# Step on the leash?



## cowpony (Dec 30, 2009)

I have Ritter in puppy kindergarten right now. The instructor has us doing the usual sorts of exercises I expect in a beginner class: sit, down, settle, look at me, etc. However, the instructor has added an extra twist to the settle lesson. We are supposed to step on the puppy's leash to ensure the puppy doesn't break out of the settle. Is this common?

I've only encountered this technique once before, when an older dog trainer had me try it with Pogo. The results were unsatisfactory. Pogo still leapt to his feet, and I was pulled off balance by the leash sliding out from under my foot. I pretty much went airborne. I could easily have been hurt had I landed wrong or been dragged.

Is stepping on the leash a method some school of dog training has promoted? It seems very dangerous to me, especially for those of us with larger dogs. I'm wondering if some nuance has been left out, some additional instructions beyond simply "step on the leash after the dog lies down and looks up at you."


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## PeggyTheParti (Sep 5, 2019)

It’s a big one at our local Petco. The trainer there is known for using it as a cure-all. She actually stopped me when I was shopping with puppy Peggy to “demonstrate” (unsolicited) and give me her card.

Personally, I’m not stable or coordinated enough to apply the technique in any sort of timely or meaningful way. And Peggy’s not the type to respond well to leash pressure.


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## Raindrops (Mar 24, 2019)

I used it with Misha as a puppy a bit. One of the trainers we had advised it. It was good for gentle encouragement to maintain position in a way that wasn't involving me giving him attention for breaking a down. Negative reinforcement same as a no-pull lead. I had no issues but it may not work as well with a big dog or a dog that panics with that kind of restraint.


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## Basil_the_Spoo (Sep 1, 2020)

Does it work?


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## PowersPup (Aug 28, 2020)

I volunteer at the training school at my local Animal Humane Society. They do not tell people to step on their dogs' leashes in puppy kindergarten through Level 4. I haven't participated or volunteered in a Level 5 or higher class so can't say what happens there. But no, we don't step on the dog's leash when training "down" or stay on the mat/rug/whatever. We focus more on keeping the leash loose, as if it's an emergency brake, instead of a tool for controlling the dog.


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## Spottytoes (Jul 28, 2020)

We were taught this technique in Bobby’s class for “Young and Excitable Dogs,” Obedience 1.5, where we go. I think it depends on the dog and how far they are in their training. If the dog is too jumpy and excited and you don’t have the technique right it could definitely hurt the dog if it all of a sudden jumped or pulled super quickly and hard. I feel like it would be best for dogs who have some measure of Obedience skills.

I think there is a sweet spot on the leash. You need it short enough to do the job, keeping the dog by you but long enough to not choke. With this being said, I use this technique quite regularly. Bobby is very well trained with it and it keeps him very calm in situations that may be a bit more than he can handle in high distraction situations. He still can get a bit excited in certain situations so it’s really another helpful “tool” in our bag. It works wonderfully for us. A couple of examples would be if we are walking and I stop to chat with someone and I want him to stay by me. He often will just lay down and wait.
I am stepping on the leash but he has plenty of room to sit or lay down.
He had his vet visit today and we had to wait outside by a busy street. I had him sit, I stepped on the leash and all was calm and good. I use it more as a preemptive thing keeping him calm rather than a technique to stop excitement already happening. 

This technique has helped us in many situations but the key is to do it right, keeping the leash loose and in the sweet spot and I definitely would wait for the dog to have some Obedience skills. I always have him sit first. 😊


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## Misteline (Mar 10, 2019)

I've done it in emergencies as a control method, but I don't have good associations with it as a training method. I'm similarly concerned about risk of injury and also how it might make a puppy feel about their leash and pressure. Not sure its a good catchall for puppy training because of the range of ways a puppy could interpret it.

I took Evelyn to Petco puppy classes and it wasn't suggested at that Petco.


