Over the years, I've transitioned to using longer leashes during casual walks with my dogs as a way to give them a bit more freedom to enjoy the environment.
When walking in urban or suburban settings, a 4' to 6' leash may make the most sense. But in quieter settings, a leash of about 10-12' long (or even a bit longer) can be a great choice. With those few extra feet of leash, the dog has more freedom to meander and sniff and explore without the leash constantly getting tight.
This freedom to do doggie stuff is very enriching, and I do my best to accommodate my dogs' desire to gather info during their walks. This often means a fair amount of stopping to allow them to explore to their noses' content. This is the doggie version of social media and it gives them a lot of pleasure!
Leashes are available in a variety of materials. I like biothane leashes because they're sturdy, weatherproof, easy to clean, and available in many widths and lengths. The easy-to-clean detail matters because a longer leash tends to drag on the ground.
When using a longer leash, it's best to connect it to the back ring of a body harness, rather than to a collar. This way, if the dog happens to move quickly and then suddenly reaches the end of the leash, the impact is dispersed on their body rather than around the neck. But as the handler of the leash, you should always be mindful about gathering up excess slack when the dog is close to you in order to minimize any sudden jolts, and then feed out extra line when the dog wants to wander a bit farther away. Check out this video for tips on safely handling a longer line.
A longer leash may not be the right choice for every dog. Here are some points to consider:
If your dog is large and a very strenuous puller when on leash, having more leash-length may not be safe for you. Some training should be done first on a shorter leash to teach the dog how to walk nicely and how to check in with you regularly.
Being attached to the back ring of a body harness means a dog can comfortably pull with their greatest strength so, again, some training on loose-leash walking should be done before switching to a longer leash.
If your dog is known to bark and lunge at other people or dogs, or if they are committed to chasing cars or bikes or other fast-moving things, managing the amount of slack that's available in the leash at any given time is essential for everyone's safety. That can be tricky to do, so make smart decisions about the leash-length you choose when working with your own dog.
If cars are regularly passing you during walks, not only will you need to be mindful about the amount of leash available to your dog, but you could also teach them how to move off the road and wait until the car goes by. My own dogs have learned to stand off the road and stare at me until the car passes, at which time they receive a treat.
With some dogs, simply adding a few more feet of leash-length drastically reduces pulling behavior, with minimal training involved. My bare-bones rule of walking with my own dogs is that tight leashes (no matter the length) always cause forward motion to end, but if a bit of slack remains in the leash, forward motion continues. I also like to teach my dogs to stay on one side of me, rather than crisscrossing back and forth.
With a bit of training and a smart choice on the length of leash for you and your dog, you can create more pleasant and enriching walks all around! If you need some training assistance in this area, I'd be happy to help!
Dealing with some behaviors that you're not sure how to address?
Let's discuss options for in-person or remote training services.
You can reach me at virginiadare2013@gmail.com.
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