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Braking distance (Freedom, Safety, Control)

Why: Allows you to stop the dog slowly to avoid pain/pressure to you or the dog. How: The braking hand is the one that is not holding the handle (although you will sometimes use the handle hand for braking). The braking hand is the one closest to the dog. It controls the direction of the leash and keeps it out of the dog’s way. Whenever possible, keep both hands on the leash.

Practice: Put your braking hand under the leash. You should be able to hold both of your palms up easily and the leash will go from your handle hand, drop down in front of you in a U-shape, then drape across the palm of your braking hand, and past your thumb to the dog. Holding it from underneath puts your joints more in alignment and gives you more fine movements of the leash with your thumb. The amount of leash between your hands is your braking distance: the length you can let out as you slow down. When you have your hands relaxed at your side, with one hand in Handle position and the other loosely holding the leash, the bottom of the leash should be at about your knees. This is called Basic Position.

Shorter (Safety, Control)

Why: It’s safer to keep the leash off of the ground to avoid tripping and tangling. How: Shorten the leash so that it is still loose but above the dog’s knees. If the dog moves closer to you or you move closer to the dog, gather the extra leash into your handle hand.

Keep your braking hand stationary so the dog doesn’t feel the leash jerking around.

• Bow (preferred): Make a figure 8 with the leash with the center of the 8’s in your handle hand.

• Loops: This is how you’d gather up a garden hose, just loops of leash. It is easier, but a little less safe. If your dog sprints away from you, the loops may tighten on your fingers.

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Longer (Freedom)

Why: In my experience, a restrained dog is more likely to overreact with aggression, frustration, or fear. A longer leash gives him more options and allows him to make better choices. Unless you are using the leash to stop your dog, the leash should be in a smile shape. If you have a shorter dog, it will be more like a smirk (think Mona Lisa smile), so it still has a bend in it but is less likely to be stepped over.

How: If the dog moves away from you, you can let out line instead of stopping the dog or running to keep up:

• The Noisy way (most common when the dog is moving away from you): Let the leash slip through your braking hand. As you use up the braking distance, use your handle hand to release another bow or loop of leash.

• The Quiet way (useful for times when you are trying to move away from the dog without prompting movement, as during elimination): Bring your handle hand to your braking hand. Use your braking hand to grab one bow or loop from the handle hand. Back away and lower your braking hand while lifting your handle hand, until the leash goes from a “W” to a “U.” Repeat.

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Slide (Control)

Why: Allows you to communicate that you are stopping or that you need the dog’s attention. Use when you want to get the dog’s attention with the leash or as you slow the dog down. How: Hand over hand. Grip the leash with one hand. Softly slide your other hand along the leash toward you, without actually pulling the leash. (Repeat, switching hands). This is the TTouch technique of “feathering.”

Slow Stop (Control)

Why: Your dog is less likely to bark when you come to a stop more slowly. It is also easier on your body and on the dog’s, too.

How: Let the leash slide through your fingers for about one foot (30 cm) as you stop the dog. Your movement acts as a shock absorber when you slowly bring yourself to a stop and sit back a little. Stay in balance with your feet just over shoulder width apart. Point only the front foot directly at the dog to help your balance. Have the back foot at about 45 degrees, with your weight balanced more on that back foot so that you are in a strong position. Experiment with positions by having a friend hold the dog’s end of the leash and try to pull you over.

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Relax the Leash (Freedom)

Why: When you stop your dog with the leash, he is often out of balance because he is leaning into the leash. If you relax the pressure of the leash after stopping, he will be able to get into balance and make better choices that generalize well to off-leash situations. When the leash is in a U-shape, that’s a “smile.”

How: Keep a smile in the leash or put one back into the leash after you stop the dog. Very slowly bend your knee forward or extend your arm until the leash is loose and the dog is back in balance.

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Center Yourself (Safety)

Why: The leash also puts you out of balance. If you are off-balance when your dog pulls, you may fall. Standing with tension may also encourage your dog to go over-threshold.

How: Stand with your body softly balanced above your feet, knees relaxed, and hands at your side. You will be vertically centered, but still keep one foot slightly back, as in the Slow Stop, so that you will be harder to tip over if the dog suddenly pulls.

Mime Pulling (Control)

Why: Gets the dog’s attention more quickly than Slide. Used for times when the dog is too focused on something and/or you want him to go a different way.

How: Do Slide where the dog can see you (they have 270 degree peripheral vision). Make inviting eye contact (flirt!) and keep eye contact as you bend your knees and pivot your body away from the dog in the direction that you want to go. You are sort of doing a ‘play’ bow to invite chase.

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Stewart, Grisha. Behavior Adjustment Training 2.0: New Practical Techniques For Fear, Frustration, and Aggression