When I get out my long line to work on stay with my 7 month old Australian Shepherd she goes crazy biting the long line. How do I stop this behavior?

Trying to work on a stay with my 7 month old Australian Shepard. When I get out the long line, my puppy seems to think it’s time for her to go crazy and she starts grabbing the long line and biting it. I have been having no success stopping this behavior and just end the training session. Looking for any advice you might have on how to stop this behavior. I’m starting to think I’m expecting too much to fast with this puppy. I’ve owned golden retrievers in the past and this breed definitely has been a challenge.

Have been doing some clicker training with her, she is not the most biddable dog and really has a mind of her own. My goals are to train her for rally and obedience.

Leerburg's Answer

Does your puppy like toys? If so, I would teach her to redirect her energy to a toy. I would also not be working a lot on stay at this age or when you know what's going to trigger her wild behavior.

I'd play with her in a structured way to give her an acceptable outlet for her energy and desire to use her mouth. I'd work on short stays after she's been exercised, trained and her energy is lower.

I'd suggest a couple of the videos showing how to use food and toys in your training so she's engaged with you and not trying so hard to make things "happen" by grabbing the line. At 7 months old I'd be using a regular leash for stays, a long line would be reserved for walks and practicing recalls.

More recommended courses

Training Your Dog to Come When Called

Power of Playing Tug with Your Dog

The Power of Training Dogs with Food