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## Skylar (Jul 29, 2016)

The first trainer I had- a horrible one who's dogs were banned in AKC obedience for aggression and biting other dogs and her one dog attacked two dogs in my class at the end because the trainer kept her dog next to her and had the students come up to her to get their ribbon and certificate for those who passed the class - used this technique.

If she was talking we had to have our dog in a down, step on the leash very close to their collar so they couldn't get up. I was taking this class with Babykins when I first got her and she was almost a year old. She was old enough and settled to mostly stay down. This trainer also wanted everyone to squish their dog into a down and to keep our hands on a dog when in down. Even worse, she wanted us to aggressively step on that leash - not gently slip our foot over it. It was punitive. As an aside, dogs don't learn when you squish them into a position - they are too concerned with what you are physically doing to them.

I now have the experience of puppy Theo attending two different puppy classes. Puppies have the attention span of gnat and a tendency to bounce up as quick as they go down, especially poodles. As they grow, mature and with continued training they gain the ability to stay in a sit or down position with out having their leash stomped on. In the two puppy classes I took (AKC and non-AKC dog sport clubs) they did not teach stepping on the leash.

This is not a good way to train. Dogs are always learning from us, even when we are not actively training. What message does a dog learn from this? If I was a dog I wouldn't want to be near my owner, especially if I was an excitable puppy and needed to stand for any of a million reasons. Better to train this in baby steps incorporating duration, distance, and distraction.

As Mistline points out there may be an emergency need to step on their leash to keep them down - but I wouldn't do this in training class.


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## Spottytoes (Jul 28, 2020)

Perhaps I don’t do it like some trainers teach.
It doesn’t feel forceful at all as I keep the leash quite loose. I use it more as a back up in certain situations rather the the tool that makes him do stuff. I don’t force him into a position by stepping on the leash. I just use it to keep him by me. He is very relaxed when I do this. Bobby is fairly well trained but he still needs work in certain high distraction situations and it really helps. I am still training in these situations but the stepping on the leash helps him be successful and calm. I liken the way we do it to helping to hold the leash with my foot vs the left hand. The right hand holds the leash, the left foot on the leash. All loosely. There is absolutely no tension.


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## cowpony (Dec 30, 2009)

I don't like the idea of using is as an emergency stop, because I think it gives a false sense of security with a larger dog. My Pogo could and did yank the leash out from under my foot, leaving me trying to regain my balance while simultaneously trying to restrain an accelerating dog. Thinking back, I did occasionally step on the leash of my cocker spaniel. However, he was half Pogo's weight.


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## Dechi (Aug 22, 2015)

A long time ago to teach a down we were told to put pressure on the leash until the dog lied down. And then you would put your foot on it to maintain the pressure. That reminds me of it.


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## Dianaleez (Dec 14, 2019)

I'm having problems understanding how teaching a dog to remain Down and holding him Down are the same thing. I want a Down when I'm not close.

It sounds more like a stop-gap measure for dogs that haven't mastered Down.


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## Oonapup (Oct 16, 2020)

Not for holding a down - everything I've seen leads me to believe that popping up from down is not a big deal and what you want to do is pay them for laying down until they understand to hold it until released, rather than restrain or punish them for popping up. But, both our teachers have advised to avoid repeating the command every time they pop up so they don't learn to pop up in order to get more treats. Instead let them figure out that staying down pays. The program we are in now teaches a long down stay right away (heavily reinforced and without expecting perfection!) and every class starts with a 10 minute down stay: One Hour Down Stay — Dog Behaviour Training: Dogs In the Park - Guelph and Area
When I first heard "one hour down stay" I thought, no way - but they way they teach it is super reasonable and geared toward getting a dog to a place where they can relax anywhere.

Our first puppy class trainer did advise us to step on the leash if Oona tried to play jumpy-bitey while out on a walk, and honestly that has never really worked well for us. I can't often step quickly enough and even when I did she'd wind up biting my legs and shoes and not calming down. She still sometimes has bouts of jumpy-bitey when overexcited at 10 months and I still sometimes try it and it still doesn't really work. If possible we try to prevent it by giving her treats low or on the ground during exciting activities, and catching her before she gets hyped up with a short down or by tossing/rolling down low a toy or stick to grab first.


