How-to Guide, Tips and Videos for Leash Handling
Learn essential leash skills to care for shelter dogs through best practices taught at the ASPCA’s Adoption Center’s Canine Classroom. Whether you’re teaching new staff, volunteers or fosters, these leash basics will cover how to determine the appropriate walking equipment, how to place leashes and harnesses on dogs, top tips and best practices for walking dogs.
- Choose the proper walking equipment.
A martingale collar is a good option for dogs that don’t pull hard or don’t have medical contradictions precluding the use of a collar. Appropriately fitting harnesses can be added on if needed, depending on the dog’s behavior.
- Use treats.
While applying a leash or harness on wiggly and energetic dogs, it’s helpful to distract them by dropping treats on the floor in front of them or placing a bit of something they can lick like peanut butter or squeeze cheese on a plate or lickimat.
Wear a treat pouch or fanny pack to ensure easy access to treats. Give treats from your free hand, not the one holding the leash. During a walk, when treating and walking, you’ll have to practice your timing; it can fill somewhat clumsy at first. First you need to know what behavior you want to reward, then become adept at giving the treat within seconds of the behavior occurring.
- Hold the leash properly.
Hold the leash with a “thumb lock” by placing the handle of the leash over your thumb so the loop sits in your palm. The thumb remains locked inside the loop of the leash handle. This can be an adjustment for people who are used to placing the loop around their wrist, but it allows handlers to adjust quickly if a dog’s behavior changes suddenly on a walk or if they shift side to side.
- Maintain proper leash shape.
Your goal should be to maintain a u-shape in your leash as much as possible throughout the walk. This is a great test of whether you are using the correct equipment and your training is working.
Bonus Tips
- When crossing thresholds to the outdoors, many dogs get excited and rush forward. Drop a few treats right in front of the dog or give the dog a treat to get them focused on you when the door opens. This will allow you to assess your surroundings before you step outside. Try not to open the door if the dog is jumping up — wait until all four of the dog’s feet are on the floor, even for just a second, before opening the door.
- Reinforce walking on a consistent side of the handler by treating; the dog will be more likely to walk on that side. While there is no right or wrong side, choose whichever side helps with safety standards in your shelter environment.
- Focus on the dog and your surroundings, not on your phone.
- If you’re not sure how a dog will react to something approaching you like another dog or children running, make a U-turn and head in the other direction while you are still far enough away or lure your dog away with treats.
- Make sure the walk is enjoyable for the dog. Walk at the dog’s pace and make sure to give opportunities to stop and sniff without applying the pressure of the leash on their collar or harness.
Additional important skills related to leash work include preparing to take a dog for a walk, what to do when a dog jumps up, how to navigate crosswalks and intersections and how to reduce leash grabbing and tugging.
These tips can help you bring a better understanding of how to handle the leash effectively and kindly. Overall, it’s important to adjust leash techniques based on a dog’s behavior, which can change depending on the environment, so it’s important to be both flexible and prepared.
Related Resources
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