barking and biting leash

hi all - Jelly has started this thing where about half way through walking her, she starts jumping up to bite her leash and when we say no and step on the leash to stop her, she calms down only to stand up when we let go of the leash and look right at us and bark. she sometimes tries to mouth (not really bite) as well and she is generally defiant. after several stern NO's and a few rounds of this, she finally gives up and we finish our walk.

she's 7 months old and at home when we play, one thing she LOVES is for us to chase her around the dining room table while she holds a toy in her mouth. if we stop, she barks and if we ignore her because we're done playing or we take the toy away to end play (not because she's been naughty, just because we're done), she usually goes away and finds something else to do, usually chewing her stag bar or what have you. So I'm thinking the thing with the leash is a game to her, and I am not sure what we're doing to correct (stern NO, turning back to her, but going a few rounds before she gets it) is working

Any suggestions?

I think it is working, just that it takes time. The barking is most definitely her either trying to get your attention, or barking as part of the play, so you sound like you're doing everything right. My "NO"s don't work on Loki, they just make him bark or whine, but when he bites the lead or starts playing tug-of-war with it, I'll get him to sit and just wait there for a few moments and then walk again. It sometimes takes quite a while, it's time-consuming, but I find that it is working for me in that he doesn't do it as often now. So if your method is working for you, just that it takes a few goes before she completely stops, it seems to me like it's working, just that it'll take a while for her to progress to the point where it stops.

Sounds like you are on the right track. She is entering the teenage phase and will be trying to push her boundaries. Just keep to basics and have faith.

that's what I thought, OK - nice to know my thinking is on track. I should probably exclude the NO's as well, as it just makes her talk back to me. Sometimes I'll just pick her up, no frills or fuss, just lamb-style and carry her and then she remembers walking is better than that LOL silly girl.

OK thanks!!

Swop the lead for a chain one, dogs don't like having a chain in their mouths so they stop biting the lead. This takes away all the hassel of trying to teach them not to do it.

A lot of trainers/behaviourists will tell you not to play chase with her but to me it depends on the dog, some it won't matter others it will. Nobody knows your dog better than you do.

At 7 months old she is now a teenage hooligan, like all teenagers they try to push the boundaries, try to anticipate this and distract her before she does something but that isn't easy to do.

Clicker training and mind games will help her as well, they will exercise her brain which will help tire her out.

we had a chain lead for a while, and we stopped using it. i was thinking about breaking it out again as it stopped her straight away. i don't know if that trains the correct behavior, but it does stop her.

yes, chase seems not quite right to me, but she's never aggressive in any other way so it seems like she is OK to be chased now and then. it's really cute too


right now, i'm more worried about the fact that she's been shaking for the last 90 minutes. not sure why. she was fine up until about 4 pm, and then I went out for a few minutes, came back, let her out of her kennel and she's been acting all quiet and shaking ever since. what the?!