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## Skylar (Jul 29, 2016)

In my class, you had your dog lay down, then you stepped on the leash in such a way that the dog couldn't lift their head or body - she used to say no more than 6" of leash - it was meant to be taut, not loose so the dog physically couldn't get up. If your dog didn't go down, she wanted us to squish the dog or to pull the dog down with the leash and step on it. In this particular 'bad" class, the teacher wanted us to pay her attention when she was teaching a new command.

I definitely can see where a larger determined dog could cause harm to the handler pulling them off balance if they stood up while the handlers foot was on the leash - I hadn't thought of that, but I can see it's hazardous.



Dianaleez said:


> I'm having problems understanding how teaching a dog to remain Down and holding him Down are the same thing. I want a Down when I'm not close.
> 
> It sounds more like a stop-gap measure for dogs that haven't mastered Down.


With dog training - it can get quite complicated and subtle. There's "down" - then a "down stay". One is that the dog lays down and the other is that once the dog lays down, they stay down until released to get up again. Some people teach that when you say "down" your dog stays down until you give the release to get up whether that's in a few seconds to an hour the dog stays down and waits for the release word. That was the concept of putting the hand on the dog, or stepping on the leash - the handler physically keeps the dog down until the handler decides they can get up. That's not how I teach a down stay. Having a dog sit or down next to you is very handy while waiting in line at the bank, waiting to pay in a store, or if you meet someone while walking outside. It's also required to pass the AKC Canine Good Citizen and therapy dog training as well as competition dog sports.

You can teach a down to a target - for example to a dog bed or mat. If you're in the kitchen and you want your dog to lay in it's bed - you can train the dog to go to the bed and lay down. That's a down, but first it's a "go to".


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## Fenris-wolf (Apr 17, 2018)

I think the stepping on the leash was how we taught our Aussie. I know that this is what the trainer that I took Sisko to wanted me to do, but I taught him down and then long downs instead. This is how I will be teaching my next dog because I think it's a better way to teach.


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## Starvt (Nov 5, 2019)

I had a trainer (in a class through the spca) use that. Similar to how Spottytoes does I think. It wasn't really for working the down, but for a settle at the handler's feet. We didn't really do it in class, we were told to use it while relaxing and having a coffee or watching TV.
It wasn't meant to restrain the dog in a down. You know how when your dog is in heel, or at your side, and you kind of twitch the leash when you can tell the dog is paying too close attention to something else, or is thinking about pulling ahead (or is that just me lol)? 
It was like that, but because the leash is under your foot the 'direction' of the twitch makes sense for the settle position. You would still be rewarding while the dog holds the settle, and be aware of your dog's capabilities to not ask for too much.
My dog at the time was a 90lb 9-month old, and it worked fine for me.


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## Skylar (Jul 29, 2016)

Starvt said:


> I had a trainer (in a class through the spca) use that. Similar to how Spottytoes does I think. It wasn't really for working the down, but for a settle at the handler's feet. We didn't really do it in class, we were told to use it while relaxing and having a coffee or watching TV.
> It wasn't meant to restrain the dog in a down. You know how when your dog is in heel, or at your side, and you kind of twitch the leash when you can tell the dog is paying too close attention to something else, or is thinking about pulling ahead (or is that just me lol)?
> It was like that, but because the leash is under your foot the 'direction' of the twitch makes sense for the settle position. You would still be rewarding while the dog holds the settle, and be aware of your dog's capabilities to not ask for too much.
> My dog at the time was a 90lb 9-month old, and it worked fine for me.


I'm not sure how stepping on the leash, if the leash is loose, helps train the dog. What is the purpose? The step on the leash was to "not give the dog the chance to get up", the dog couldn't physically get up. If the leash is loose the dog can get up or at least get partway up thereby breaking their down stay.

