The sound of the leash click is very familiar to our dogs. The click can mean freedom or control. It is the sound that they are going out for a walk, the sound that they are being let loose to run amongst the bull rushes and the sound that they are under the direction of who is on the other end of that darn leash.
The leash, while looking like a simple tool, can inflict complications and is often the source of distress for dogs. Pet owners agree, it is complicated. They would expect their dogs to be much more ill behaved when off the lead, but they are finding the opposite to be true. Dogs on leash are often much more confrontational to their dog buddies while being tethered.
While we will never know exactly what our dogs are thinking, we can do our best to look through their eyes and make some educated guesses. The way the leash is used by the dog handlers is most often the root of the problem. Lets look at a common scenario. Your dog is pulling you down the street, and the leash is used to pull the dog back into place, into “heel” position...time and time again. Over and over again dogs are being walked down the street with their heads being yanked back and hearing the words “heel” repeated, often in an escalating, frustrating tone. This escalation often involves other dogs. This action can decrease a dogs self confidence, which in turn might lead to other problems. The restriction of the leash can be felt if held too tightly, and dogs are unable to meet and greet others in their own canine style.
It is important to look at the past history of the dog owner. Perhaps a dog they previously lived with was not compatible with the others and had to be kept away, or perhaps the owner has little education in dog body language and perceives their excitement to greet a dog buddy as an aggressive action. This past history can be felt through the leash. As dogs approach on the street, the leash becomes taught. The dog is pulled back and the possible view our dog sees is that greeting other dogs is a negative action. If this is repeated you will often see our dogs becoming more and more afraid, and fear often manifests in dogs lashing out at each other.
A better use of the leash is to use it to keep dogs out of harms way. Keep the leash slack and teach your dog to focus on you. The objective is to enjoy your walk. The objective for many dog owners, myself included, is to have our dogs walk nicely by the others and not stop each time to greet. My dogs have plenty of time to socialize, but when I am on the other end of the leash I prefer that they walk by. In this case, the leash provides security. The dogs understand they are on a walk with me, and that they can feel confident that I will keep them out of harms way. By teaching focus to your dog by rewarding them for paying attention, there is no muss or fuss when a dog is seen coming down the sidewalk. Taking the time to teach your dog proper leash manners will not only provide a peaceful outing, but should help to curb some of lunging habits that might turn into something much harder to deal with later on. By rewarding our dogs for walking past the dogs and keeping an eye on us, we will be helping to change the emotional response of the dog to the situation. Instead of dogs becoming stressed when another dog approaches (thinking that something negative will happen to them) they should feel completely different. Now, they should see a dog coming, look back at their people and jump for joy. Seeing another dog now turns into something great happening for them!
The leash can also be the instigator of lots of commotion at the front door. I was doing a home visit with a client, and I asked this client to bring me her dogs leash. I was going to show her how her leash could become her best friend while indoors. She took the leash out of the closet and the dog went into over-excitement mode. As the owner looked on, her face dropped and she stated that now her dog thought he was going for a w-a-l-k. Yes, she spelled it out. It was extremely stressful for the client to think her dog had been cued to go for his walk, when the fact was that the leash did not mean the same thing for me. This is a common situation and it can be cute if it is a puppy jumping up in anticipation. The scene can take on a negative twist as the dog grows older and bigger. To eliminate the pattern, you have to change things around, keep your dog on his toes. Take the value away from the object. Put the leash on your dog, and go and sit on the couch and ignore him for a few minutes, then take the leash off. Switch it up. You are only limited by our own imagination. Now the dog can make a choice. He can determine by his own action if he will be going for his walk. This allows for a bit of independence on the dog’s end, which can be a great thing for the dog/owner bond. He can be as determined as he wants to be, he can jump up and be demanding, but he will find that simply wont work. This exercise can do wonders for teaching your dog self-control.
Teach your dog that the leash coming out means he sits properly to have it put on. Getting your dog whipped into a frenzy by repeating “want to go for a walk” over and over again while getting the leash out only helps to increase the chaos. Simply take out the leash and ask your dog to sit and clip it on. After doing this for many repetitions, try taking out the leash and holding it out in front of your dog. He might surprise you with an automatic sit. If he continues to be silly put the leash back from where it came, and ignore him. He will soon understand that the performance he is putting on will not be rewarded with a romp in the park.
To many dogs the click of the leash means they are free. This can become a safety issue. If you dog hears the click and bolts full steam ahead, it might be time to teach him some manners. If you unsnap the leash, just when a bike is coming along a path or when a child comes around the corner, it might cause a collision if your dog is running in an erratic pattern. The click can mean to your dog he is free to go, but not to dash wildly about. This can become quite a concern if you are entering a leash free area. Dogs that come bolting in can quickly upset the pack dynamic and may even put your dog in harms way if he is perceived as a whirling dervish. The best way to do this is to snap on a few leashes. Stand on one leash and do some focus work, unclip leash #1 while the dog is focused and release him with a calm, peaceful release word. If you have used the word “okay” to mean run like the wind, you might take this time to rethink it and use a different release word meaning you are off leash but still mind your manners. By having 2 leads on, if he tries to bolt, you can refocus him. Sometimes I even click the clip but don’t remove the lead, so it is not perceived as a cue for being released. Ask him to walk or trot initially after being released. Of course, you want him to get his exercise, but many dogs have frenzied moments when initially released. Ask that he compose himself before going off for his run.
And last but not least. To leash or not to leash? It is best to err on the side of safety always. Even the most well behaved dogs can dart across a street after a squirrel. Until you are in a safe, traffic free area, please leash your dogs…for their sake.
