I’ve read that some trainers suggest keeping a line or leash on puppies in the house. I’m wondering if this actually works or if anyone here has had any good results with it.
Yes, I’ve tried using a leash in the house. My dog was about 3.5 years old when I adopted her, so not exactly a puppy, but it still helped. For safety, I don’t leave her alone with the leash on.
- For the first few days, I used the leash a lot since she was nervous and didn’t like us touching her much. It was a big help to get her used to a harness for toilet breaks, as we live in a flat in Berlin with no garden access. Sleeping in the same room and having her on a leash kept her close without grabbing her directly.
- We did recall training indoors using the house leash since she had to relearn commands in English.
- I also used it when introducing her to our two cats, just in case things didn’t go well (they ended up getting along just fine).
- Now, I only put the leash on indoors if she’s really hyped and needs help calming down.
- I even tried indoor agility training with her, using the leash to guide her.
We tried umbilical training where the puppy stayed close. Hardly any accidents, and they didn’t get into trouble. Downsides? It did make our dog super clingy.
Sounds good in theory, but my puppy just chewed on the leash non-stop.
We used a leash or kept the pup in a closed room until he was about six months old. That cut down on messes and stopped a lot of bad habits. He’s eight months now and has started snatching things off the coffee table, so we might need to bring back the leash if he doesn’t behave.
The only problem is now he’s like my shadow. No separation anxiety, but he follows me everywhere, even sits outside the bathroom door. He’ll settle into his crate, but he doesn’t like being alone without being crated.
We did use a leash for training sessions when our dog was a puppy. It helped her understand when it was time to listen and how to act on a leash. But we didn’t do it all the time. We’d also use crate training to keep her out of trouble. Now that she’s older, we still use the leash inside if we have a lot of people over since it helps keep her calm when she’s too excited.
If I’m actively doing a training session, yes, I do keep my pup on a leash. It keeps them close so they have to stay with me and pay attention.
If I’m not training, I’d rather supervise without the leash. Puppies should learn to move around and explore on their own. For potty training, just having them in the same room is often enough. Having the leash handy can help if they’re not fully trained yet.
One thing to keep in mind – leashes can get tangled, which could end badly. We also want puppies to learn that they listen to us, not just the leash. Short, focused leash practice sessions are enough.
Amaliascarlet said:
@sirigwen
Just a reminder, this forum doesn’t allow advice on using leashes for corrections.
Oh, sorry. When I mentioned ‘leash corrections,’ I just meant standing still if the dog pulls, not yanking the leash or snapping it. Hope that clears it up.
@sirigwen
Got it, thanks. If you could tweak your first comment to make that clearer, I’ll approve it.
Amaliascarlet said:
@sirigwen
Got it, thanks. If you could tweak your first comment to make that clearer, I’ll approve it.
I changed it to say ‘leash behavior’ instead of ‘leash corrections.’ Hope that’s clear enough. Thanks for the heads-up.
Yep, I keep my puppies leashed indoors until they’re about 18 months old. Whippets chew anything in sight if they’re not watched, so it’s either the leash or the crate/playpen.
I only take the leash off when I’m directly supervising or actively playing/training with them. Otherwise, they’re on it so I can keep an eye on them while I do other things.
When my puppy would start acting up, I’d put him on a leash. It always seemed to calm him right down.
Even now that my dog is older, I sometimes still use a leash indoors when I need her to do something. It’s not just for puppies.
I haven’t done the leash-in-the-house thing. My dog knows that wearing the leash means it’s time for a walk, not hanging out at home. She’s good at recall and basic commands, so maybe if she hadn’t been, I would’ve tried the leash training inside?