Yesterday, I met with a client who has a brand new puppy. She hasn't had a puppy in years and is really trying to do "everything right" this time around. I genuinely appreciate her enthusiasm for the scientific approach to raising puppies. One of her questions was about leashes. She knew she needed to start leash training early, but her puppy resisted the leash, so she stopped, figuring it was better to try introducing the leash again when I was there. This was a terrific way to go as then I could work with her puppy and the leash ensuring right from the start that the leash was a positive thing. I know I've talked about leashes many times, but I feel like it is such an important topic for our dogs that it bears another discussion.
There are 8000 year old images of dogs on leashes, so the use of leashes is not a new concept. What is new is a better understanding of how to use the leash and what kind of information your dog is receiving from you when on leash. The true purpose of a leash is safety, right? We leash our dogs so that they don't run off, wander into traffic, or impede the progress of other people going about their lives. This means that if you are walking a dog on a public street or sidewalk, your leash should be of a length suitable to that purpose given the size of your dog. For most dogs that means a 4 to 8 foot leash. I do not and will not EVER endorse the use of a retractable leash for any dog or any situation. They are dangerous and should not be used on city streets or side walks and for those who like to use them on hikes, trips to the beach, etc. I myself prefer to use a long leash of 20-30 feet for such situations; these long lines are weighted like a regular leash and don't pose the hazard that those retractable leashes inherently do. Not to mention the fact that most dog owners using retractable leashes aren't "reeling in their dogs" when they should, putting other people and their own dogs at risk.
Once you have your 4-8 foot leash, you have to attach it to something on the dog. Small dogs and all puppies should be on harnesses; medium and large sized dogs can still be on harnesses, but a lot of adult dog owners prefer a collar of some sort, whether that's a martingale collar, head halter, or flat collar. The first time you walk a puppy on a leash and harness, that walk should be in your house. Just follow your puppy, keeping the leash loose in your hand. They will spin around, try to grab the leash, sit, and then try to run away from it. That's all okay! Just go along with them. The second they calm down, bend down, show them a treat, and then lure them a few steps to follow you. Keep the treat right in front of their nose so their focus is on that treat, not on the leash. After several short sessions like this, you should be able to follow your puppy around on a leash inside your house. You can practice maneuvering around furniture obstacles, or down hallways, to perfect your walking technique in those safe spaces before you ever venture out into the real world. Don't worry so much about getting a perfect heel; focus instead on keeping your puppy on one side, not under your feet, dragging behind you, or too far out front. Somewhere in your stride works just fine. Make sure you are grasping the leash gently but firmly, though not white-knuckle, death-gripping it. If you put too much pressure on the leash, shortening it so the dog feels pressure on its neck/back, most dogs will resist and pull harder. Giving them a loose leash creates less anxiety and gives your dog more room to explore and sniff, thus relieving anxiety rather than creating or fostering it. And, yes, sniffing and exploring are two things dogs like to do out on those leashed walks!
So, back to my client and her puppy. The puppy already had a harness on when I arrived. I bent down and offered the puppy a few licks from a high value, lickable treat. Once the puppy was enjoying that and wanting more, I brought the leash over and laid it on the floor next to us. The puppy sniffed the leash tentatively and that earned a lick of the treat. When the puppy backed away from the leash, the treat went away. At this point, I asked the puppy to sit, rewarded that behavior, and hooked on the leash, no struggle at all. Now, I stood up and gently held the leash with two fingers and followed her puppy as she moved around the room, tentatively at first, and then with gusto when she realized I was letting her choose our route. Once she got the hang of what a leash felt like, I bent down with my lickable treat and encouraged her to walk where I wanted to walk. I lured her along for about 15 paces, stopped, let her have a few licks, and then waited to see what she'd do. She sat down and looked at me as if to say, "Where to now, treat lady?" We then walked all around the room, with me holding the leash gently and the puppy bouncing along on my left checking in for treats, and then sniffing corners of the room she'd never explored before as they were outside of her x-pen. After 5 minutes of this, I had the puppy sit, and I removed the leash. Session #1 of leash training complete and her puppy is no longer afraid of the leash. Even more importantly, my client now understands how she should be holding the leash, and what her role is on those leashed walks; her job is to keep her puppy safe and make the walk age-appropriately enjoyable.
Now some of you may be saying, "That's all fine and well and good as that was a puppy. What about my leash pulling adult dog who has anxiety?" Even for those dogs, loose leash walking is still your goal. Walk your dog in your yard, inside your house, etc. Just as we can get our daily exercise on a treadmill not a track, so can dogs get their walking exercise walking in a safe area like your yard or home. Obviously, there aren't as many good/novel things to sniff there, but it is safe. Plus, you can make it more interesting for your dog by setting up "Easter eggs" in the areas of your home/yard where you will be walking for your dog to find when they walk. Basically, hide kibble or treats where you will be walking for them to discover. Keep your leash walking sessions short and rewarding until your dog becomes less anxious about leash walking in general.
I know there are dog owners out there who still yank their dogs around by the leash, snap/pop the leash to get their dog's head up from sniffing, and offer other harsh corrections using the leash attached to their dog. It's a wonder those dogs will still go out on a leash! I like to think of leashes the same way I think of reins on a horse; they are there for safety and for me to guide the horse on which way I'd like to go. If you think yanking on a horse's reins will garner you any extra favor with a horse, you're wrong. They are big animals who can knock you right off that saddle, or stop dead in their tracks and stop moving, if your whole approach to using the reins is based in control. Just as reins and a saddle require a relationship between the rider and the horse to be successful, so does that leash/harness or leash/collar combo. You have a relationship with your dog that you want to be positive and pleasant and rewarding for you both. Good relationships do not involve asserting your control or authority in a way that causes pain, confusion, or frustration. While every dog, at one time or another, will get out to the end of their leash and have it tighten their collar or harness uncomfortably as a consequence, that feeling doesn't have to be the rule for walks, but rather just that. A learning opportunity, a chance to teach your dog a better strategy for walking on leash that involves tangible, predictable rewards for keeping near you, on a loose leash, while still being able to sniff and explore.
I'm really looking forward to my next session with this client and her puppy. They are a lovely pair and I'm anticipating that their relationship will do nothing but blossom as they continue to discover how much they enjoy each other.
As always, if you have questions about your pet's behavior, you know where to find me.
This is my buddy, Loki, on a recent session together. You can clearly see that his 6 foot leash is loose, as it's actually dragging on the ground while he sniffs. During our training sessions together, I add in short bouts of loose leash walking so that he can take a sniff break and enjoy being a dog!
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