Why Do Dogs Leash Bite?
There are a variety of reasons why dogs bite on the leash. Sometimes, they may be bored of leash training exercises. More often, they are redirecting their excitement or frustration onto the lead.
Walking outdoors is frequently a high energy, high stimulus, extravaganza of scents, movement, sound, and sights, for a dog. Therefore, they are more likely to lose control and act out, than when they are at home. This usually occurs when our dog sees a person, squirrel, cat, or some other trigger. Instinctually, he wants to chase the squirrel and cat, or interact with the person. When our dog is prevented from chasing, all that excited energy must still go somewhere, so it may get redirected onto the leash.
My dog was ultimately leash biting, because he was picking up on my weak, tense, and fearful energy. This increased his stress level, and would usually trigger his crazy leash dance. For shy dogs, unbalanced human energy may also cause fear aggression.
Which technique we use to prevent biting on the leash, will depend on the intensity and source of the behavior. If our dog has a bite history, it is best to hire a professional trainer.
For the Bored and Playful Leash Biter
Dog Training
1. Let our dog carry a stick or toy during leash training.
A problem with this technique is that some dogs may want to lie down, and just play with the toy or stick.
2. Play the Find-it game.
A fun game that I play with my dog during walks, is the Find-it game.
- First, I get my dog’s attention by calling his name.
- I reward him for giving me his attention.
- Then, I say Find-it and throw him a treat a short distance away.
- When he finds it, I praise him well, treat him, and repeat.
Once he is accustomed to finding it, I may combine the exercise with other obedience commands, e.g. Come. As his skills improve, I make the game more challenging by throwing the treat under bushes or in tall grass, but only if it is safe to do so.
Most importantly, I keep sessions short, fun, and rewarding. The Find-It game is a big favorite with all of my dogs.
3. Make leash training more interesting.
Leash training and walking will be a lot more interesting, if we change direction, change speed, and throw in some fun foot-work commands, such as Jump, Up, Weave, and Spin.
4. Walk our dog on a loose leash.
I walk my dog on a loose leash, stop often, and let him smell the roses. I only shorten the leash and move my dog into a heel position, when there are excitement triggers around, such as squirrels, cats, other dogs, and loud people.
5. Take our dog to interesting environments.
Visit nearby parks and empty school fields. These places have interesting smells and interesting objects that will keep our pooch happy, while he exercises his scent muscles.
For the Mildly Frustrated or Excited Leash Biter
1. Redirect our dog onto a toy.
Redirection worked initially, but after a time, my dog would ignore the toy and continue biting on the leash.
This technique is most effective when we catch the biting behavior early, so that our dog is not too frenzied to redirect his energy, onto another object. Redirection works best with Sephy, when I am calm and confident.
2. Issue an alternative command.
Once I notice that my dog is starting to lose control, I quickly get him to refocus on me, and get him engaged in doing obedience commands. I only use simple commands, which my dog knows so well that it is almost a reflex, for example Sit. Command redirection will only work, if we catch our dog before he gets too excited or frustrated.
3. Touch the dog’s body with our foot.
We can touch our dog, to try and refocus him back onto us. Do not kick him or apply excessive force to our ‘touch’. This refocus method worked for me initially. However, after a few touches, my dog got habituated to it and just ignored it.
Note that this technique may also be risky, if we accidentally apply too much force, if our dog is easily spooked, or if he is really sensitive to handling. Any of these conditions may cause him to lose trust in us, become even more anxious and fearful, or redirect his crazy energy onto our hands and feet, instead of on the leash.
For the Out of Control Leash Biter
In this situation, it is very important that we stay calm and use management equipment, as necessary, to keep everyone safe. With Sephy, I also have a plan ready, so that I can respond quickly and decisively.
1. Step on the leash and ignore our dog.
This technique is similar to a time-out, but it is not as effective. We take away our attention and our dog’s freedom to explore. However, there are still interesting things happening around him, and fascinating smells.
