![\"White](\"https:\/\/puppyintraining.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/biting-leash-700x525.jpg\")
<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\nNot to mention how expensive it can become to keep replacing leashes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
My rescued golden retriever<\/a> Riley was about six months old when I adopted him. <\/p>\n\n\n\n He came with some behavioral issues\u2013not the least of which was grabbing his leash. <\/p>\n\n\n\n He actually ripped through the first leash I put on him. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Not to worry, he was inside and I was trying to get him used to it so that I could take him on walks. <\/p>\n\n\n\n So I worked with that issue and resolved it pretty quickly. I\u2019ll tell you more about what worked below.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In this article I’ll set forth reasons why a puppy may bite her leash. And I\u2019ll set forth how you can stop this annoying\u2013and expensive\u2013habit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n QUICK RECOMMENDATION: <\/strong>My puppies have drawn blood with their teeth many times. The Milunova Pupr Pals\u2122 Dog Toy<\/a> is a plush squirrel puppet toy that helps to protect your hands from those sharp puppy teeth during play. <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n At first a puppy chewing on and tugging his leash seems so cute. <\/p>\n\n\n\n But as he grows and gets adult teeth, the habit becomes annoying and even dangerous. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Of course you don\u2019t want to have to buy a new leash every day because your puppy destroys them. <\/p>\n\n\n\n But there are additional reasons to stop your puppy from biting his leash as soon as you can. <\/p>\n\n\n\n A walk with a puppy chewing on his leash is not pleasant. <\/p>\n\n\n\n So puppies who bite their leashes often don\u2019t get walked very often and also lose out on socialization to new experiences. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The leash may break and she may get free and injured or lost. <\/p>\n\n\n\n And her biting the leash can lead to other unwanted behaviors such as mouthing or biting your clothes\u2013and you. <\/p>\n\n\n\n And it doesn\u2019t teach your puppy to have any impulse control, which can result in many other unwanted behaviors such as excessive barking<\/a>, lunging, and spinning. <\/p>\n\n\n\n It can even lead to aggressive behavior in some dogs. <\/p>\n\n\n\n There are many reasons why your puppy may bite her leash. And there may be more than one reason. <\/p>\n\n\n\n So after you figure out why she\u2019s grabbing the leash, you can fix the problem. And actually have enjoyable walks!<\/p>\n\n\n\n A puppy may bite a leash for the following reasons:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Your puppy may just be bored on the walk. Sometimes this occurs if the same route is always taken. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Or it could be the pace you walk at. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Going too slowly may cause some puppies to lose interest and bite the leash to occupy themselves by chewing or tugging on it. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Or walking too fast may overstimulate her and cause her to bite the leash.<\/p>\n\n\n\n When a puppy\u2019s excited or over-stimulated, he may just grab onto anything that\u2019s near him\u2013whether it\u2019s your hand, clothes, or leash.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A puppy may bite her leash because she wants your attention. <\/p>\n\n\n\n To some pups, even negative attention is better than no attention.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Puppies that are just beginning to learn to have a leash attached to their collar or harness may think that it\u2019s a toy. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Sometimes puppies get frustrated being on a leash. <\/p>\n\n\n\n It prevents them from getting to the things that they want to reach such as other dogs, people, birds, rabbits, and even moving vehicles. <\/p>\n\n\n\n She\u2019s upset about being restrained. <\/p>\n\n\n\n So, what does a puppy do? She bites the leash, of course. <\/p>\n\n\n\n It\u2019s her way of dealing with frustration. <\/p>\n\n\n\n This is especially true in an environment that is extremely stimulating to her that occurs on her walk.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If your puppy is stressed or overwhelmed, she may bite the leash to help calm herself down. It\u2019s a displacement behavior. <\/p>\n\n\n\n This occurs especially to puppies who aren\u2019t yet socialized to the new situations that they\u2019ll face or if the new situation is overwhelming.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Your puppy may bite her leash out of curiosity. <\/p>\n\n\n\n She may see this interesting piece of cloth or leather dangling near her and wonder what it is. <\/p>\n\n\n\n And she\u2019ll investigate it with her mouth, of course, because she doesn’t have opposable thumbs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n You probably play tug with your puppy. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Some cloth or rope toys are fun to tug (as long as your pup will release the toy on cue). <\/p>\n\n\n\n So a leash is very appealing to your pup. <\/p>\n\n\n\n After all, she loves that game and every time that she goes for a walk, this fun toy\u2013the leash\u2013 magically appears. <\/p>\n\n\n\n And she takes advantage of the opportunity to grab it and bite it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In addition to appearing like a toy to your puppy, when the leash appears right in her face when it\u2019s attached to her collar or front-clip harness, it\u2019s very inviting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n As is true with dog training and behavior issues, there are many approaches you can try to help break the habit of your puppy biting on her leash. <\/p>\n\n\n\n You may have to use more than one method listed below to deal with your little land shark.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Make sure that your puppy\u2019s had enough physical and mental exercise. <\/p>\n\n\n\n If she has too much pent-up energy, she won\u2019t be able to contain herself and bite the leash. <\/p>\n\n\n\n So play fetch or other physical games to help take the edge off her excessive energy. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Mental stimulation is as important as physical exercise is, so have her play with activity toys<\/a> that provide enrichment. <\/p>\n\n\n\n A flirt pole<\/a> can provide physical and mental exercise for dogs. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Have her perform obedience exercises.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Have your puppy figure out how to reach kibble in a puzzle toy<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It\u2019s important to purchase a good-quality leash. <\/p>\n\n\n\n If the leash is too thin or of an inferior quality, it will inevitably break. <\/p>\n\n\n\n When I\u2019m training a puppy, I use a cotton leash<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Cotton is easier on the hands than nylon is. <\/p>\n\n\n\n I generally don\u2019t buy a leather leash until the puppy understands not to bite it. <\/p>\n\n\n\n A high-quality leather lead can be expensive and damaged by curious puppy teeth. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Some people even use a chain leash<\/a> when training a puppy not to bite on the lead. <\/p>\n\n\n\n This can work with some puppies because it\u2019s usually not fun for a pup to chew on metal. <\/p>\n\n\n\n You can also place a two-feet piece of PVC pipe over a regular leash so that the pipe reaches down to the clasp that attaches to the pup\u2019s harness or collar.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n Most puppies won\u2019t be attracted to chew on the PVC pipe like they would a material leash. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Also, when choosing a leash, make sure that it\u2019s no more than six feet long<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n If you use a longer line to walk your puppy, the leash can be seen as more of a toy and lead to him grabbing and biting it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I\u2019ve found this to be very effective with most puppies. <\/p>\n\n\n\n You can spray a product like Bitter Apple<\/a> on the lead from the clasp for about a three foot section. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Do it prior to placing the leash on the pup so that it’s not accidentally sprayed on her. <\/p>\n\n\n\n This is what instantly stopped my rescued golden Riley from chewing on his leash. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The second that he tasted the bitter substance, it was no longer fun to grab this piece of cloth that was attached to him. <\/p>\n\n\n\n We could then take nice, leisurely walks. And I didn\u2019t spend a small fortune replacing leashes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Teaching a puppy to respect our rules is important in any situation. <\/p>\n\n\n\n If she knows some behaviors that you can have her perform on cue, it will redirect her to desirable actions. <\/p>\n\n\n\n So stop walking if she starts to bite on the leash. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Teach your puppy to pay attention to you\u2013not to the leash. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Teach her a \u201clook\u201d cue. <\/p>\n\n\n\n And teach her some impulse control exercises such as sit, down, and stay. <\/p>\n\n\n\n You can show her the treat at first as a lure, then reward her after she performs the behavior.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Have her sit or lie down before you throw a ball. This helps your puppy to have impulse control even in stimulating situations. <\/p>\n\n\n\n PRO-TRAINER TIP: Have a supply of great, <\/em><\/strong>yummy treats<\/em><\/strong><\/a> that your dog can\u2019t resist ready as a reward.<\/em><\/strong> They should be small, no larger than a pea. Always have your reward treats ready before giving your obedience cue.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n I taught my Energizer bunny Aussie mix Millie to sit, lie down, spin, speak, perform hand signals, or whatever other cue I give before throwing her ball. <\/p>\n\n\n\n She\u2019s ball-obsessed and performing these cues really helped with her overall impulse control. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Teaching your puppy to \u201cheel\u201d next to you will also keep her focused on walking next to you with attention rather than focusing on the leash that she\u2019s attached to. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Also teach your pup to \u201cleave it\u201d on cue before her teeth touch the leash.