I teach settle without any leash on my dogs - I put them in a down and randomly let treats drop - over time the spacing between the treats become longer and longer until the fade away. Theo is still young, I don't expect him to stay down long. I try to end the exercise before he gets twitchy and stands up - perfect timing is to end before he decides to get up.


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## PeggyTheParti (Sep 5, 2019)

I think the key feature of the method described by @cowpony is that you step on the leash 


cowpony said:


> to ensure the puppy doesn't break out of the settle.


Not a very modern approach to dog training, and definitely not something that Peggy would interpret as intended.

(If you’ve ever ridden a horse with a super soft mouth, and tried hauling on the reins, you probably know what I mean.)


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## Bailey_Whiskey (Jan 18, 2021)

At the puppy class I attended with Whiskey, we were initially asked to step on the leash to keep the dog in the down position from one step away. Then when we could move further, we left the leash on the floor but was asked to quickly step on the leash if the dog broke the down stay position. But we were training in an open area.

Needless to say, I wasn’t fast enough to step on the leash..but thank god Whiskey was a Velcro dog with a good recall at that point in time. The method did work well for the corgi in our class though..


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## For Want of Poodle (Feb 25, 2019)

I actually did use that method as an enforcer with Annie. I would put her in a down stay while I was at the cash at a store, and the step on the leash while I paid to take away the option of standing. Let me be handsfree to pay and not worry what a certain puppy was doing while I paid. The pet stores around tended to have a ton of unwrapped and highly palatable items at dog height right by the cash. After buying one expensive ($8!) cod skin after Annie broke a stay while I was not looking, I was pretty determined not to do that again.

For teaching a downstay? Nope, strikes me more of a way to teach learned helplessness than a willing downstay.

I see you used the word settle. Maybe it's a version of this that the instructor is trying without the chair? The Sit on the Dog Exercise • Canine Life Skills


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## Mufar42 (Jan 1, 2017)

For Want of Poodle said:


> I actually did use that method as an enforcer with Annie. I would put her in a down stay while I was at the cash at a store, and the step on the leash while I paid to take away the option of standing. Let me be handsfree to pay and not worry what a certain puppy was doing while I paid. The pet stores around tended to have a ton of unwrapped and highly palatable items at dog height right by the cash. After buying one expensive ($8!) cod skin after Annie broke a stay while I was not looking, I was pretty determined not to do that again.
> 
> For teaching a downstay? Nope, strikes me more of a way to teach learned helplessness than a willing downstay.
> 
> I see you used the word settle. Maybe it's a version of this that the instructor is trying without the chair? The Sit on the Dog Exercise • Canine Life Skills


I did this with Renn, "sit on the dog". It worked rather well for me. He learned to just settle down. As far as standing on the leash I can see it working but as mentioned earlier on there is a "sweet spot" where you have control. Giving too much leash can knock you off your feet, too little makes it uncomfortable for the dog and who wants to stay in a uncomfortable position.


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## lily cd re (Jul 23, 2012)

In my way of thinking a leash should be a sort of back up tool and more of a way to make sure the dog doesn't take off on you before they develop the impulse control and focus to know better than to check out. I have never stood on any dog's leash. For Want of Poodle I agree that a coerced downstay with a dog's head forced to the floor bye dog to the down (same can be used for a sit stay) a super short leash being stood on is more likely to generate a response based on learned helplessness rather than a happy response to a reasonable order. When I teach downstays I have the handler use a lure rewards system to get the dog to the down. The handler will then face their dog toe to toe with a loose leash. I encourage the handler to tell the dog that they are good while they are on the down. I also show them to watch for intention signals that they are planning to break the position. Ideally a down with duration is best done with the dog lying on one hip, from which the intention to break is most easily seen when they shift their weight to evenly on their hips like a sphinx. When you see that you either break them off the down yourself or encourage them to go back to the relaxed down. Tell them they are being good while they are maintaining the down and always release and reward before they break the behavior themselves. It may only last for five seconds at first but the duration will increase. After you have a minute or more on duration at toe to toe then you can start to add distance keeping in mind that when you start to move away you will have to go back to shorter times and rebuild duration, same thing next time you add a bit more distance. Then you can work with mild distractions closer and shorter and build on all three "Ds" as the dog starts to generalize. All of this can be done with a loose leash (not stood on) and eventually no leash.

