Dogs bite their leashes, it’s a fact you can’t escape from. Puppies in particular usually have a leash biting phase and if left unchecked, this can continue into adulthood. But why does your dog bite their leash, and how can you modulate their behaviour? Keep reading for reasons why a dog might chew their lead and Easy Ways To Stop Your Dog Biting Their Leash.

Why Does A Dog Chew His Leash?

Dogs can’t tell you how they’re feeling, so they express it through behaviour. Leash biting can be caused by a number of unmet needs. These include:

 Anxiety: Dogs with a nervous disposition may chew their leash in response to unfamiliar, new or overwhelming experiences.

 Excitement: If a dog is excited about the walk and may chew the leash to express this excitement.

 Frustration: A dog park or need more exercise, a dog may bite their leash to vent badly received messages.

Is Leash-Training Important?

Not only is leash-training key to maintaining control of a dog, leash chewing can lead to dogs ingesting foreign material and allow behavioural issues to go unchecked. Leash chewing can make dogs seem aggressive and cause anxiety in other owners or walkers.

“Chewing is a costly habit; even leather leashes won’t survive longer than a few months with an avid chewer. Getting a dog leash-trained will lower leash costs,” says Mavis Lois, an expert from Revieweal and Eliteassignmenthelp.

Leash Training: 7 Effective Methods For Any Dog

With all that in mind, let’s jump into how to help a dog stop biting their leash on walks:

#1 - Don’t Wrestle

It’s tempting when a dog bites and yanks their leash to pull back, but doing so encourages their behaviour with attention and fun. If your dog or one you’re caring for bites their leash on a walk ignore the behaviour as long as you and the dog can remain safe.

#2 - Quality Over Quantity

Don’t skimp on good quality leather when replacing a leash. The well made, pure leather ones may seem pricey to put to slaughter, but they’ll last longer than cheaper brands and you’ll feel motivated to teach your dog not to chew so preserve its quality.

#3 - Start Early

Puppy eyes and adorable, sharp teeth are easy to give into, but your dog will benefit from a firm and confident hand earlier rather than later. As soon as your dog is walking on a leash, training for the leash is just as important as recall and general obedience.

“Suck it up, ignore the sad eyes and stay strong. You’ll both benefit from it later,” offers Jacob Holland, a writer at Uktopwriters and UKWritings.

#4 - Positive Reinforcement is Key

Rewarding behaviour you want is far better than disciplining bad behaviour. Before beginning a dog’s leash training, know what you want to achieve and carry treats with you whenever you take the dog out. Be attentive to good behaviour and reward obedience.

#5 - Strict Methodology

٠ Pause the walk and make them focus on you with a treat.

٠ Distract their attention with a treat, but don’t give it to them!

٠ “Reset” their behaviour by making them sit, focus, then do a trick.

٠ Give them the treat to reward the trick, then start walking again.

Repeat this process as much as needed until your dog stops chewing and instead focuses on pleasing you. Then, reward the good walking.

#6 - Be Aware Of Triggers

Does your dog bite when there’s other dogs around, or right from the home? Take note of when and why your dog seems to start and stop chewing and try to accommodate their needs; anxious dogs may need quiet walks while spirited dogs may benefit from others being around.

#7 - Engage and Reward Regularly

Keep your dog engaged, active and rewarded for good behaviour as often as possible. Talk to them, ask them questions - even though you know they won’t answer - and bring along a chew toy or rope to offer instead of the leash when they start chewing.

Remember; your dog’s behaviour reflects how they’re feeling. Decipher what they need and act upon those needs, you’ll stop your dog biting their leash in no time!

Lauren Groff, a pet writer at OX Essays and Big Assignments, tutors at Simple Grad and writes about dog training.