# Pulling and tugging on leash



## jweisman54 (May 22, 2010)

I am at my wits end and so frustrated. Izzy will NOT stop grabbing her leash which is now a chain leash and pulling on it and trying to tug. I tell her drop it, leave it, stand like a tree, turn around, ignore, but she still pulls and pulls and starts to growl. It doesn't matter if she is on the Easy Walk or Gentle Leader, she still manages to grab it with her mouth. Bitter apple, nothing works. I try to get in her face but that doesn't work either.

HELP!


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## RedDogs (Jan 30, 2010)

Have you done this?






This is not turning away, this is not ignoring it. This is tossing a treat when she lets go...even if the letting go WAS to regrab it.

Another thing to consider is to teach her how to play tug:
Welcome to Dogwise.com

The things you are doing are either percieved as play or are increasing anxiety...and both will increase the frequency, intensity, and duraiton of behavior.


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## GoldenSummer (Mar 26, 2010)

okay *I* am soooo going to try this lol well at least something similar since he already knows the click means good and treat, but still a good base to start and modify from


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## wenryder (Oct 21, 2010)

Reddogs posted this for me a while back and Obie picked up on it pretty quickly! We've taught the command "let go" and it works like a charm.
Good luck!

(Thanks again Reddogs!)


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## TomCat'sGirl (Aug 27, 2010)

RedDogs said:


> Have you done this?
> 
> YouTube - Stop Biting the Leash!
> 
> ...


 
Wow thanks for sharing this. We are working with Cash on the same issue. We atart our next class tomorrow. I am very interested in earning some titles with Cash but am un sure about starting with clicker training. It seems so effective just not sure if it's allowed. I have only been to one show (I'm hooked) and did not see any clickers so I have not really looked into them but man it's seems so fast.


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## RedDogs (Jan 30, 2010)

Clicker training can be great for teaching manners to competition behaviors. It is not something used once you are in the ring and showing, it's just part of a training process.


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## jweisman54 (May 22, 2010)

RedDogs said:


> Have you done this?
> 
> YouTube - Stop Biting the Leash!
> 
> ...



Yes, I have been working on the "let go" but I say "drop it" but I feel like I am rewarding her when she is going for the leash. I guess I will have to keep at it.


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## RedDogs (Jan 30, 2010)

I don't do a "let go" cue while you are working on dropping the leash. Literally stand and reinforce for leash drops (even unintentional). If you are reinforcing for the letting go.... you COULD create a "I should grab the leash so I can let go" but that behavior will be a just-barely-grab-the-leash, not a tug. And if you are reinforcing at other moments when leash is out of mouth, you'll avoid your puppy from being too clever.

You can definitely consider talking to a professional about this.... sometimes it goes faster to see it in real life with your dog and someone with good timing.


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## HAELO (Oct 11, 2010)

just wondering, what is that little clicker the trainer is holding???


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## RedDogs (Jan 30, 2010)

Welcome to Dogwise.com

or

Welcome to Dogwise.com

I can't find a good quick-short-link-description.

Essentially, every click is followed by a strong reinforcer (typically food). The food only appears after the click, making it MUCH easier to get rid of the food compared to typical food-lure type training. (The animal doesn't see food = behavior). The click happens when something desirable happens. 

In that video...at the beginning of the session, the dog was not going to let go and just stand there, so clicks happened for "mouth open" even if the dog was about to re-grab. Very quickly she was letting go faster and then started to not take the leash even when waggled. 

Anyone have a better description?


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## Ljilly28 (Jan 22, 2008)

How about walking her with a long braided tug toy that is okay for her to bite? Teach her "get it" and "drop", and make sure you say when the game begins and you say when it ends. That way you can practice the commands without making the leash itself a battleground.

Then, when you walk without a tug toy, make it active training time: 




I play 1000 different versions of thos fun game with all our pups so they focus on heeling rather than the leash:


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