Oonapup I am familiar with Dogs in the Park and Sue Alexander because I am doing an online behavior analysis course with her for some CEU credits for my CPDT-KA certification. I think she is excellent.


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## Oonapup (Oct 16, 2020)

lily cd re said:


> Oonapup I am familiar with Dogs in the Park and Sue Alexander because I am doing an online behavior analysis course with her for some CEU credits for my CPDT-KA certification. I think she is excellent.


Sue/DITP has a great program, we are having a blast and learning tons while totally being able to learn at our own pace. Sue and John are great trainers and teachers, very generous with their knowledge, and lovely people to boot. They've built an incredible community as well. I am really glad we found them this spring.


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## Basil_the_Spoo (Sep 1, 2020)

lily cd re said:


> In my way of thinking a leash should be a sort of back up tool and more of a way to make sure the dog doesn't take off on you before they develop the impulse control and focus to know better than to check out. I have never stood on any dog's leash. For Want of Poodle I agree that a coerced downstay with a dog's head forced to the floor bye dog to the down (same can be used for a sit stay) a super short leash being stood on is more likely to generate a response based on learned helplessness rather than a happy response to a reasonable order. When I teach downstays I have the handler use a lure rewards system to get the dog to the down. The handler will then face their dog toe to toe with a loose leash. I encourage the handler to tell the dog that they are good while they are on the down. I also show them to watch for intention signals that they are planning to break the position. Ideally a down with duration is best done with the dog lying on one hip, from which the intention to break is most easily seen when they shift their weight to evenly on their hips like a sphinx. When you see that you either break them off the down yourself or encourage them to go back to the relaxed down. Tell them they are being good while they are maintaining the down and always release and reward before they break the behavior themselves. It may only last for five seconds at first but the duration will increase. After you have a minute or more on duration at toe to toe then you can start to add distance keeping in mind that when you start to move away you will have to go back to shorter times and rebuild duration, same thing next time you add a bit more distance. Then you can work with mild distractions closer and shorter and build on all three "Ds" as the dog starts to generalize. All of this can be done with a loose leash (not stood on) and eventually no leash.
> 
> Oonapup I am familiar with Dogs in the Park and Sue Alexander because I am doing an online behavior analysis course with her for some CEU credits for my CPDT-KA certification. I think she is excellent.


!!!! Thank you


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## cowpony (Dec 30, 2009)

lily cd re said:


> I also show them to watch for intention signals that they are planning to break the position. Ideally a down with duration is best done with the dog lying on one hip, from which the intention to break is most easily seen when they shift their weight to evenly on their hips like a sphinx. When you see that you either break them off the down yourself or encourage them to go back to the relaxed down.


Recognizing the intention signal is something I brought over from horse riding (kind of helpful to recognize your horse is going to spook and bolt before you are in motion,) but I can't say any of my dog instructors have put as much emphasis on it as you or my equestrian instructors have. 

Hmm, maybe my equestrian background is part of why this whole step on the leash thing disturbs me so. One of the safety measures drilled into me was never to let myself get tangled up in the reins, lead ropes, or stirrups. Getting dragged by a horse is almost definitely going to put me in the hospital or morgue. A 50 pound poodle isn't going to be able to drag me more than a few feet, but bad luck could still leave me with a broken bone and road rash if I fall wrong. It is now second nature for me to constantly check to see if I have reins or a leash in danger of getting caught on my limbs or clothing.


