7 month old male golden jumps while on the leash trying get it out of my hand, what can I do?

[Tom]

Our 7 month old puppy Humphrey is fighting the leash by jumping up and try to get it out of my hand. Tried turning my back until he settles down but without much success. Any suggestions ? We’ve had 3 sessions with professional trainer but only one for leash training.

[Adrienne]

Hi there,

Welcome to the forums. Humphrey is so handsome!

With leash biting, we see this happen in dogs for a variety of reasons. It may happen just out of play, but also due to frustration, excitement and over stimulation. Have you noticed whether this behavior starts taking place at the beginning or at the end of the walk? Have you noticed any pattern as to when this behavior starts? Like after seeing a person or dog walking by or after trying to pull somewhere and not allowing the dog to reach what he was pulling towards? 

Although at times it may difficult to find an exact trigger, it helps to pay extra attention to what happens right before this behavior takes places. This provides an important puzzle piece as it gives the opportunity to know what to work on. It may be something as subtle as the dog seeing a person walking from a distance, hearing a sound or being bored when you stop walking to talk to a person. If you have noticed any specific patterns, let me know so that I can suggest the most appropriate course of action. Thanks!

[Tom]

He wears a harness with the leash connection on top, I think it may have something to do with being restrained as he's usually out front and not at the heel position. The jumping and leash biting generally lasts about a minute during which we come to a complete stop, then he get's over it and we can begin walking again.

[Adrienne]

Thank you for the additional details.

At 7 months, Humphrey is at the doggy adolescent stage so it's not unusual to see the onset of certain behaviors around this time, you can read more about the adolescent stage in dogs here:  https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/archive/survive-dogs-adolescent-stage/

The behavior of jumping and leash biting in dogs of this age can stem from play, as a way to seek attention, out of frustration or simply overstimulation.  Following are several ways to tackle this issue. 

Exercise: Make sure your dog receives a sufficient amount of exercise and mental stimulation during the day.

Mental Stimulation: Draining your dog's energy before going on walks may help take the edge off. Look for activities that provide a physical workout, such as a game of fetch or some play with a flirt pole. Mental stimulation (brain games!) may work wonders, too. Let your dog use his brain in a clicker training session or try using food puzzles. Putting your dog's nose to work may be quite tiring, too, so a fun game of nose work can come in handy.

Divert With Treats: When you are on walks, you can divert your dog's attention by playing alternate games. The moment you notice your dog is about to bite the leash, divert his attention, and start tossing some treats on the ground; tell him to "find them!" This can be quite a fun game to play and rewarding if you use hard treats that he can chase around. Alternatively, you can redirect by offering a tug-toy (rabbit fur covered ones are very attractive) or flirt pole. 

Avoid Pulling: Avoid pulling the leash out of your dog's mouth as this will only create enjoyable resistance. You can try the "Two Leash Method". When your dog grabs one leash, release it, and use the other (allowing the former to drag); this prevents the creation of tension which lures dogs to bite

Remember: Your dog bites the leash because it's a fun activity for him. In order to succeed in reducing this behavior, you will have to explore ways to make engaging games and activities extra rewarding so that he chooses these activities over playing tug with the leash.

Teach Alternate Behaviors: For example, teach your dog attention heeling (dog looking up at you) for several steps at a time. Make sure you generously reward your dog with high-value treats for making good choices. If you persist in rewarding the alternate behaviors with high-value treats, you should see a gradual and steady increase in the desired behaviors. https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/brain-training/obedience-101/heeling-attention-heeling/

Prevent Frustration:  Some dogs who bite leashes on walks do so when they are prevented from meeting other dogs on walks, It may be helpful to stop him from meeting and greeting dogs on walks altogether. If your dog learns that he can meet and greet other dogs on walks, he will always expect it, which leads to overly enthusiastic displays of pulling and whining. Even if you let your dog meet and greet every now and then, you may be looking for trouble. The law of variability dictates that occasional indulgence will reinforce persistence—just as you will feel tempted to play the lottery more and more even if you win once in a blue moon.

Know Their Threshold: If you make it a rule that your dog no longer gets to meet dogs on walks, you will have cut down on a lot of undesired behaviors, but you can't just do this cold turkey or your dog will get more and more frustrated. To help your dog cope, keep him at a distance from the other dogs where his behavior is less likely to exacerbate. Most dogs have a distance where their desire to meet starts getting out of control. Find that distance so that you can keep your dog behind that imaginary line. In other words, learn how to keep your dog under threshold. https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/archive/threshold-levels/

Practice Impulse Control: Dogs who have a hard time coping may also benefit from impulse control exercises to increase their frustration tolerance. https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/archive/impulse-control-frustration-tolerance/

Choose a Calm Setting: You may need to walk your dog in a quiet setting before setting out on a regular walk. This may mean walking at a distance from certain triggers such as people, other dogs, and animals. When walked in a less stimulating environment or at a less stimulating time of the day, dogs may be easier to manage.

Sometimes, you may need some extra help to allow your dog to make good choices. You may need to find ways to make biting the leash extra boring or perhaps no longer pleasant. The tools listed below are not quick fixes, and you will still have to train your dog appropriate behaviors.

More Tools for Biting Prevention:

PVC Pipe: Slip a long piece of PVC pipe over the leash. Dogs do not like to bite hard textures

Chain Attachment: Attach a lightweight piece of chain to the leash. Dogs do not like to bite the texture of the chain

Harness: Attach the leash via harness (on the back). Dogs cannot readily reach a leash clipped to the back via harness

Two Leash Method Use two leashes simultaneously. When your dog grabs one leash, release it, and use the other (allowing the former to drag); this prevents the creation of tension which lures dogs to bite

Objects for Carrying Let your dog carry objects (tennis ball, toy) while walking. Retrievers may be particularly eager to carry things and this keeps the mouth occupied.

Tug-of-War. Use a toy exclusively for tug-of-war play and put it away when done. Offers your dog a controlled outlet.

Basket Muzzle* Allows your dog to breath and controls the mouthing/ Temporary method of management and prevention of the behavior  *For use in worst-case scenarios.

Hope this helps,

Best,

Adrienne