1) Dogs who are off the leash may cause injury to a person.

This does not necessarily mean that your dog has bitten someone. Injuries to people can come in other forms. What if your dog scares an elderly person and they fall down? What if your dog knocks a small child over? You as the owner are responsible for your dog’s behaviour. You might find yourself at the wrong end of a large lawsuit.

Biting should always be a concern. As a responsible dog owner you have to be aware that all dogs have the potential to bite. You may own the friendliest animal in the world, but it happens to thousands of people every year. Even small dogs can do damage. What if a young child pulls your dog’s tail or tries to take a toy away from your dog? Be aware that your dog is an animal and there is always the potential for danger.

2) Your dog could eat something unhealthy. Dogs love to put things in their mouths. They may get into anything from anti-freeze to a rotting chicken in the neighbours trash. Country dogs are just as at risk from eating something dangerous as city dogs. Dogs may drink contaminated water or walk through an area that was sprayed with pesticides. They may chew on a dead animal while roaming and pick up worms, or parasites. The list of possibilities is staggering. Any one of these things might cost you an expensive trip to the vet, and in the worst case scenario may result in the death of your beloved pet.

3) You do have neighbours. Not everybody loves dogs. And your neighbours are certainly not going to like your dog if they discover that he has been going through their trash. He certainly is not going to be very popular if he is digging holes in their lawn or using their yard as his personal bathroom.

People who allow their dogs to roam free are giving responsible pet owners a bad name. Due to a small number of negligent owners, more and more bans and restrictions regarding dogs are being put into place.

4) In many areas any dog that is not on a leash and is roaming free may be picked up by local animal control. As an owner, you may be held responsible for pick-up fees and his stay at the local pound. You may also incur additional fines for allowing your dog to run loose. And there is always the risk of not being able to locate your dog, sadly many dogs simply disappear.

5) You may own a very friendly dog, but what about all the other dogs? Your dog might be attacked by another dog if that animal considers your dog to be invading his territory. Or another dog may see your pet as a potential danger to his owner. Your dog could be seriously hurt or killed. If your pet is the one not on a leash you may find yourself responsible not only for any veterinary bills regarding your dog but any bills incurred by the other dog as well.

6) Dogs do not respect wildlife. A dog that is allowed to roam free, may hurt or kill young wild animals. He may destroy the nests of ground birds. You also face the risk of having your best friend encounter an unfriendly variety of wildlife. Anyone who has had the pleasure of trying to wash off the delightful smell of skunk will tell you it is not an easy task. Removing porcupine pine quills is another chore that you would do well to avoid. Depending upon where you live, there may be even more dangerous predators that your dog may encounter.

7) A dog who is not on a leash will go to the bathroom almost anywhere. If you do not have control over your pet you can’t be sure where he is doing his business. This can be extremely annoying to your neighbours and other pet owners. You may not be aware that in certain areas the failure to clean up after your animal can cost you a fine of up to $5 000.

8)The animal population is getting out of control, by keeping your dog on a leash you are greatly decreasing the chances of your dog becoming a parent. If you so intend to breed your dog, the last thing you want is to discover that your dog has been the one to pick the father.

9)Dogs get distracted. Your dog may be an obedience champion, but if a cat went running under his nose he just might chase it. What if something suddenly spooked your dog? A car back firing or a fire cracker goes off? The best trained dog in the world might not respond to his owner’s command at that point.

10) In many places it is the law! Dog owners who do not keep their animals on a leash may receive fines.

Be a responsible pet owner, keep your dog on a leash. In many cities there are parks where you can allow your pet more freedom. Get a retractable leash which gives the animal more space. But keep your animal safe, make your neighbours happy and obey the law.

There are a few different tactics that will correct this behavior:

• The first and easiest thing to try is using a bitter apple liquid. Liberally apply the bitter apple to the entire length of the leash. It may be a bit messy and will smell awful but it is worth it. Some dogs do actually like the taste of this product so as an alternative try using the hottest sauce that you can find. Neither of these methods will harm your dog, but most dogs only need try this a few times before they realize that it does not taste good.
• Another simple technique is the moment that your dog begins biting the leash, Stop. Give him a sharp “no” and remove the leash from the dog’s mouth with a quick pull. You may have to repeat this a few times before it works.
• If you have begun training your dog with the leave it command this is a great time to practice. If your dog drops the leash, give him a reward. However, be wary, you do not want the dog learning that he will be rewarded for taking the leash.
• You might also try the stop walking method during your dog leash training exercises. The moment the dog starts to bite his leash STOP and freeze. Do not move, this is the same technique that you can use to get your dog to stop pulling. Once your dog settles down, begin moving again. Your dog will get the idea that nobody goes anywhere when the leash is being bitten. You might even try putting the leash under your foot and ignoring your animal until he calms down. Once the dog is quiet and calm continue walking.
• If your dog is very playful, he may be biting the leash for more attention. You could try allowing the dog to carry a toy, ball or stick on your walk.
• Another idea is to try getting your dog to focus on other things while you are walking. Make the walk more challenging. Change your direction frequently; this will help to keep the dog’s attention off the leash. You might also try issuing other commands as well such as working on sit and stay. It may take a bit longer to get where you are going but it works.
• Take the dog somewhere new. Try walking your dog in different places. If a dog is entertained by new sights and sounds he is too busy to bite the leash.
• If need be, shorten the leash as much as possible. Keep the dog in almost, the heel position and begin walking. Walk at a very brisk pace. Do not talk to your dog, or pet him, keep moving.

