Hi, Mighty Paw Fam! Barbara here!
Do you have a heavy chewer or teething puppy on your hands? Are you tired of buying new leashes because the nylon and leather ones keep getting chewed through, and you can't leave your pup tethered outside for short periods of time?
Not to worry, today I'm going to give you tips on how to stop your puppy or adult dog from biting the leash and tell you all about Mighty Paw's Chew Proof Cable Leash!
Why do puppies and adult dogs like to chew?
When puppies are teething, they're looking to soothe their hurting gums by chewing on or biting at something. They're also curious by nature and instinctively explore new things with their mouths. Adult dogs like to chew because it relieves boredom and exercises their jaws.
Of course these habits can be frustrating at best and harmful at worst when they're directed towards the wrong outlet!
Picture your chewed through nylon or leather leash followed by chasing your now leash-less dog OR by a trip to the vet's to remove the swallowed parts of said leash. On top of it all, new leashes and unexpected trips to the vet's get expensive over time.
How to train your puppy and adult dog not to bite the leash
Now here's how to avoid those scenarios and keep your puppy and adult dog from biting at and destroying their leash:
- Use a Chew Proof Leash. More on this below, but most dogs do not like to chew on a cable leash because it's not comfortable. And if they do chew it, they're not able to damage the leash.
- Teach the leave it command. When your puppy or adult dog tries to bite at the leash when you're out walking or getting ready to head outside, tell him to leave it and offer him a high value treat worth listening for instead! This could be a fishy treat or anything smelly like tiny bits of cut up hot dog or plain cheese. While you're training, it's important to have them easily accessible for quick rewards. For that purpose, it's a good idea to carry the treats in a treat pouch such as Mighty paw's treat pouch.
- Don't play tug with the leash. I know it can seem cute at first when your little puppy "invites" you to a game of tug with his leash, but you're much better off not giving in to the "request" (been there, learned that lesson). That's because you're rewarding the inappropriate behavior of biting at the leash if you participate, and habits like these take longer to break than they do to form.
- Put the leash up. The easiest way to stop your puppy's inappropriate chewing is to put the leash out of your puppy's reach when you're done using it.
- Offer dog specific chews. Your puppy or adult dog will need to chew on something, so in order to avoid damage to your furniture or your kids' toys, give them a bully stick or a filled KONG or Nylabone toy. Those are our favorite doggie chews because they're safe AND highly effective. The best part is that chewing is a little workout and will leave your pup tired!
- Correct inappropriate chewing. When you catch your pup chewing on something he shouldn't be like his leash or a shoe, tell him NO in a firm voice, but don't yell. Ask him to leave it, then praise and reward with a bully stick or similar chew. Good boy!
- Crate when you can't supervise. When you can't actively supervise your pup, crate him along with a filled KONG or Nylabone toy, but obviously you don't want to leave him crated for hours on end.
Walk your pup on Mighty Paw's 6' Chew Proof Cable Leash
While you're busy training your pup not to bite the leash, you'll still need a chew proof leash that'll hold up to those naughty biting attempts.
Enter the Mighty Paw Chew Proof Cable Leash!
It's highly durable, and unlike awfully heavy chain leashes, Mighty Paw's is lightweight yet super sturdy. This makes it a great option for puppies as well as small AND large adult dogs.
Perhaps the best part is most dogs do not want to chew on a cable leash - it's simply not comfortable for them to chew!
The cherry on top is that it works as a leash and as a short-term tie-out option, so when you need to hook your pup up to a park bench or pole to tie your shoe, your escape artist will stay put.
Since we're all about having fun with our pups, the Mighty Paw Chew Proof Cable Leash comes in two fun colors. Clean up is easy too in case it gets dirty on your rainy or muddy adventures, and we all know those are bound to happen!
Features of the Mighty Paw Chew Proof Cable Leash:
- 6 foot long length
- 2.34 mm stainless steel braided wire cable
- Rock climber aviation aluminum carabiner holds 850+ lbs of max force
- Thick, padded handle for added comfort
- 2 high visibility color options (grey/green + black/orange)
By the way, you might also enjoy Mighty Paw's chew-proof seatbelt for a safe traveling experience with your pup.
Good luck and have fun with your training!
Barbara Rivers writes regularly for Mighty Paw. She is a blogger, raw feeder and dog walker and maintains the blog K9s Over Coffee.
