Why Your Dog Should Love the Leash – Tips and Tricks

Guides and courses on leash training are booming, because it seems that both people and dogs have forgotten how to walk together connected by a leash. Here, you’ll learn why you should associate the leash positively with your dog from the start and how to make it work.

The Off-leash Trend and Its Consequences for Your Dog

“Your dog must be able to run freely!” This is a common mantra. If you can casually hang the leash around your dog’s neck or leave it at home altogether, you’ve obviously done everything right in raising your four-legged friend and earned a coolness factor.

And yes, of course, it’s important for dogs to run and exert themselves actively. And yes, there is something special about walking without a leash and being able to fully trust your dog.

BUT: Consistently walking without a leash comes with numerous underestimated and sometimes unknown risks and disadvantages. These only become apparent when it’s too late.

Take Your Dog’s Safety Seriously – Underestimated Risks

According to reports from Tasso, 428 dogs in Germany ran away within two days from 2024 to 2025. Although this is above the daily average, it is not a record, nor is it the actual number of lost dogs.

If you regularly let your dog run off-leash, you’re taking on more risks than just the usual chaos around New Year’s Eve.

Running Away: My Dog Won’t Run Away

That’s what almost everyone says when they let their dog go off-leash. However, the numbers tell a different story. According to Tasso, 79 dogs run away every day in Germany alone. However, this only includes dogs that are registered, as many dog owners are still unaware of the database, don’t register their dogs, or don’t report them missing for one of the following reasons.

Hit by a Car

Over the years, I’ve gotten to know and said goodbye to numerous dogs within a one-kilometer radius.

There was Cero, the greyhound mix, who ran happily without a leash across the field and along the country road. He was hit by a car before he was even one year old. After a complicated surgery, he was back on his feet – still wearing stitches and a protective body – running around without a leash. He was hit again just a week after the first accident.

Then there was little Bobby, who ALWAYS walked by his owner’s side, until the day he didn’t and was hit by a car, dying tragically.

Elsa, the Duck Tolling Retriever, was a picture of obedience – until she ran in front of a truck on the main road.

And there was the puppy, just adopted from the breeder, who ran away the moment he got out of the car. He survived two days alone in the wild before being found by volunteers.

These are not isolated cases. The number of dogs hit by cars is often covered up. Many owners don’t want to admit they were warned that their dog could get run over, and then it happened.

This distortion leads many people to believe, “It could never happen to me!” But remember, all those other owners thought the same thing.

Poisoned Bait

„I shouted for him to spit it out.“

That’s what the owner of a Labrador told me a few days ago. Unfortunately, that Labrador is no longer alive. Nor is the Doberman who also „ate something“ and died hours later. These incidents didn’t make headlines.

Both dogs were off-leash and were quick to swallow anything they found. The owners did not mention that the dogs didn’t respond to commands and were essentially acting like vacuum cleaners. A leash and/or muzzle could have saved their lives, but that’s a bitter truth that not everyone is willing to acknowledge.

Hazards to the Environment and Others

I hate passing by off-leash dogs. A single fright or an enticing sound on the other side of the road is all it takes for them to dart in front of an oncoming car.

I also hate passing un-leashed dogs in areas where leashes are required. Can I rely on the dog to obey and turn around, or will it become my problem? Depending on the dog on my leash, it could end up putting itself in danger.

“My dog won’t do anything!” sounds nice, but it’s often untrue. It also doesn’t take into account that the other dog on a leash can do something unexpected.

Moreover, many people are afraid of off-leash dogs and feel restricted by them. This leads to growing hostility towards dogs in some places, and also to more incidents and dangers in areas where people ignore leash laws.

The Leash is Not a Punishment: Break the “Leash Prison” Mentality

When dogs walk on a leash, they often get pity from others. Their owners are lectured or laughed at. After all, they can’t walk their dog without a leash. Yet, many people with off-leash dogs don’t manage to control them either, letting their dogs do whatever they want, though the perception is that they are superior and more capable.

Furthermore, many people now view the leash as a form of punishment. It’s even called the “leash prison,” and there’s a common belief that dogs become depressed when they have to walk on a leash.

The reason for this, however, is not that dogs inherently hate leashes. It’s more about the owners’ attitude and the lack of positive association.

Create a Positive Attitude Toward the Leash from the Start – The Reasons Why

“My dog pulls on the leash.” “My dog feels punished by the leash.” “My dog doesn’t need a leash, he listens without it.”

There are many excuses for keeping dogs off-leash. They all have three things in common:

Incorrect or insufficient acclimatization to the leash.
Using the leash as a punishment.
They are excuses.

Leash training often fails because it was never practiced properly, too rarely, or incorrectly. Walks on the leash may be restrictive and boring, while an off-leash dog provides its own entertainment and variety. When this is no longer possible, the problems arise.

The reasons for this include:

• Age: Dogs’ vision, hearing, strength, stability, and memory all decline with age. Older dogs may miss dangers, fail to hear recalls, or forget commands, putting them at risk.

• Illness: Illness can make dogs more irritable and jumpy, and walking off-leash can lead to accidents.

• Heat Cycle: Whether male or female, hormones can cause erratic behavior in dogs during a female’s heat cycle, making them more likely to ignore commands.

• Stress: Events like New Year’s Eve, storms, or changes in the environment can stress a dog, reducing its capacity to focus and increasing the risk of accidents.

• Injuries: Just like age or illness, injuries can limit a dog’s ability to respond. Adding a leash might feel like an additional burden, but it ensures safety.

If you rarely use the leash and haven’t created a positive experience with it, you’re not doing your dog any favors.

Make Leash Walks Exciting

Read on for tips for making leash walks fun: This is how your dog will learn to love the leash!

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