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## PeggyTheParti (Sep 5, 2019)

cowpony said:


> Recognizing the intention signal is something I brought over from horse riding (kind of helpful to recognize your horse is going to spook and bolt before you are in motion,) but I can't say any of my dog instructors have put as much emphasis on it as you or my equestrian instructors have.
> 
> Hmm, maybe my equestrian background is part of why this whole step on the leash thing disturbs me so. One of the safety measures drilled into me was never to let myself get tangled up in the reins, lead ropes, or stirrups. Getting dragged by a horse is almost definitely going to put me in the hospital or morgue. A 50 pound poodle isn't going to be able to drag me more than a few feet, but bad luck could still leave me with a broken bone and road rash if I fall wrong. It is now second nature for me to constantly check to see if I have reins or a leash in danger of getting caught on my limbs or clothing.


I hate when my husband loops Peggy’s leash around his wrist. I can see the whole, horrible scenario play out. But I can only bring it up with him so many times.


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## lily cd re (Jul 23, 2012)

Most of my obedience friends who train for showing never loop leashes on any part of their hands or wrists. Many of us have leashes with no loops at all. I know people who have been dragged off their feet because they had a leash wrapped somehow on their hand. I teach my true beginners not to get in the habit of wrapping leashes around their body parts. I did something sort of equivalent to a leash wrap with a flexi leash (just by hanging on to the handle, very determined not to let go since I didn't want the handle to hit him) a couple of weeks ago and scared the s#$t out of myself and my trainer. We were reviewing work on Javelin's retrieve on the flat where we are trying to make sure he does clean pick ups without looping behind where the dumbbell has landed and without batting it around. Since we hadn't worked it in a while I put him on his flexi thankfully attached to h9is flat collar (never work on a flexi attached to a pinch collar).. I threw the dumbbell a little further than I should have the first time. He was super charged for the retrieve and I guess my memory on how long the flexi was was in a brain fog. Deb gave the order to send and he went like he was fired out of a cannon and ran out of line. He almost pulled me off my feet when the flexi extended as far as it could. He kept going and I had to take a could of off balance steps to let him do so without his feet getting ahead of his leash. Thankfully we were both unscathed, but it could have been way worse. Javelin being pretty resilient about these things was happy to keep working on the flexi and if I threw it to far, Deb moved it for us before I sent him.

cowpony many of my canine obedience friends have pretty strong equestrian backgrounds and maybe that is why we are all so mindful about handling equipment like regular leashes as well as long lines and flexis. I don't think I understand why more dog trainers aren't mindful about body language and reading intention signals than they are. I feel pretty strongly about reading body language as a major tool for supporting teaching and practicing new behaviors as well as a hugely important way to avoid problems like reactive responses and instigations of fights. I probably say "break the eye contact" more often than almost anything else when in group classes. The other super common thing I say to both groups and private training handlers when I need to talk to them for more than a second or two, but they should do this always anyway is to look at their dogs and not at me while I am talking. I know it feels rude to many people but your job anytime you have your dog with you and are not alone with them is to stay connected to them above all else, soo look at your dog. It is an important way to let them know you appreciate that they are sticking with you.


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## Piper 2020 (Aug 16, 2020)

Step in the leash? I inadvertently stepped back onto Bodie's foot and the next thing I knew I was prone on the ground on my backside with Bodie licking my nose. Yes, I would say it's dangerous.


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## cowpony (Dec 30, 2009)

One of my neighbors is a physiotherapist specializing in hand injuries. She cringes whenever she sees someone wrap a leash around their hand or holding a leash in a loose loop. She is ok with holding the leash as shown, with the loop going behind the hand and the leash passing between thumb and forefinger. She also favors leashes with shock absorbers to spare the shoulder and rotator cuff. [Edited to add, the picture is not naughty.]

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## PeggyTheParti (Sep 5, 2019)

cowpony said:


> One of my neighbors is a physiotherapist specializing in hand injuries. She cringes whenever she sees someone wrap a leash around their hand or holding a leash in a loose loop. She is ok with holding the leash as shown, with the loop going behind the hand and the leash passing between thumb and forefinger. She also favors leashes with shock absorbers to spare the shoulder and rotator cuff. [Edited to add, the picture is not naughty.]
> View attachment 478097


This is how my husband often holds Peggy’s leash. Now I feel kinda bad for giving him a hard time.