When I use this technique, my dog will settle down after a short time. As soon as I step away from the leash though, he will start his biting behavior again. I have tried lengthening the duration for up to about 15 minutes, but he still resumed his bad behavior.
2. Get our dog into a brisk walk home.
Forcing my dog to focus on an alternative physical activity, for example a brisk walk home, is the only thing that works for us. I also ignore him while we are walking home. I hold the leash really close to his collar, so I have good control of him, and just go. I do not look at him, talk to him, or touch him, for the entire trip.
Once my dog realized that leash biting only ends the walk and gets him a quick trip home, he stopped the behavior. He still gets excited when he sees a moving deer, but is able to calm himself down once we move a certain distance away from temptation.
Note ā I only do this because my dog has good bite inhibition and will not bite hard on my hand, which is now near to his rather large teeth.
There are several advantages with this leash biting technique:
- Engaging my dog in a physical activity, gives him an outlet for his frustrated and excited energy.
- The brisk walk quickly removes him from the object or event that caused him to lose control. It also ends his enjoyable neighborhood outing.
- Since he is busy walking, he does not have the opportunity to do anything else, including leash bite.
- Finally, I can get home quickly and put him in a full time-out, if he continues to act out.
3. Time-out.
If my dog leash bites in the house, then I put him directly into a time-out area. This allows him to calm down, and shows him that extreme behavior will get his freedoms revoked.
Dogs are smart, and will quickly stop a behavior that gets them nowhere.
4. Spray water on our dog’s muzzle.
This is an aversive method, albeit a mild one. Nevertheless, it still comes with some of the dangers of applying an aversive stimulus. When I tried this technique, my dog just attacked the spray bottle. In addition, it will not be effectual if our dog likes, or is not bothered by water.
Some trainers suggest adding some vinegar or using mouthwash. If we do this, however, we must be very careful with our aim so that the added chemicals do not hit our dog’s eyes. I only used regular water on my dog.
5. Leash correction.
Leash corrections did not work well for Sephy. It only caused him to fight back and escalate his leash biting behavior. Leash corrections are difficult to implement and can be risky, especially when not properly applied.
6. Desensitization exercises.
Another good way to reduce leash biting, is to desensitize our dog to the triggers that get him over-excited. For example, we can do controlled desensitization training with people, other dogs, and even cats.
Desensitization and counter-conditioning exercises helped a lot with my Shiba Inu.
Reactive Dogs and Leash Biting
Some dogs get excited more quickly than others. My Shiba Inu is a very reactive dog and like a super sports car, he can go from 0 to 60 mph in under 5 seconds. Once a dog loses control, he is no longer able to listen to us, and anything that we say will fall on deaf ears. A very high priority treat may sometimes snap him out of his frenzy, but I found that to be unreliable. Most of the time, when a dog goes rear-brained/reactive, he will be totally disinterested in food and other rewards.
At that point, it is no longer possible to redirect the dogās attention away from the squirrel or cat. Instead, I take Sephy to a quiet, low stimulus area, away from the trigger object, so that he can calm down.
In general, we want to catch the behavior early, and prevent our dog from obsessing over the trigger object (squirrel, cat, dog), before he gets into a reactive state. This is one of the reasons why some trainers suggest walking a dog in a perpetual heel-like position (without the more stringent demands of precision heeling).
Forcing a dog to walk close to us, with eyes ahead, can help to discourage distractions and over-excitement instances. However, it also makes for a more boring walk, that does not fulfill a dog’s need to smell and explore.
Precision heeling demands constant attention from both dog and handler and is not appropriate for long periods of time, like for your daily walks around the block or to the park.
~~[ASPCA]
In general, I walk my dog on a loose-leash. At the same time, I stay vigilant and redirect my dogās attention back to me, as soon as I spot a squirrel or cat. In these cases, distance is our greatest friend. Moving our dog away from the trigger object will help to reduce its potency. I usually redirect my dog’s attention onto me (by calling his name), and move him away from the trigger area.
