Having a new puppy in the home is an exciting time. You’ve just added a new member to the family! However, a new puppy means lots of training. From going outside to potty to not scratching on the furniture, there are lots of things you’ll need to train your puppy on. However, one thing your pup might start doing is biting on their leash whenever you take them for a walk. Here’s how to get them to stop! Why Does Your Dog Bite on Their Leash? Some dogs don’t understand that their leash isn’t a toy. Even though tugging on their dog collar and leash set won’t hurt them, it can still be a pain while you take them out on walks. You can no longer focus on their walk, instead focusing on making sure they don’t bite their leash. It can make their daily walks a huge hassle, especially if you don’t have a yard you can just let them loose in. Your dog probably thinks that biting on their leash is a game! Think of tug-of-war. For many dogs, you pulling back on the leash to try and get them to stop biting it, or moving them off their leash, is a signal to them that you’re playing with them. Unfortunately, if you do this too often, they’ll associate the leash with playing tug-of-war, so you’ll never be able to use their leash to take them on a walk. However, with just a little bit of patience and perseverance, you can get them trained to no longer pull on their leash! Order a Dog Collar and Leash Set That Matches Solutions to Leash Biting Here are some solutions to help stop your puppy from biting their leash. Use a harness. A harness goes around your dog’s torso, and their leash will clip onto that instead of their collar. Using a leash directly on a dog’s collar has the potential to be dangerous to your dog; however, a harness can decrease that danger immensely. For some dogs, this will also help them avoid biting their leash. The leash won’t be as close to their mouth. It’ll be more difficult for them to bite the leash since it’s further down their back. Source: Maria Sbytova/Shutterstock.com Use a shorter leash length. Sometimes, a dog can bite on their leash simply because the leash has too much give to it. Use an adjustable leash and set it to a shorter length. A taut leash isn’t one that your dog will want to pull on! Teach them basic commands. Your pup should know some of the basic dog training commands prior to going out frequently for walks. When your dog knows to respond to “Stop” or “Come,” they’ll be less likely to continue biting their leash. If your dog doesn’t know any of these commands, you’ll find that it’ll make training them to stop biting their leash much more difficult. Establish a reward system. Whenever they don’t pull on their leash, reward them! Give them a treat, let them play with a toy – the choice is yours! It’s important to reward the behavior you want to see from your dog. They’ll be more likely to continuously do the good behavior if they know they’ll receive a treat! Introduce a tug toy. You’ll need to show your pup that there are toys they should be tugging on. Get a long tug toy from the pet store and start to teach them to play with it. Get invested in play time – run with your dog with the toy, reward them for using it, you name it. It’s important that your pup realize this is the toy they’re supposed to be playing with, not their leash. You can also take the tug toy with you on some walks so that your dog gets used to tugging on that instead of their leash. A Dog Tag Tracker Can Help You Find Your Pup in the Event They Get Lost Send them to puppy training. If you’re really struggling to get your dog to stop biting their leash, consider sending them to puppy training. While it might be a bit of an investment, it’s still important you teach your puppy not to pull on their leash. Sometimes, the only way you can do this is by taking them to a trainer one or two times a week. These professionals are trained to teach your dog commands and other behaviors, and they’ll also keep you in the loop as well. You’ll learn directly from them what you need to do. Make sure to equip your dog with all the necessary safety items prior to their training, such as a dog tag tracker.