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What Type of Leash Should You Use for Leash Training

29 9:29:11

Leash training is a critical element of your overall dog training, and practically every municipality has some form of leash law that citizens and their dogs must abide by or be cited for failure to keep their dog from running at large. Suffice it to say that leash training is very important. There are numerous types of collars and almost as many styles of leashes to choose from. What’s the best and safest choice for your dog?

1. Clip-on Leash: The clip-on leash is favored for leash training. Ideally, it will be made of cotton so that it is soft on the hands while providing more durability than other materials. Six feet is an ideal length so that the dog has space to move about without feeling that he is constantly being held back. When using any leash that attaches to the collar, ensure that you can slip two fingers between the upper part of your dog’s neck and the collar so it isn’t too tight, but still snug enough to ensure that he won’t back out of the collar and slip it over his head.

2. Short tab leads: There is a school of thought that short tab leads, which clip on to the dog’s collar and leave only about enough length for the owner to hold on to, gives the owner greater control over the dog by more easily forcing the dog into submission. But in leash training, submission isn’t the goal, and physically holding him back is counterproductive to fostering pack leadership.

3. Slip Leads: When you visit your veterinarian, you’ll probably see a hook near the front desk with several nylon leads hanging from it. These are slip leads. In addition to veterinarian offices and animal shelters, agility competitors often favor slip leads because they are easy to slip on and off quickly. The slip lead goes directly around the dog’s neck in a self-tightening loop so you don’t have to worry about the dog wiggling out of their collar, leaving you holding a leash and empty collar while your dog takes off down the street. While the slip lead is not the first choice for use in leash training, when you do have occasion to use a slip lead, exercise caution that the slip lead does not become too tight as you use it, especially if your dog is pulling.

4. Retractable Leash: Retractable leashes have earned a pretty bad reputation due to accidents that have caused injuries as severe as blindness and amputation. And those are among the injuries suffered by humans. Dogs can also receive lacerations and burns on their bodies due to retractable leads. In terms of training, having the dog 15 feet away from you is not ideal for leash training, or any other training, for that matter. The real caution with regard to retractable leashes is that the high velocity of the leash movement as it extends and retracts can cause injury, as well as an overall loss of control, allowing the dog to bolt too far, too fast while you’re still trying to lock the mechanism which stops it from going any further.

5. Harness: If your dog chokes and gags and carries on with great dramatic flair whenever you try to go for a walk, then you’ve probably considered a harness to avoid pressure around his neck. If you choose to use a harness, be sure that it doesn’t take the place of proper leash training techniques, such as teaching your dog to follow you and refraining from jerking on the leash as a form of correction.

6. Bicycle leashes: Once your dog demonstrates willingness to follow you on leash without pulling and does not seem to be distracted too easily by his surroundings, you may be interested in the bicycle leash. Bike leashes give dogs the opportunity to run at a more vigorous pace than he would on a walk or jog with you while you maintain his safety. Bicycle leashes are specially designed to keep your dog at a safe distance from the bike while being designed to absorb any pulling. However, before you plan to take your dog on a cross country trek or out into elements that border on extreme, be sure to get a clean bill of health from your veterinarian to ensure that your dog is fit enough to meet your goals, and then gradually ease into distance and speed.

Once your dog is outfitted properly, let the leash training begin! If you’ve established yourself well as his pack leader, the dog will be accustomed and willing to follow your lead, so leash training should mostly fall into place naturally and should serve as reinforcement to the training you’ve already begun together. If you find that leash training is a little more difficult—or a lot more difficult—than you anticipated, consult a dog trainer who can help you brush up on your pack leadership skills while fine-tuning your leash training prowess.