What do you think of using a chain leash on a puppy who chews the leash.?

Question

I was told in puppy kindergarten to yank the leash from the mouth to teach her not to chew it. She has already bitten us several times. I looked in her mouth and saw a missing tooth top front and worry it was from yanking the leash from her after she chewed on it.

I've got the Dog Whisperer book and the author does tug the leash to train but uses a very thin, short leash so I'm trying that and so far it's gotten better.

Answer 1

Yanking is ridiculous! I would use the thinest chain you can find, tell that teacher, your gonna yank her!

Answer 2

There are better methods than yanking to teach your puppy not to chew. Try mixing up some homemade bitter apple spray, a 1:1 mixture of apple cider vinegar and rubbing alcohol plus 1 tsp of alum. Put it in a spray bottle and spray it on the leash.

I hope your puppy kindegarden isn't having you use choke chains. Jerking a choke collar is the common method of correcting a dog on a lead; but it is not something that you do with a puppy.

For biting, let the puppy bite on your hand; then don't let him take his mouth off. You don't have to force your hand into his mouth, but keep a steady pressure until your puppy really really wants to get your hand out of his mouth. (This works best with very small puppies with needle sharp teeth--and yes, it does hurt you. The upside is that you only need to do it once or twice and the puppy will NEVER try to bite again. It eliminates your having to deal with the natural "tugging" response when you try to jerk your hand away and pup wants to hang on.)

Talk to other obedience trainers about various ways to establish yourself as "alpha" in your dog's mind. Some of them sound pretty strange, and it is better to get a live demonstration that to read about it someplace. The alpha leader does not use fear, punishment or brute force--but does make it clear what behaviours are acceptable and what are not. Techniques like the alpha roll, dominant eye contact, time outs (sit/down/stay), tapping chin or grabbing ears...all of these are quiet, gentle, dominant activities that help your dog perceive his place in your pack.

The type of breed and the age of your pup may influence the leash chewing behavior. For example, some retrievers can be distracted from the leash chewing behavior by letting them carry around a favorite toy. You wouldn't want to do this during a class if the toy distracts your dog from the learning situation; but at the same time, such a habit becomes a reward. If your dog has a toy he'll carry around, you can use it as incentive to learn, along with praise and often instead of "bait."

Answer 3

Chewing is a puppy thing, they will grow out of that regardless of your action, and there's not much you can do now to prevent it. If a tooth was caught in a chain link and you pulled it your puppy would of course not like the leash. I'm more worried that your puppy has bitten you several times? Are you talking about normal puppy chewing or all out bites? I would switch to a different type of leash that doesn't frighten your puppy so much. There are plenty of strong leashes out there that are not chain. If you have to train with a choker chain...there are some alternatives to that also now, one with a fabric loop that tightens when pulled. If your dog will be large, think about what a liability a biting dog will be, you need to calm this down and raise a happy puppy that is not fearful.

Oh...when my puppy was little I let her take a toy with her for a while on walks in her mouth...it kept her busy. Treats might work too if you keep doling them out

Answer 4

If you have a chewer, they are going to mangle their teeth on a chain. Put pepper spray or something on the leash. Not while the leash is on the dog... call a vet or your local pound for help on breaking the habit. He may be lonesome and just need a little company like a ticking clock in a blanket or a radio with some music on it ... just like chewing and would be happy with some toys, pig's ears and an old pair of goodwill shoes ... or he may be having anxiety problems at being held captive. I'm voting with the majority, ignore the puppy kindergarten teacher when told to yank the leash.

Answer 5

Puppies lose their baby teeth, just like humans do, and that is why they chew so badly! And probably why she's missing a tooth right now too. Redirect her to a more appropriate chew toy, maybe keep one with you on walks and place it in her mouth when she chews. Or you could try putting Bitter Apple or Fooey spray on the leash, these products have a foul taste to deter chewing. Also, buy yourself a Lupine brand leash, you can find them at most large pet stores. The Lupine company has a lifetime replacement guarantee on their collars and leashes, and you can exchange a chewed-up leash or collar for a new one, however many times it's chewed. And also see about a Gentle Leader, it's a head collar and it's more like a horse harness than a traditional dog collar. It can work wonders with a difficult walker. Good luck!

Answer 6

the missing teeth could be from yanking. A chain leash is the way to go, or get some dog spray(ususally available at any pet store or vet) that makes things they chew on taste bad, and spray all over the leash. Do not yank the leash, it really can hurt their little mothes

Answer 7

You should try watching the dog whisperer. He actually does use a yanking technique (not while the leash is in the dogs mouth) with the dogs but it isn't in a painful way and if you are holding the leash right then the puppy won't be able to get it in their mouth. It's best to start this technique now while the puppy is young. It does work and it isn't painful to the dog and besides the dog whisperer is a really neat show. It was very helpful for me with my 85 lb shepard mix who is absolutely awful on a leash I wish I had adopted him when he was smaller because it would have made the training process sooo much easier.

Answer 8

Don't ever yank on your dog! She will become afraid of you and that's the last thing you want. You can try spraying bitter apple on the leash like others suggest - some dogs actually like the taste so if that doesn't work, you can try mixing some cyanne pepper with water and spraying that on there. My dog used to bite me too - until I started biting back. It sounds ridiculous, but it truely works. Whenever she would bite me (usually just a little nibble) I would yelp like a puppy would, and then bite her back. She learned very quickly and now I can put my hand in her mouth and she opens her mouth wider to pull away. Your dog really does want to make you happy, you just need to teach her what you want her to do. Good luck!

Answer 9

It is never a good idea for you to yank the puppies leash out of her mouth. If you have done this previously and she is missing a tooth then you know the reason why. I think you might want to ask your vet who might be able to give you some better advise. It would be a good idea to take your puppy to the vet to insure that their mouth does not have any other damage that was done by you.

Answer 10

Obviously this dog needs some serious training before she grows up and bites someone else. Changing to a chain leash isnt' going to fix the problem. You need to address the leash chewing and the biting of people issues, not avoid them.

Answer 11

Don't use a chain, you can end up damaging your hands.
Use a web or leather leash but use Bitter Apple, or Fooey on it.

Don't yank the leash out of her mouth, that is dangerous and stupid, find a new puppy Kindergarten.