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## lily cd re (Jul 23, 2012)

Well to me that is still pretty cringe worthy since there is no guarantee that the loop of the leash will slide off the hand. Here is what I do with my leash. Note the main length of the leash is coming out above and to the left of my hand. I can control the length by how many and how much length I put in the accordian folds of the leash. I heel with my leash at my waist in my left hand for Javelin, but that also works for loose leash walking with him and loose leash or heeling with Lily although she rarely needs to be heeling on leash for what we do these days. If we were to encounter an aggressive dog that was loose I would drop my leash in an instant to allow either or both of my dogs to be free to defend themselves and I could whip out my phone to call 911 and get video to show what happened.


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## reraven123 (Jul 21, 2017)

I like your leash!


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## PeggyTheParti (Sep 5, 2019)

lily cd re said:


> Well to me that is still pretty cringe worthy since there is no guarantee that the loop of the leash will slide off the hand. Here is what I do with my leash. Note the main length of the leash is coming out above and to the left of my hand. I can control the length by how many and how much length I put in the accordian folds of the leash.
> View attachment 478098
> 
> View attachment 478099


Ahhhh _much_ better.

It really does seem to be a tricky thing to master for people who aren’t experienced with dogs or horses.


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## lily cd re (Jul 23, 2012)

reraven those leashes are pretty easy to make. All you need is to cut pieces of the cord generally twice the length you want the leash to be and you can do three or four (or more pieces) folded in half with the middle attached to an appropriate sized clip. Attach the clip to something that will allow you to hold the cords with some tension and braid away. Tie a knot when you get it to the length you want and tie an overhand knot to end and you can make a loop or not as you prefer. The one in that picture is Javelin's (lily's is pink). I didn't make it but when I make one to replace it I will probably not bother with the loop. It is skinny and lightweight so responsive quickly but has strength because of the braiding.








Peegy if any of these things were easy or automatic there would never be any dog fights or people falling because their dogs think they can pull any time as if they were sled dogs. Just to put it in perspective Javelin heels beautifully and will not lose points by his work, although we might lose heeling points because I am still a klutz sometimes. We got there by taking one or two steps at a time with him right next to a wall. He had to keep his head up. If he dropped it we stopped and went back to where we took the first step. We did this over and over every day for months. It probably was around the sixth month to get to where he understood it well enough and in general enough terms to go more than just a few steps at a time. We still practice at least once a week to keep it fresh and proofed against distractions like a "judge" following or next to us at a close distance which some judges do. Most people don't care about the level at which we work, but I do and Javelin loves it so on we go.


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## PowersPup (Aug 28, 2020)

cowpony said:


> Recognizing the intention signal is something I brought over from horse riding (kind of helpful to recognize your horse is going to spook and bolt before you are in motion,) but I can't say any of my dog instructors have put as much emphasis on it as you or my equestrian instructors have.
> 
> Hmm, maybe my equestrian background is part of why this whole step on the leash thing disturbs me so. One of the safety measures drilled into me was never to let myself get tangled up in the reins, lead ropes, or stirrups. Getting dragged by a horse is almost definitely going to put me in the hospital or morgue. A 50 pound poodle isn't going to be able to drag me more than a few feet, but bad luck could still leave me with a broken bone and road rash if I fall wrong. It is now second nature for me to constantly check to see if I have reins or a leash in danger of getting caught on my limbs or clothing.





cowpony said:


> Recognizing the intention signal is something I brought over from horse riding (kind of helpful to recognize your horse is going to spook and bolt before you are in motion,) but I can't say any of my dog instructors have put as much emphasis on it as you or my equestrian instructors have.
> 
> Hmm, maybe my equestrian background is part of why this whole step on the leash thing disturbs me so. One of the safety measures drilled into me was never to let myself get tangled up in the reins, lead ropes, or stirrups. Getting dragged by a horse is almost definitely going to put me in the hospital or morgue. A 50 pound poodle isn't going to be able to drag me more than a few feet, but bad luck could still leave me with a broken bone and road rash if I fall wrong. It is now second nature for me to constantly check to see if I have reins or a leash in danger of getting caught on my limbs or clothing.