With patience and practice you can get your dog to stop biting the leash. But you have to remain consistent. Whichever method you decide to use, be sure to give it time to work. None of these will work the first time out; they might not even work the second, but keep at it. You and your dog will reap the rewards.

Training a dog to heel is not a difficult task. But it is going to require that you be consistent and patient. Training dogs to heel correctly involves a number of things. Having the dog sit at your side until you are ready to move and give the command. Then the animal has to remain tight beside you while you are walking and then he has to sit when you stop. The animal is supposed to remain in the sitting position until you give the release command.

If you have an animal that has learned to walk on a leash without pulling you are now ready to move on to the heel command. If possible take your dog to a distraction free environment and keep the sessions short. You are asking your dog to learn a lot and you want to give him the best possible learning environment.

To start get your dog to sit on your left side facing the same direction as you. Have a toy or special treat ready in your left hand. Get your dogs attention and issue the command “heel”. Move slowly forwards. Hold the treat slightly above your dog’s head as you move forward and keep it tight to your side. Only move a few steps. If your dog stays with you reward and praise. Give the command to sit, if necessary you can “gently” pull the leash upwards in an effort to get your dog to sit. Release, reward and praise. At this point having the dog sit is not as important as getting the dog to stay right beside you.

As your dog grasps the concept of staying right beside while you walk vary the amount of steps that you take. And put more emphasis on the “sit” when you stop. Be sure to give the release command before his reward. As he gets better at this start making gradual turns, but not too sharp. Use the treats to help keep the dog focused on you. As training progresses you can begin making sharper more abrupt turns. Do not pull on the leash to get your dog to catch up. Rather, call his and name and get him to refocus. Lots of praise and rewards are needed every time he does the correct thing.

Ideally you do not want to use the leash to get your dog back into the correct position Instead issue the heel command and refocus his attention. If at all possible you do not want to have to even hold the leash during your heel training sessions. The leash should merely be there for back-up.

With a little effort training a dog to heel does not have to be difficult. Every dog can learn to heel. As an owner you have to remember that as with all dog leash training activities, patience and consistency are key.

The first thing you are going to need to begin dog leash training is a proper collar for your dog. Before going out and buying a choke or pinch collar see how well your dog adjusts to simply using his everyday collar during training sessions. Some larger dogs or difficult to train dogs may require a gentle leader, haltie or choke collar for training but, you may find out that this is not the case with your pet. One thing to remember is that you should never leave a training collar on your pet when you are not around. Always be sure that you put their regular collar back on when the training session is over.

When getting a collar, ensure it fits correctly. You do not want the collar to be too big or too small. If you are using a regular belt type collar the general rule is to ensure that you can fit two fingers between the dog’s neck and the collar.

The next thing to pick out is a leash. When starting out you want to have a leash that is no longer than six feet in length. Retractable or extendable leashes are not ideal when you first begin training. You want to keep the dog very close, you do not want to give the dog a lot of freedom at this point. Also these leashes can be hard to work with if you are not used to them.

Picture by Lutz Mischa Heitmuller

Make certain that the leash you select is made of a strong material, leather is often the best. You do not want to have any kind of leash that might cause you burns if the dog pulls unexpectedly. Nylon leashes may do this so be careful with your selection.

Another thing to consider when you begin leash training is going to puppy classes. These classes are a great place to start working with your puppy on a leash and are also a great opportunity to socialize your puppy at the same time.  By taking your puppy to class he will learn that even though there are other dogs and distractions you are the one in charge. This is one of the most important things that your pet will ever learn. And you can practice in a safe environment.

There are many things you can learn about training by reading or searching online but just the same you ultimately have to go out and socialize him. You have to practice working with him on a leash. And puppy classes are one of the best ways to do this. And there is the added bonus of having other pet owners there to talk to about your new pet. And hopefully a well trained person running the course who can give you added tips and pointers.