Leash holding/chewing

[wwest3898]

My 12 week old male German Shepherd dog has recently started grabbing the nylon webbing portion of his Flexi Lead and shaking it as though we were playing "tug" when I take him for walks. I do not play Tug with him because it encourages aggression and I'm trying to get him to quit play biting (nothing about biting with milk teeth is play to me, or my clothing).

I've tried "NO", loud noise, ignoring and refusing to move, etc. with no result. I'd welcome any suggestions from someone who has managed to resolve this issue.

[susan O]

We have a 4 month old Rottie. We were advised to soak his leash in Bitter Apple and let it dry. It didn't work at first but then we were told to condition the dog to the taste first. Soak a cotton ball and place in Pups mouth, hold a few seconds and he will spit it out. Do this three days in a row. It did work for us, although sometimes he has to be reminded-good luck

[Maggiesmom1]

The bitter apple cotton ball idea sounds cruel and awful to me. Would you put a cotton ball soaked in that awful stuff in your mouth? !!! Please don't do this to your dog!!

Many, many puppies like to chew on the leash. Its a phase...and I promise it will pass. At 12 weeks, your dog is teething and chewing the rope feels good. The best thing to do is to invest in a leather leash that is high quality.

Dogs like to chew nylon. That is why you find nylon rope dog toys...they are actually good for teeth cleaning. What he is doing is natural.

If you buy a good leather leash, he'll probably leave it out of his mouth, but if you see your dog put the leash in his mouth, say "No mouth!" and an "eh-eh, No!" A leather leash is much stiffer and easier to remove.

As with most puppy phases, remember that "this too shall pass". Teach the command "No mouth!" for all types of puppy nipping or inappropriate chewing. Be sure to give him lots of bones during this time to help his teeth feel better.