Retraining behaviors will take time, effort, and repetition. However, if we are consistent and fair, our dog will quickly learn which behaviors are positive and rewarding, and which behaviors are not.
Hi I’m trying to train my dog to walk on a leash and he always tries to pull on it and go in the direction he wants to go in! I’ve tried just standing still when he does it but he gets really frustrated and starts to growl and snap at his leash. I’ve also tried just turning in the other direction and it worked the first few times but now he just gets frustrated again. When we’re out on walks he pulls on the leash and won’t stop and it’s really hard to get him to walk at the same pace as me
My Shiba Inu, Sephy, showed similar behaviors when he was young. He figured out pretty quickly that by leash biting, he could control me and control the walk. Some additional things that helped with Sephy-
1. I have strict rules for him at home (using the NILIF program). We practice walking at home first before going out. If he does well, we do door manners, and we *do not* leave until he is calm and following my directions.
2. In the beginning, I would do shorter but more frequent walks around the house. In this way, if Sephy starts to misbehave, I can quickly march him home. In this way, he learns that –
Leash biting = Fun walk ends,
No leash biting = Fun walk continues.
If he starts misbehaving and leash biting at home, I say time-out and put him briefly in a time-out area. In this way he leash that – Leash biting at home = Lose freedom to roam the house.
3. I exercise Sephy some first before going on our walk by playing structured games with him at home. I set up clear game rules, and control his level of excitement with play breaks. This teaches him to look to me for direction, and also helps him to learn to control his own excitement.
http://shibashake.com/dog/pack-leader-to-an-aggressive-dog
Thanks so much for this article. I have a 9 month old husky, who can be an absolute terror on walks. We can be going along, very nicely, loose-leashing our way down the road, when suddenly he just goes into what you described as “rear-brained”. That describes it perfectly. I’m not always sure what triggers it- maybe frustration at not being able to go where he wants (usually he wants to go into the woods to follow a squirrel or some scent he picks up on), or not being allowed to run at full speed- which if course, as a husky, is what he really dreams of doing on walks. He even does it sometimes when we first start out on walks- because he is just too happy and excited about going out! But, anyways, he will suddenly stop walking, and start biting and pulling at the leash, and just acting like a lunatic. He has an easy-walk harness, and twice in the past month he has managed to slip out of his harness while in the throes of one of these tantrums- once while I was stepping on the leash, and the second time- I was actually crouched down next to him holding onto his harness, because a car was going by, and we were working on his sit/stays. He decided he wanted to chase the car and in just a split second, I was left holding his harness in my hands, uselessly, while he ran after the car! Luckily, the people stopped, and opened their door so he would come say hi, and I could then grab him- very good people they were! I am considering using two leashes on out walks- for his own safety- one attached to his harness, and one to his collar. Do you think that would be helpful- or do you have some advice for me? I’m getting to the point where I dread taking him out, because I’m afraid
Yeah, my dogs also used to slip out of their harness and collars. It happened because the fastenings would slip, so the collar size would change after some use. To prevent collar escapes, I now use a no-slip Martingale collar. I adjust it so that at its tightest, it is the size of a flat collar (i.e. I only use it for its no-slip properties and not for collar corrections). The no-slip collar has worked very well for my dogs in terms of preventing escapes.
A bit more on dog collars & harnesses.
In terms of the leash biting, here are some things that helped me with Sephy-
1. I took Sephy out on shorter but more frequent walks. This helps because we are closer to home, and I can quickly end the walk if he acts up.
2. Before taking Sephy out, I would practice leash walking him in the backyard or inside the house first. This gets him into the habit of following my commands, and walking well. Then we do door exercises, and we only leave when he is calm. He is more likely to behave when we start walks in a calm state.
3. I make sure to stay very calm during our walk, and have a detailed plan of what to do if he starts to leash bite. In this way, I can just focus on implementing my plan, which helps a lot with my fear and frustration.
Here is a bit more on the steps I described above.
