Obedience

Training Equipment!

The six-foot training leash!

Correct use of the training leash is important, not only during training sessions, but at all times. Always having a loop over your thumb and your hand closed into a fist, prevents even the strongest dog from unexpectedly jerking the leash through your fingers and breaking free. Whether it's the hand-loop or a loop formed by marrying the leash over your thumb, the result is the same. Pulling on the leash merely causes your grip to tighten.

If you are using a light line to work a large unruly dog, a loop over the thumb will prevent the line being stripped through your hand and, perhaps, leaving you nursing some pretty good rope burns. It's also a good idea to wear gloves when using a light line, just as an extra precaution.

Note:Clicking the images on this page will pop up a larger view.

The training leash is best used in the right hand. The dog works at the handler's left side and the leash crosses in front of the handlers body. Using the leash in the right hand allows for the most effective corrections and keeps the left hand free for signals and an occasional pat on the back for work well done. With the dog at heel, put the thumb of your right hand through the loop of the leash ( Fig 1 ), this will ensure that even a big dog cannot jerk the leash from your hand....

Close the hand, securely locking the thumb in the loop (Fig 2). When the dog is allowed the full six feet of the leash, this is the correct way to hold the leash.

For an even stronger grip, necessary when making corrective turns, etc., grasp the leash with the left hand immediately below the right hand as if holding a baseball bat. (fig 3).

To adjust the length of the leash, drape the center of the leash over the right thumb, on top of the hand-loop (Fig 4). This will form a large loop hanging from your right hand....

Close the hand, marrying all the strands of leash together (Fig 5). Practice adjusting the slack in the leash by sliding the running part of the leash through your hand to make the loop bigger or smaller.

The right arm should be carried horizontally across the body (fig 6), with the right wrist close to your belt buckle. There should always be enough slack in the leash that the bolt-snap hangs down. When working the dog, the left hand should be kept off the leash at all times and not used near the collar to guide the dog into the heel position etc. (the position of the arm in the other illustrations on this page is for demonstration purposes only and is incorrect)

Except.... You knew there was going to be an exception, didn't you?....
In an emergency, and only in an emergency, when you must lift or control the dog's head, you can marry a loop of the leash over your left thumb, close to the collar (Fig 7). Left hand control like this might be used to control an untrained or difficult dog in close quarters, such as the waiting-room at the veterinary clinic, but should not be used routinely.

To shorten the leash so that it can be used in the left hand as you would use a traffic leash, grasp the running part of the leash and the large loop, at approximately the center of the large loop (Fig 8)....

Bring the right hand down below the left, folding the large loop in half (Fig 9)....

Now, marry all strands of the leash in the left hand (Fig 10), and you have the finished product. This method is best used with trained dogs. When the level of distraction is raised, for instance, when another dog approaches, you should switch back to right hand control. Just put your right thumb back in the hand-loop and let go with the left. Practice switching back and forth a few times until you feel comfortable with it.

It's important to understand that the only reason the dog has for obeying commands is to escape or avoid the collar tightening on his neck. If you use the leash in such a manner that the collar is always pulled snug around his neck, he will be unable to avoid it and, instead of learning, will spend his time wishing he were somewhere else. The leash should be kept slack at all times except when making a correction, when it should just 'pop' on his neck and immediately go slack again.

Good luck with your training!

Neil

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