Most dogs love to see the sight of their leash - it means it's time for a walk! But there are some dogs that aren't so keen. In fact, if a dog has had a bad experience with a leash in the past, he may be quite fearful of it. To fix leash problems, you need patience and persistence.
It could be that sometime in his life, a leash was used in such a way that your dog wants nothing more to do with it. Maybe he was tied up for hours at a time, dragged around, or whipped with a leash. Some high-strung dogs may even have an unexplained phobia with certain things. At least this problem is easy to fix. All you need is a leash, a collar and a little patience.
The best type of leash to use is one made of webbing or leather with the length being approximately five feet. This allows you to keep your dog under control without him getting tangled up. Avoid chain-link leashes. These can hurt your hands and even flick your dog in the face. Use only slip-chain collars for training and never leave your dog alone with one of these on.
If your dog is really fearful of the leash, you will need to accustom him to it gradually. Put it where he can see it, somewhere where he likes to go - by his food bowl, in his play area, and near his bed. Once he shows no signs of apprehension when he sees it, you can go to the next step. Wrap the leash around your hand while you pet or groom your dog. You can also do this while he eats. While preparing his food, hold the leash in your hand. By doing this, he will gradually become used to it being around and posing no threat to him. This may take some time, depending on the extent of your dog's fear. Do not rush this training period or it will take longer for him to feel as ease.
Once he is comfortable around the leash, you can try attaching it to the collar. While he's in a sit-stay position, clip the leash on. Act like it's no big deal and he will sense that same feeling. Let him get used to it around his neck. Distract him by playing with him or even taking him for a short walk, if he starts to get nervous. Let your dog walk around freely at this stage. You can remove the leash after five minutes and give him lots of petting and praise, and a few treats. This step should be repeated several times before moving onto the next one.
The next step will be a short obedience-training session. Do this for only five minutes. With the leash on, practice calling him by saying, "come." By doing this, he will know to obey you while he is wearing the leash. If this is successful, take him for a short walk. If he becomes jumpy, ignore him and continue walking. Keep calm and see if this behavior will pass. If he's still too nervous to carry on, go back to the level where he was completely comfortable. Keep him at this level for a few more days before going on to the next one.
You should never reprimand him for his nervousness. Be calm or he will sense your frustration and the situation will deteriorate. Being patient with him will win out in the end. Reacting to his anxiety in any way will translate into your being okay with his actions. If you stay calm, your dog will calm down too. This will soon fix the lease problems you have with your dog.
For more tips on how to correct undesirable dog behavior, visit http://www.knowingyourpet.com/dogs. You will find lots of information to help you train your dog so he will become more obedient, therefore creating more harmony between you.
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