I had a very difficult time with Sephy and his leash biting. It really made walks into a very stressful affair. However, things got a lot better after I started controlling my own energy, took decisive action when he started leash biting, and figured out some management techniques that worked with him. After that, I just tried out a variety of different methods until I found one (the “march him home” method) that worked well with Sephy. After doing that a few times, he totally stopped his leash biting behavior – it happened really quickly.
Hope this helps. Let us know how things go, and big hugs to your Husky boy.
Hi there! I just wanted to thank you for this post because your tips have been extremely helpful with my rottweiler puppy! Talking her for walks was becoming a painful ordeal but your tips about stepping on the leash and ignoring her have changed her behaviour almost overnight. Thanks!
Hello! I just got a 7 week old chipoo (chihuahua and toy poodle mix) on June 15. He is too full of energy and my parents are already planning to give him away. I was so happy when i got him but he gives me terrible allergies. Anyways, when I put on the harness he always bites it and then when i manage to get the harness on along with the leash, he would still bite the harness and leash on himself. When i take him outside he tries to eat every little thing he sees. We feed him 3 times a day (1/4 cup each time) and i don’t think he should be hungry. I just don’t know what to do anymore.
Yeah, my dog wanted to eat everything as well during puppy-hood. He was not hungry, but he was very curious. He wanted to manipulate and taste all the new things that he saw – using his mouth.
In terms of putting on a collar or harness, I first desensitize my dog to it, and help him associate it with positive experiences.
NOTE – I *do not* walk my dog in the neighborhood until he is fully vaccinated. Puppies still have developing immune systems and may get sick from eating bad poop from other dogs, cats, or other animals.
In terms of leash training, I first start training inside the house. It is lower stimulus in the house so I can focus on helping my dog get used to the leash and collar/harness. Once we are good with walking inside the house, we do training in the backyard, and then I *very slowly* increase the environmental challenge.
After my puppy is fully vaccinated, then I start leash training outside. In the beginning, I watched him like a hawk and prevented him from getting to anything bad. I also kept him on a short leash so that I have better control. In addition I teach him the “Leave-It” command.
Here is a bit more on how I trained my puppy.
Here are a few more things that I do to train my puppy.
Dogs are a lot of work. They need a consistent set of rules, a fixed routine, training and structured exercise, especially in the beginning when they are energetic, curious, and fully of puppy exuberance. š
I have a Mali and she is normally well behaved, she only bites the leash if someone stops to talk to me. I think it is an attention seeking action and I have tried every method and have not been able to get her to stop. I now have a chain leash but she still manages to get to the handle and chew it. When people approach me now I have to ask them to stop so that I can first get a hold of her choke chain to try and stop her, it has really become a problem.
Hello Donne,
What has worked well with my Shiba in terms of greetings, is to do people desensitization exercises in a structured setting first. This helped to raise his reactivity threshold wrt. people, and he is now able to stay calm, not bite the leash, or jump.
Desensitization helps with both over-excitement and fear issues. Here is more on people desensitization.
Hi,
My puppy always bite his leash this causes the leash to be ripped., what shall i do with him? my mom disagrees using Spray Bottle in disciplining him..
Spray bottles did on work well on my dog either. He would get even more crazy and start attacking the spray bottle.
Here is a bit more on how dogs learn. It may also be helpful to talk to a professional trainer.
http://www.apdt.com/pet-owners/choosing-a-trainer/
I have a 4 month old full bred golden retriever puppy and she is a menace. When I take her on a walk, she bites the leash. When I try to get it out of her mouth she lunges at my hands really aggressively. I’ve tried just about everything and nothing has worked to get her to stop. I really need help. Thank you.
What techniques specifically have you tried and what was your puppy’s reaction to each technique? Does she only leash bite outside during walks? What is her behavior like in the house? Does she also bite on hands while in the house?
