# Leash attacks



## Kodabear75 (Oct 2, 2013)

Our v is approaching 4 months and we just started really training her full time. We are working with heel, leave it and wait commands , but a lot of times when we are out on a walk she will turn into crazy and start attacking me. She's done it to my mom and husband and there's no calming her down. I'm trying not to get frustrated but it is hard when I feel like I have no control. Does anyone else's puppy do this or know some good solutions? I know she is still a puppy and she got a lot of energy but this scares me


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## Ksana (Mar 30, 2013)

I read somewhere that Vizslas pups intend to fight the leash at the beginning. This stage will pass, but you need to be consistent and correct her.


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## Kodabear75 (Oct 2, 2013)

She attacks the leash then attacks me! I've never seen anything like it. Biting and lunging at me for a good 5 minutes. I was told to step on the leash so she can't jump on me, but wanted to see if anyone else experienced this


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## Watson (Sep 17, 2012)

We experienced this as well with ours until he was about 6 or 7 months. He was an angel indoors, but would turn into a monster on walks. People would actually stop me on the street and ask if I needed help ! Stepping on his leash did nothing but make it worse. We started taking a spray bottle with us on walks and would give him a quick squirt (direct stream) as soon as he started lunging at us. Thankfully, they grow out of it!


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## tknafox2 (Apr 2, 2013)

I was at the dog park today, and a lady suggested a Pinch collar... She was candid and told me about her lack of control of her dog... not a v. She hired a trainer. She said the pinch collar doesn't hurt the dog, and emulates the mother dogs bite control, and gives U the Pack leader( Mother dog) control. I have no Idea if this is true... the lady said watch it on youtube... I haven't yet, as it was just hours ago that this info came to me. But I may try it, as my pup goes bonkers if he approaches people, or other dogs, out walking, and I literaly have NO control of his behavior. 
I wish us both/all luck.


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## solefald (May 16, 2013)

Yeah, multiple people suggested pinch collars. With regular collar the dog pulls and only feels pressure on the front of their neck, which means nothing to them, there is not many nerve endings, but pinch collar squeezes entire neck which causes more discomfort, without really hurting them


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## Sail (Jun 18, 2013)

Facilities loose leash walking while training.
I'd use a high upon the neck British slip lead as well for walking at heel control. 

.... However, no pinch collars until the dog is six months old, please. 

At 4 months it is still a very small puppy and basic redirection with food lures is enough. A comfortable harness and let the little devil pull to its heart content. We all need a little exercise.


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## einspänner (Sep 8, 2012)

I've had good luck with a martingale style collar/lead combo. It works like a british slip lead, but it tightens from two points which helps apply even pressure around the neck.

Mendota makes a nice one. http://mendota.web.eschelon.com/sliplead_comp.html


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## giandaliajr (Nov 24, 2012)

We have tons of experience with leash attacks on walks, for the most part they stopped around 9 months or so.

Since Berk is very food driven he will do anything for a treat. When he has one of his episodes we would put the treat up to his nose and then move it away and give him the "place" command so he would move to a new spot and sit. All it takes is a break in his mood and he goes back to being normal.

Its a bit more difficulty if you don't have any treats on you. I usually would grab his collar and drop the leash and then twist my hand (to tighten the collar) and at the same time press his butt down to make him sit. Eventually he stops biting the leash and i have control over him so he can't bite me (he wouldn't bite me much but he would really lay into my wife sometimes). 

It's one of those things he just needs to grow out of. We found that it typically happened in a certain area or when we would leave another dog he was sniffing. I think its just him letting out frustration and energy. It's amazing how much of a different dog they become after the year mark. We visited family for thanksgiving and everyone was floored by how well he behaves now, versus what he was like at 3-5 months.


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## giandaliajr (Nov 24, 2012)

i doubt a pinch collar is going to fix the problem. If he is like mine, berk would grab the leash in-between my hand and the collar, then if you grab it lower he will try to bite your hand or grab the leash closer down. Unless you can get really low on the leash, there is no point. 

We use a harness now though, oddly he pulls less with a harness than he did with a regular collar.


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## abatt (Jul 10, 2012)

We had this phase for months, the most difficult and frustrating months I could remember. We tried all kinds of methods to stop this, had a trainer help, but nothing worked.

One day on a walk he started one of his biting episodes and wouldn't stop. After becoming completely desperate and realizing that I have a bottle of water in my bag, I just opened the bottle and dumped the water on him. He hates water in any form, being drizzled on him, rained on him, shower, you name it. It stopped him right away and he was an angel the whole way back home. I never had to do it again. Since then just the sight of a water bottle is enough for him to stop biting.

I was worried about him being scared of all plastic bottles, but somehow he knows that it is a warning only when he is misbehaving. In any other context, he doesn't care much and is not afraid.


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## Kodabear75 (Oct 2, 2013)

Thanks all for the feedback. Our trainer has us using the prong collar which I was highly against until I felt it on my arm and realized it didn't hurt and it was merely a tap on the shoulder for them. It has worked great and she has been heeling great. As for the attacks usually done with a harness or regular collar. I'm going to start using treats and squirt bottles while on walks and see which works best. I know it's pretty normal but it is pretty scary when I feel like I can't control my dog.


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## Bronson (Jun 25, 2013)

I would just be patient and wait to see if she outgrows the behavior before starting the punishments or bribe routine... Bronson would have these similar freak outs for no apparent reason from 4-6 months old. When he started biting the leash, I would stop walking and let him have his moment, then would encourage him to continue our walk. Usually he would get bored with the leash and we'd start cruising again. When ultra stubborn, I would just slide my arm down between his neck and the leash so he couldn't get his head around far enough to grab anything. You just have to redirect their attention to more "entertaining" things...

At 7 months, Bronson doesn't bother with the leash anymore... Now if I could only get him to stop pulling like a 4 legged tractor, I'd be golden :


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## Lyndam (Aug 22, 2013)

Normal. Ruby 7 months rarely does this now but we had it in spades. 
Sit worked for me ...most times....and then food to distract from the behaviour. I read you should then walk off believing the dog will walk well...body language and confidence working in the dog. Of course she didn't always walk well so sit again. 
I found it worse if she was overtired. Overtired always made her more hyper and hyper could result in zoomes and shark attacks. 
I also tried to be consistent about where on a walk I put on the lead. If she expected it she fought it less. 
Work on your sit command and allow her to successfully please you then take off again with confidence. 

It's not easy but they end up great dogs.


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## ajmcmeans (Mar 17, 2013)

Ya...you're definitely not alone!

My boy is 10mo and can go crazy on the leash when out on a walk. I take him out with a prong. When he bucks, and turns on the leash, I wait him out. Eventually he'll yield and sit or I'll give him a "lets go" command (aka heel) and he'll come into form. 

I laughed reading Watson's comment...about people asking if you needed help 

One time, I'm out on a walk with my boy and he bucks at a busy intersection. He's going at the leash, biting and growling with zeal. I'm holding the leash out while he going berzerk. This car stops and a woman asks if I need help  I tell her I'm good...but the look on her face was something...she must have thought my V was rabid!


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