This month.... Long lines!
What is a long line?
A long line is a longer, usually much longer, version of a regular leash, but we handle and use it very differently. As I write this, I am traveling across the country with my husband and our dog Skipper. Skipper would not be the happy traveler he is if it weren’t for the long line and the freedom to explore along the way, whether it’s space at a rest stop, an open field, a town park, or an area near a hotel. A 6’ leash cannot offer him what he needs.
Benefits of a long line:
- Allows dog to satisfy his needs through environmental exploration, which provides mental stimulation and enrichment
- Allows handler to set physical boundaries through the safety net of a leash
- Minimizes occurrence of problematic behaviors because they can be interrupted before they happen
- Balances dog’s needs with handler’s
- Provides continuous connection between dog and handler
- Offers opportunities to practice skills such as recall, fetch, heeling, attention, and more while setting dog up for success
- Becomes an intermediate step towards being completely off-leash
- Line is always slack when handled well – pulling isn’t practiced
- Leash laws are still followed (check your local ordinances)
- Less pulling! Yes, that’s right – there is less pulling when our dogs are given the freedom to explore.
To summarize, long lines provide loads of opportunities to reinforce the behaviors we want while granting our dogs the permission to do what they need to be happy, and the need to explore their environments.
Qualities of a good long line:
- 10-30’ long leash (longer tends to be heavier, depending on the material). The longer the leash, the harder to manage but the more freedom to explore for your dog.
- Strong
- Lightweight (fabric-type for smaller dogs/biothane for larger)
- Easy to see
- Loop at end (cut loop off if/when line becomes a drag line to prevent snagging)
- Good grip
- Doesn’t easily tangle (biothane leashes tend not to tangle)
- Easy to clean is a plus!
Safety Considerations
Body harness. Clip the leash to back attachment point. If he hits the end with any speed, it won’t cause injury to his neck or throat
Line must be continuously managed. Both dog and human risk entanglement.
Things or others in environment can get entangled. Dogs on long lines must not gain access to other dogs or people, or to objects that may get tangled.
Before you snap a long line on your dog, practice the leash handling part of the process. There are several basic choices for how to do this, and you may employ a hybrid version.
- Handler’s dominant hand adjusts slack; remaining line, looped into large loops, is in other hand.
- Same as above, but excess line is tossed onto the ground off to the side (the other hand still controls the slack)
Notes:
- The dog does not always have the full range of the line. This is adjusted as appropriate.
- Avoid having excess line behind you where it becomes a tripping hazard.
- The line is held lightly so that more can be fed out to maintain slack.
Now, the training part of all of this…
- After you think you have a handle on handling the line, arm yourself with loads of tasty treats, and find a parking lot or other low distraction area to practice in.
- Give your dog 6’ of the line
- Practice name game by saying your pup’s name, then tossing a treat away, within the range you give him.
- Repeat this until your pup eagerly looks up for the next rep, then give him more line.
- Blend loose leash walking into the picture by generously rewarding your pup for being next to you. Feed him in heel position multiple times so he doesn’t know when the party will end, then release him to go explore. Repeat!
We don’t want to always be training when our pup is on a long line, but we do want to be able to interrupt and redirect if necessary. Training games mixed into long line sessions help to achieve this.
Other Skills to Practice (in addition to recall):
• Targeting
• Attention
• Fetch
• Flirt pole chase
• Go out to an object
• Mark and reward for hitting the end (gently!)
My article from April 2022, “Rules for Handling Dogs in Public” offers additional insight.
Happy Training!
Diana Logan, CPDT-KA Certified Professional Dog Trainer, Knowledge-Assessed
Pet Connection Dog Training, North Yarmouth, Maine
www.dianalogan.com | 207-252-9352