Dog behavior is very context dependent. To come up with an effective solution for my dogs, I observe them closely, observe the environment closely, and identify what “things” trigger the behavior. Once I gain a better understanding of where the behavior comes from, I can better address the issue at its source.
Also, timing and technique are very important while retraining a behavior. When I was going through a difficult leash biting period with Sephy, I visited with several professional trainers to help me with his retraining.
http://www.apdt.com/pet-owners/choosing-a-trainer/
My lab/german shepherd mix does not bite on the leash when we are walking but He bites on his drag lead. I have been trying to get him interested in other toys but he always goes back to biting the drag lead.
Yeah, if the drag lead is long, it will move around a lot when a puppy is playing. This can get a puppy excited and want to pounce on or play with the lead. Dogs are highly triggered by motion, so a moving toy is usually a lot more interesting than a stationary toy. I play the flirt-pole game with my dogs, and use that to teach them play rules and positive behaviors. This also gives them an outlet for their need to chase and pounce. I also play other movement games with them.
Some people spray bitter apple on the drag-lead, which is a taste deterrent. It can help with some dogs, but many others will not be bothered by it. Sephy continued with biting on his lead even with bitter apple.
I found that shortening the drag-lead can help, but it also reduces the effectiveness of the drag lead. I only do that after my puppy has learned most of the house rules and is pretty well behaved at home.
May I ask what breed your dog is? My puppy is a mixed breed. Her mother is a full-blooded Beagle, but her father was a mixed breed. The thing is, her father looks almost IDENTICAL to your dog! I think if I can find out what kind of dog you have, I might just have the answer to my question of “what kind of dog do I have exactly?”. lol
Also, I wanted to thank you for this article! My puppy (her name is Sadie) just turned 7 weeks and I am trying to figure out the best way to leash-train her. So far, when I leave the leash on her in the house just to “get her used to it” all she does is chew on it. lol
The pictures in this article are mostly of Sephy. Breed = Shiba Inu. He is definitely quite a character – very stubborn, mischievous, adventurous, and bold. š
Sadie sounds absolutely adorable. Do you have pictures online? Would love to see her.
I am so grateful for this site. It is so helpful to realize that my 5 month old feist’s leash biting behavior is not so unusual. I helps me to apply the calming attitude with myself to know that I am not the only one with this problem. Your suggestions have been a great help. She is doing better but still has lapses.
I am interested in something you said — that your dog “goes rear brain”. Would you explain what you mean by that because I wonder if that is what is happening sometime when she just starts running like crazy, sometime in the house and also in the yard (not on a leash). Sometimes it seems just all out joyful, but sometimes out of frustration (cat stops playing with her).
That is an interesting question. When I say “rear brain”, I am referring to the instinctual (non-thinking) part of the dog’s brain, for example the parts dealing with fear, hunger, and other survival behaviors. This is sometimes also referred to as the Primitive brain or Reptilian brain.
When my dog switches to instinct, she has pretty much left the building. At that point, the best that I can do is to remove her from the problem stimulus so that she can calm down. For example, Husky Shania has high prey drive. If she sees a deer (especially a running deer), her drive to give chase may take over. If that happens, she will be operating based on instinct, so my command monologue will fall on deaf ears. Dogs who are in the middle of a fight, are also in that “rear brain” state. They are no longer capable of learning, because instinct has taken over.
The key, I found, is to manage and train my dogs so that they do not get into this mode. I try to catch things before instinct takes over, so that I can redirect their energy and behavior. In addition, desensitization exercises can help to raise a dog’s instinct threshold.
As for running, my Sibes love to run. Often, they would run just for the joy of it. There are many other reasons why a dog may run, sometimes they are chasing prey, sometimes it is out of fear, other times they are releasing excited or stressful energy, and more. I think people run for a very similar set of reasons. However, running alone does not indicate that a dog has switched over to his primal brain.
I play structured running games with my dogs in the backyard (e.g. chase, recall, flirt pole), and through the games (in particular, the game rules), I teach them impulse control, which can also help with their instinct threshold.