# Puppy keeps biting the leash



## USAFWife74 (Jan 13, 2013)

A chain leash is a lot less fun to chew on! ?. 


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## Gwen_Dandridge (Jul 14, 2012)

Okay, this I'm an expert at, not at winning, but at the war. I tried hot sauce, first I did tabasco and then I wiped it off as I was feeling like such an ogre. After a bad obedience class that night, I dipped it straight in.

No change.

I went for the DANGER XXXX sauce, no change.

I tried teaching her to 'take it' and then leave it. She thought it was a trick and wouldn't take it.

I tried serious hollering at her, loud and just once. That worked pretty well. but still back again.

I tried crating her for ten minutes. I tried stopping and not moving until she stopped. All these things worked for a bit, to various degrees.

My new favorite is a small spray bottle of water. I spritz her. It certainly doesn't hurt her but the surprise is super. She has stopped for the time being. Unknown how long it will last.


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## Katduf (Mar 10, 2013)

This is your pup's way of redirecting her energy. Other dogs (like mine!) may jump on their owners, but it is essentially the same thing. What I do is make myself more exciting than anything or anyone else, so that attention gets focused back on me rather than the other dog/people. I do this by acting excited and running in a different direction, then after a 'safe' distance from the distraction I give the best treat ever. Consistency and repetition are the keys to success. Bear is 1.5 now and i still do this regularly. Good luck and enjoy your beautiful baby!


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## quilter (Sep 12, 2011)

Ah,yes, this is familiar. Two things have helped us. The first is to not let him get so ramped up. That means that you can cut short the visits/interactions before he gets too excited. For example, I don't let Casper sit and stare at people and dogs. We just keep moving past.

But the best thing I discovered is to call him back to me, rather than pulling him back to me. This puts him immediately into training mode, not reaction mode. I treat it exactly as a recall command.

I have also noticed that when Casper is visiting people, there will be one second when he looks back at me. That is the moment to call him back, because he's feeling he's had enough.


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## Kelev's_Dad (Oct 23, 2009)

Have you tried going to a harness? Worked better for me on excitable pups and pretty tough to gab the lead.


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## DesmondsMommy (Jun 29, 2013)

Thanks for all the feedback! I think we will try to get one of those front clip harnesses and maybe we will try the water bottle for the constant leash biting. I also need to work more on training him outdoors so he can learn to focus with distractions.








Here is a picture of our little demon... I mean DESMOND! Hah Hoping for the best! 


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## Willow52 (Aug 14, 2009)

Hank liked to grab the leash when he was young, I started keeping a few sticks by the door (or you could use a toy) for him to carry. It also helped when we switched to the Sporn Non-pull Mesh Harness since the leash clips on in the back.


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## ally1h (Nov 27, 2012)

At 1 year old, my pup STILL likes to bite the leash once he gets ramped up and excited for one reason or another. Sometimes he does it because he likes being a teenage butthead. Since the day I brought him home I taught him a correction that means "stop what you are doing, right now!". The correction is my saying "eh-eh!". 

When my teenager fluffy butt of a pup bites the leash I stop walking, use my correction and immediately tell him a different command or series of commands. That point in time is the perfect opportunity to do some puppy push ups "sit, down, stand, sit, down, stand, rollover!". Repeat, give treats. By the end he has forgotten and we continue walking. 

But sometimes the only thing you can do is wait it out by standing like a tree and wait for the pup to realize you aren't playing and continue on your merry way.

My pup still tries to bite it when excited, but now it is very short lived. A good solid "eh-eh!" Does the trick usually.


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## Elvis (Sep 19, 2013)

He needs to learn to calm down in these instances. Some people suggested channeling his energy with commands. That can work. Having a cool down period where say you bring a Kong or a rawhide and take a break during the walk might help as well. I don't tolerate leash biting. My personal method is to put the dog in a sit. Then take away almost all of his leash length and just massage him while talking soothingly. This is a calm down technique and may be all you need. I don't necessarily like verbal corrections. Action, positive physical interaction with the dog can be much more effective. But I work with big stubborn dogs, not sweet eager to please Goldens. It's so important once you've developed a trusting relationship with a large-sized dog to keep your hands on him or her. Never in a timid way. It's possessive but also affectionate. Builds the bond while also reminding them you're the master in this relationship.

... Or you could just spray the leash with bitter apple spray and see what happens.


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