule as life changes over time. Have had a consistent set of walkers who have gotten to know our pup and the various walking routes around our neighborhood quite well.
Lesley Bush
Lesley Bush
13:58 18 Mar 22
We can't rave enough about Paw Pals. They took care of our 18 year old Cat and 20 year old Chinchilla while we were away and when our flight got cancelled, they were so accommodating and available last minute for an extra day. We worked with Jen to coordinate visits from Miko and Danny. I loved the pictures and updates on how our Lil geriatric guys were doing. Thanks a million, Paw Pals!! Our special pets were so well cared for.
Sebastian Barnes
Sebastian Barnes
01:06 17 Jan 22
I have used Paw Pals for several trips over the last few months, and they have been phenomenal every time! Mary is extremely kind and responsive, and she makes sure that my cat and dog have the care that they need every time I am out of town. All of the pet sitters that I've had have been incredibly sweet to my pets, and they treat them like their own! Will gladly continue using Paw Pals every time I need a sitter.
Julie Shildt
Julie Shildt
17:45 14 Nov 21
It has been a pleasure doing business with paw pals. We have used this company for several trips we have taken over the past 6 months. They have been wonderful caretakers for our 2 cats. Anytime there is ever a question they don't hesitate to give us a call and they leave the best notes and pictures in the emailed report of each visit. We are so glad have found such a great company.
Andrea Hall
Andrea Hall
22:45 03 Oct 20
I wasn't sure about hiring a new doggie walker service... after all they are our kiddos... my babies were in great hands and I felt relaxed having them in their care. Thank you for everything!
Katie McCune
Katie McCune
19:19 15 Jul 21
I honestly cannot recommend Mary and her whole crew enough! We started using Mary originally about 7 years ago to stop by occasionally when our Aussie Lana was younger. Over the next couple years Lana stayed with Mary and her family for a couple weekends when we went on vacation. When we moved to our new house in Manassas, Lana stayed with Sam, who lives in Manassas, overnight for moving day, and did great. Right before the pandemic, we adopted our second Aussie, Goose, and Mary recommended a fantastic trainer for him.We now have weekly walks for the dogs, and they love all of their walkers! Trevor, Paul, Hazel, Sofie, and probably a couple others have helped Goose get used to more people, and have helped my husband and me when our schedules are crazy.Paw Pals is our go-to for any help with our dogs, so I highly recommend them!
Alexandra Hill
Alexandra Hill
22:43 23 May 21
I was a nervous mommy to leave my cats with a sitter service for the first time. Paw Pals went above and beyond to care for my cats and ease a nervous mommy. I already made a reservation to use them again!
Cindy Welgoss
Cindy Welgoss
13:12 27 Nov 20
We have been using Paw Pals for several years, and through a variety of pets that we have loved. Mary and her team have always been *exceptional* in every way. They are professional, courteous, and truly love our fur family! Mary herself is an organized and stellar administrator of her pet care business, keeping detailed records of our pet’s needs, scheduled pet visits, payments, and balance due easy to keep track of as the pet owner. The pet caretaking team is reliable and trustworthy. When our dogs see any of their Paw Pal friends, they get SO excited to see them! Follow up comments are left via text to keep the pet owner informed of the visit and how the pets are faring. Paw Pals has allowed our family the peace of mind to leave our pets at home, for work, weekend getaways and longer times away when necessary, where they are the most comfortable and familiar. We are grateful to Mary and her team for giving us the ability to enjoy pet ownership without feeling tied down. The responsibility of having pets comes with the need to keep them safe and comfortable at all times, and Mary and her team affords us this when our family has to be away.
Dr Tammy Cashion
Dr Tammy Cashion
21:11 12 Mar 19
We have used Paw pals pet sitting on multiple occasions for our bunnies while we are away. Many pet sitters are not interested in small pets however; Mary and her team, are amazing and we trust her implicitly! We are very happy with the outstanding service we have received from her team including texts and photos of our pets when we are out of town. They always go the extra mile and we highly recommend them!
Kristin Conrad
Kristin Conrad
16:00 16 Nov 19
We are so grateful we found Mary and her team at Paw Pals. They are exceptionally responsive, amazingly organized and detail-oriented.We have such peace of mind when we travel knowing our home and pets are so well cared for. Paw Pals is the best pet sitting service we’ve used, and we’re so happy we found them.
Katie Russell
Katie Russell
15:01 17 May 20
Paw Pals is fantastic! I have had a great experience with Mary! Compassionate, professional, responsive, and prompt! Thank you!
Phillip Evans
Phillip Evans
14:38 11 Jul 20
When we adopted our new dog in January, Paw Pals agreed to walk her and give her some outside time so she wasn't in the crate all day. She loved her dog walker and you could see her excitement every time the walker showed up. We moved out of the area but would recommend Paw Pals to anyone needing someone to care for their pets.
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