Why is My Dog Biting the Leash?
How to Stop a Dogs From Tugging and Chewing Leashes During Walks
Jan 2, 2009
Does your puppy or adult dog bite and pull at the leash during walks? Leash biting is a fairly common problem in puppies and there's even a few adolescent dogs who will bite and chew the leash on a walk.
A dog who chews or bites the leash can put himself in a very dangerous position: a nylon leash can break fairly easily once the fibers have been damaged. So when the dog owner needs the leash the most - when the dog needs to be controlled - the leash can suddenly snap as a result of damage from the dog's biting and chewing.
In addition, a dog who is constantly biting, chewing and tugging on the leash during walks can make walks downright annoying for the dog walker, who will end up engaged in a tug of war with the dog as they inch along the sidewalk.
Needless to say, leash biting can be an annoying and potentially dangerous problem that must be addressed as soon as the behavior arises.
Why is My Dog Biting the Leash?
A puppy or dog will bite and chew at the leash for several reasons:
- The leash makes a great teething toy. A teething puppy often can't resist the urge to chew on the leash, as it eases the pain and pressure in his gums. This is how the puppy usually gets started with the behavior of leash biting. Some "mouthy" dogs are also apt to experiment with leash biting simply due to their tendency to explore the world with their mouth.
- The leash is a fun toy for tug of wars. Soon after the dog first starts biting and chewing the leash due to "mouthy" tendencies or puppy teething, he discovers that biting the leash is a great way to play tug-of-war. So leash biting for puppies often starts out as a result of teething (or simple exploration for older dogs) and it persists once the dog discovers how fun it is to tug at the leash.
- Leash biting is a great way to get attention. Often, leash biting is an attempt to get attention. Does the dog seem to start biting the leash when he's no longer the center of attention (i.e. when the dog walker stops to speak to a neighbor)? If so, this is a dog who is biting the leash because he's bored and in need of attention. It's not uncommon for the dog to start biting the dog walker's pants, hands or shoes once the attention-getting behavior starts. Often, dogs will act in a destructive or naughty manner because they know the behavior will get attention; some dogs would rather have negative attention than no attention at all.
- Leash biting is an experiment in dominance and control. Adolescent dogs in particular are prone to test boundaries in terms of dominance as they emerge from puppyhood and enter adulthood. In nature, this is when the dog would begin to find his place within the dog pack hierarchy, so he's naturally driven to test boundaries as a way to determine if he's more dominant than another pack member. This is another reason why it's important to stop leash biting and chewing; the dog views the leash as the extension of the dog walker's hand and therefore must be stopped before the dog's boundary testing behaviors progress.
How Can I Stop My Dog From Biting the Leash?
There are several fairly simple ways to stop a dog from biting and chewing the leash during walks.
- Use a chain leash with leather handle
- Apply bitter apple or hot sauce to a nylon leash.
- Sit for a "time out" with the dog.
For more information on how to use these training techniques to put a stop to leash biting and chewing, check out How Do I Stop My Dog From Chewing the Leash?
More Training Tips for Puppies and Young Dogs
Looking for more tips for training puppies and young dogs? Check out Why is My Puppy Biting Me? - Stop Puppy Mouthing along with How to Teach a Dog to Sit.
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