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Often rope<\/a> or long cloth-type<\/a> toys work well. <\/p>\n\n\n\n So, without distractions, teach your puppy to take and give the toy back to your hand on cue.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Then, if you see that your pup wants to bite on the leash, show her the toy on your walk to redirect her to the correct item to bite. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Redirect her before<\/em> she starts biting at the leash.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It\u2019s important that your puppy is focused on you. <\/p>\n\n\n\n So have her attention, play with her, and make the walk fun. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Being engaged with you should occur at home too. <\/p>\n\n\n\n So play games with your puppy, socialize her, teach her tricks, and just spend quality time with her. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The bond that you have with her throughout the day will also help her engage with you on your walks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Teach your puppy to \u201cgo on a sniffari.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n The latest way to enrich our dogs\u2019 lives is to encourage them to use their natural abilities to sniff on a walk. <\/p>\n\n\n\n You can teach your puppy a \u201csniff\u201d cue for a short time on your walk. <\/p>\n\n\n\n After all, dogs have a \u201cnose brain\u201d and love to explore the scents around them. <\/p>\n\n\n\n This can help distract your puppy from biting the leash while providing an enrichment activity. Sniffing is naturally calming to pups.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Another fun game is to have your pup use her natural foraging skills. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Throw about five pieces of kibble down, telling her to \u201cfind it.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n Play this at home first so that she understands the game. <\/p>\n\n\n\n And make sure that she sees you toss the food down. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Then, you can occasionally use this skill to redirect her to a fun game rather than chewing on the expensive leash.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Try to keep a loose, not tight, leash that\u2019s held behind your puppy\u2019s head. <\/p>\n\n\n\n If the leash is tight, it may cause her to get frustrated and start biting it. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Also, if the leash is right in front of her face, she may think that it\u2019s fair game to chew as a toy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If your puppy chews her leash because it\u2019s in her face when walking, such as occurs with a front-clip harness, you can use a back-clip harness<\/a> that she\u2019s less likely to chew.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Even though it can be frustrating at times, don\u2019t give up. <\/p>\n\n\n\n It\u2019s important to leash train your puppy as soon as you can so that she doesn\u2019t develop undesirable behaviors like biting on the leash.<\/p>\n\n\n\n While you\u2019re training your puppy to learn how to walk properly on a leash, try to avoid situations that will definitely lead to her biting on it. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Of course, always start all training without distractions. <\/p>\n\n\n\n On your walks, some things, like a jogger running by, may overly stimulate her, causing her to bite the leash. <\/p>\n\n\n\n So try at first to walk her at a quieter time or at a further distance from such distractions until she gets used to wearing her leash on walks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n So many puppies go crazy when they even see the leash or hear the word \u201cwalk.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n By the time they actually have the lead on and go on the walk, they can\u2019t control their enthusiasm. Or their teeth on the leash. <\/p>\n\n\n\n So teach your puppy to be calm when she sees the leash and when she has it attached. This needs to be done in \u201cpuppy steps.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n First, make sure that your puppy\u2019s exercised so that she\u2019s not too energetic. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Then, do some training set-ups. <\/p>\n\n\n\n When you reach for the leash, and she\u2019s calm, praise and reward that behavior. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Next step is when you hold the leash and your puppy\u2019s calm, praise and reward her.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Of course, this process may take days or even weeks to be successful. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Teach her to sit and be calm while the leash is attached to her collar or harness. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Praise and reward when she\u2019s calm and successful. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Also do training sessions where your puppy\u2019s calm exiting your house and even when she hears you say the word \u201cwalk.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n Have her sit before exiting the house. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Teach her to heel by your side calmly rather than bolting out the door. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Eventually, with practice, your puppy won\u2019t already be so excited at the prospect of the leash and taking walks that she automatically bites the leash.