Biting the Leash

[Tait & Finn]

Any tips to get my Finn to stop biting his leash while we walk? He doesn't do it every time but when he gets excited or we turn and head for home he'll start biting and pulling on the leash. I'll stop walking and tell him to "drop it!" but he doesn't. I end up playing tug of war and I know that just encourages him. I've tried distracting him, telling him to find a stick, squirrel or bunny. Those are words he knows and will immediately start looking around. I hate to trick him but it's the only way to stop this behavior. Any ideas would be most appreciated. Oh, I've tried bitter apple & hot sauce but it didn't work. Thanks.

[Julie and Max]

Like you said playing tug encourages him, and also makes him believe that he's in charge. What I found worked for Max (and this came from my trainer) is you step on the leash, then slide it down under your foot so that he eventually has to lay down, he will struggle, but he can't jump on you, or bite the leash, don't look at him while you wait for him to stop. Eventually he will stop struggling. He'll know you mean business. At first it might take a bit for him to calm down, but he will, and if you are consistent after a few times he'll just stop biting as there is absolutely no reward for it. 

[Tait & Finn]

Oh, that sounds like a good tactic. I'll try it. Thanks.

[Tobi Brenner]

Ha! I am trying that too!  My 10 week old does the same thing and it's one of the things I am struggling to figure out how to correct.

[Julie and Max]

It worked well for me :D Just make sure when you do it you're watching that his collar does not get too tight, I would take the leash down until Max had just enough to lay on the ground but not get up or jump at all, making sure to keep the leash at the back of him so he could not bite at it. Took a bit of maneuvering at first, then I just stood there, said nothing, did nothing, didn't look at him. He really hates being ignored.

Also, I haven't had a leash bite/jump in about two months or so now. 

[Deborah Brown]

Is Finn an anxious dog?  Leash biting is a sign of stress.  It could be that he just doesn't want to go home or it could be stress.  I like the tips already posted but just make sure you are treating the real problem.

Penny is an anxious dog and when she sees something that she is afraid of she will bite on her leash.  The alternative is that she can redirect her biting to me or one of the other dogs so I let her bite the leash.  We work on calming her and desensitizing her to whatever triggers the anxiety.

[Tait & Finn]

No, Finn is not anxious at all. He's just a high energy 70lb pup. I've gone thru I think 4 leashes so far so I'd like to end this habit of his.

[Deborah Brown]

Good, then you should be able to "fix" this.

Penny has not only chewed through her own leash but the other dogs' as well.  I keep an eye on her and have hers reinforced with duct tape!

[Julie and Max]

Tait I had the same problem, just a very high energy 70lb pup, I honestly think he used to just get bored with my slow pace. :) My trainer has been training dogs for over 30 years, she's amazing and very helpful. My walks are lovely now, no leash biting, no pulling, he sits when I stop, he sits at the curb, he sits when someone approaches us. He does not move unless I say his release word. He does not try to approach people unless I say it's okay. The last thing we are working on now, is not to try and approach other dogs unless I say okay. This is a bit harder for him as he really likes other dogs but he is getting there. 

I'm not saying our walks are completely structured because that would be boring for him. When I say "you can sniff" he is allowed to wander to the end of his leash and sniff to his hearts content as long as he's not pulling, but when I do want him to heel and pay attention he does that too. I am also not saying he's perfect, we still have our moments of rolling in a dead thing, or trying to pick a dead thing up lol, but it keeps getting better. :D

[Amy N]

Our puppy Archie (4 months) also loves to bite on his leash. I think he does it out of boredom on the walk. He bites when we're leaving the house, then stops during the walk, then occasionally resumes biting at the end when he's had enough. Our trainer suggested a metal leash--as they hate the feel of the metal on their teeth. It's not as comfortable for us, and chain leashes may not be available for such a large dog like yours, but she ensured us it would work. She also said our guy would likely outgrow it, so we should consider giving it some more time. In your case, I think you've been really patient!

Good luck. Let us know how he does with your new approach.

[Nancy, Ned, Clancy, and Charlie]

A temporary fix is to use a chain leash - no fun to bite, then once the habit is broken you can go back to whatever you want.

[Jane, Guinness and Murphy]

Here are a few ideas....some have already been mentioned.  Be sure to reward the instant Finn stops biting the leash.  That will reinforce the behavior you're looking for.  Also if you teach a solid heel this will become a non-issue.  Good luck.

#1  Allow your dog to carry a toy in his mouth

#2  Teach the “drop it” command and reward dropping of the leash

#3  Use a Gentle Leader.  When you apply some tension on the leash it will automatically close your dogs mouth, gently of course.

#4  Abruptly change directions.

#5  Step on the leash approximately 6 inches below the point that he is holding in.  He will likely not want him muzzle that close to the ground.  Hold this position, while being silent, until he releases, then resume the walk.

#6  Walk fast, like you’re late for a very important appointment.  Do not allow your dog to “sniff & pee” the entire time.

#7  Use a chain leash.  Be careful with this one.  Most dogs do not like to chew on metal, but some do.  In a battle between enamel and metal, metal will win.

#8  Never pull back.  This can turn into a game of tug of war.

 

[Jen W]

Dory only does this if there's something she wants that I won't let her have (like if we walk by a tennis ball in someone's yard, or a really awesome looking stick).  I just stop walking and stare straight ahead until she drops the leash.  She will occasionally start it up again, but I react the same way.  She gets that if she's biting the leash, nothing good happens at all.