Training with the long leash

Why do we ask you to train your dog using a long leash? Isn't it enough to see how your dog reacts to SkyShepherd on a normal leash? What if my dog always wants to bite the long leash and play tug-of-war?

Training with a long leash is a critical part of SkyShepherd training. It helps you know what your dog will do when left to its own devices, but still allows you to take positive control if you need to. It's a very important stepping stone to off-leash training. Given the importance, coming up with some strategies to deal with tug-of-war prone doggies is a must. 

You may be able to preempt the whole long leash tugging behavior by ensuring your dog has been properly trained to walk nicely on a normal or short leash. This gives them a sense of what they're supposed to do when on leash. This doesn't always allay the long leash issue, though, so here are some other strategies if you run into a tug-of-war.

One strategy to deal with a tug-of-war champion is to wear out the novelty of the long leash. If you've never used a long leash before, your pup will naturally be curious, and probably want to play with this new toy. Spend some time in your yard with the long leash attached, but playing with some other toy your dog loves. This takes the attention away from the long leash and helps to calm your dog's interest in it. 

Another strategy you might try is to simply let go of the leash whenever your dog tries to tug on it. After a while, when your dog realizes you won't tug back on the leash, it will probably move on naturally to ignoring it.