I also find that some of the techniques or attitudes I've learned in horse training apply to dog training. Most of the horses I've ridden - especially the dressage horses - respond to a tight rein with anxiety. Maybe we're giving the horse our intention signal that we're nervous, scared, tense, etc. We try to ride with the lightest possible contact on the reins. I do the same with Topper - use only the amount of an aid (verbal cue, hand signal, leash toughness) to communicate what I want. Then release the aid and allow the horse or dog to respond to it. Reward the correct choice. If he didn't make the right choice, figure out why - for me, it's usually that I didn't set him up for success. In summary, to me the tight rein or leash communicates that I don't trust my four-legged partner to make the right choice. I should do something different and set him up better for next time. I could write about this forever!!


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## Click-N-Treat (Nov 9, 2015)

At work I handle untrained dogs who are between 90 and 110 pounds. These huge dogs are big enough to knock me down. I put my thumb through the leash loop and make a fist with my thumb tucked into my hand. That way, when the dog yanks me, my grip gets tighter. 

As far as teaching a down... Stepping on a leash forces the puppy to do something against their will. Yes, the puppy will lie down. And yes, the puppy will stay down. And yes, the puppy will learn not to jump back up. The question is, will the puppy learn to like lying down? Or will the puppy begrudgingly lie down? And as the puppy grows to be a dog, will the down be fast, or agonizingly slow? 

Easy, fun, and very fast way to teach a puppy to down, stay put, and love it...

Take a single treat the size of your pinky fingernail. Split it in half. This is the size treat you need. Make a pile of tiny treats. Take one treat and lure the puppy to the floor by bringing the treat to their nose and taking it to the floor. When the puppy lies down, drop the treat between the paws. Click, or say YES, and put another treat between the paws. As soon as the dog swallows, YES and put another treat down. YES, treat. Swallow. YES, treat... 15 times. Be quick about this, faster than the dog can get up.

Now, after 15 tiny treats, throw a larger treat away for the puppy to chase. Call the puppy back. Repeat: Lure down, 15 treats in a row, toss a treat away, call the dog back.

Around the third repetition, see if the dog chooses to lie down without luring. If not, lure, 15 treats, toss a treat, call the dog back. From now on, every time the dog comes back, just wait a moment and see if the dog chooses to lie down. Watch the wheels turn in their head.

(Well, last time I did this thing where I laid down on the floor and I got a gazillion treats. Wonder what would happen if I did... YAY!)

Repeat this for about three minutes. Don't speak. Don't name this behavior. Just wait for the dog to flop on the floor and jackpot treat between the paws. Repeat this over and over. When you are willing to bet me $100.00 that the dog is going to lie down, name the behavior, "DOWN!" as the dog is putting elbows on the floor. 

After three days of brief practices, gradually scale down the number of treats between the paws until you get the dog to, "Down!" when you say, and put a single treat between the paws as a thank you. 

Your dog will become addicted to lying down and staying down. It will be their default behavior. When in doubt, lie down. I use this identical procedure on every dog I train at work. 

Dog trainer geek speak: This type of training is called shaping. A high rate of reinforcement makes the down behavior increase. By waiting to name a behavior until the dog is offering it repeatedly, makes it easier for the dog to connect the meaning of the word to the action they are performing. The word has no meaning without knowing how to perform the behavior first. Shape behavior-->Name behavior. 

Try it! It's really, really, fun to watch dogs catch on. The lightbulb moment never gets old. The dog's eyes light up when they offer a down freely and I pay them richly for the choice. I swear, down and leave it are my favorite things to train.


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## hrsldy (Oct 8, 2019)

PeggyTheParti said:


> I hate when my husband loops Peggy’s leash around his wrist. I can see the whole, horrible scenario play out. But I can only bring it up with him so many times.


As long as he's not on a bicycle when he does it 😟 Been there done that. Have the screws and pins in my foot to show for it. Yes, I know, wasn't too smart of me.


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