<\/p>\n\n\n\n You can hold both leashes. Then, when your puppy grabs one, you drop that one and just hold onto the other so that her biting the leash doesn’t turn into a tug game. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Of course be careful not to drop both. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Then you should stop walking and start again holding both leashes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Even though you don\u2019t want to over-stimulate your puppy, you still need to socialize her<\/a> to everything that she\u2019ll face in everyday life. <\/p>\n\n\n\n This means getting her used to people and dogs passing by. <\/p>\n\n\n\n puppy\u2019s also bark on a leash<\/a> when excited. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Of course you shouldn\u2019t have your dog meet all people or dogs on walks. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Doing so can result in leash frustration where she expects to greet everyone. <\/p>\n\n\n\n And it can also be dangerous because not all dogs are friendly and most don\u2019t want an over-zealous puppy in their face. <\/p>\n\n\n\n So teach her a \u201csay hello\u201d cue when she can go up to a person or other dog. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Get her used to sights and sounds of cars, children running, bicyclers, motorcycles, squirrels, rabbits, and everything else that she\u2019ll be exposed to in everyday life. <\/p>\n\n\n\n If it\u2019s too exciting for her, just distance yourself from the stimulus far enough away that she can handle the new experience. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Then, over time, she can be exposed at a closer distance where she\u2019s able to handle the excitement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n As I described socializing your puppy, it\u2019s best to keep her under threshold when exposing her to the world. <\/p>\n\n\n\n If she\u2019s too excited, she won\u2019t be able to control her conduct. <\/p>\n\n\n\n And she\u2019ll exhibit many undesirable behaviors. <\/p>\n\n\n\n So always try to set her up to succeed. <\/p>\n\n\n\n If your pup is over-stimulated, you won\u2019t be able to train or socialize her properly. <\/p>\n\n\n\n So, if someone or thing is too exciting, just add distance. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Walk her further away at a distance that she can handle the stimuli.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Keeping her under threshold is also true in your greetings with her. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Try to be calm and low-key when you arrive home. <\/p>\n\n\n\n And, before going on walk, don\u2019t make it a party. Just teach her to be calm.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Some trainers have found this to be helpful. <\/p>\n\n\n\nWhat\u2019s the Harm in a Puppy Biting a Leash?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Why Puppies Bite a Leash<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
1. The puppy\u2019s bored on the walk<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
2. The puppy\u2019s excited<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
3. To get your attention<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
4. The puppy doesn\u2019t understand what a leash is for<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
5. The puppy Is frustrated<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
6. The puppy\u2019s anxious<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
7. Out of curiosity<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
8. The leash looks like a toy<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
9. The leash is in your dog\u2019s face<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
How To Stop Your Puppy from Biting on Her Leash<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
1. Exercise your puppy<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
2. Get a different type of leash<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
3. Use a chew deterrent<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
4. Teach obedience commands<\/a> and impulse control exercises<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
5. Have an alternate tug toy with you <\/h3>\n\n\n\n
6. Keep your puppy engaged with you<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
7. Have your puppy use her nose<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
8. Focus on your leash-handling skills<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
9. Change equipment<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
10. Start leash training when the puppy\u2019s young<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
11. Avoid the puppy\u2019s triggers<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
12. Do leash practices<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
13. Have two leashes<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
14. Socialize your puppy<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
15. Keep your puppy under threshold<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
16. Use a basket muzzle<\/a><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
![\"How](\"https:\/\/puppyintraining.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/puppy-biting-leash-700x1050.jpg\")
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