Tell me about slip leads please

[Lavenderteal271]

We've got a terrier spaniel cross. He walks pretty nicely on his harness in residential areas but anywhere sniffy and he pulls like a train. We're struggling with his recall at the minute and I've stumbled into the world of gundog training. I don't want him trained as a gundog but as he has that breed in him I've been finding the YouTube videos really interesting. They all seem to wear slip leads. I was always lead to believe that they're cruel. Does anyone have any personal experience of them please? There must be a reason why they're so popular amongst this breed. Many thanks.

Slip leads are quick and convenient for putting a lead on a dog. No fiddly clips. The should only be used on dogs already safely trained to walk to heel without a lead. They are cruel when used on dogs that pull.

Exactly what @MyDucksArentInARow said.

Gundogs use them as they are quick and easy to put on/off, traditionally on shoots.

For dogs that pull they can choke and cause damage.

Go back to basics with loose lead training. Stopping/changing direction when he pulls.
Treats to help him walk to heel.

Agree with PPs. Cruel for dogs that don’t already walk nicely. Good for a quick convenience thing, not a “choke until you behave” thing

I see, that makes sense.

Ugh, we're getting no where fast with the loose lead training. As soon as he's somewhere with smells, the nose is down and he's so focused he just can't help but pull. Nothing works. We're stuck with a combination of poor recall and pulling on a lead. Its making countryside walks pretty impossible. He's only 14 months old, it's just really frustrating. I've just ordered a 15ft long line so I'm hoping that might be the answer!

What kind of harness do you have him in? A double clip, front and back, makes them turn in circles if they pull.

A Perfect Fit harness with a Halti double clip lead cured my husky cross of pulling in about a day.

I use a slip lead on my Lab/Springer cross because he’s gun dog trained and never pulls. The lead is just to keep him close on pavements/ in crowds. He understands how he needs to behave when it’s on but the rest of the time he is independent and will go off sniffing etc. They’re great because they’re easy to get on and I just hang it round my neck on walks. I wouldn’t use it on a dog who pulled as it would damage their neck.

Are you training at home? It needs to start in a place with no distractions before you can expect to get a good response when you are out. I bought the sexier than a squirrel course from a dog training company that had about 30 different recall type games that you play at home. I’m sure most of the types of games would be available on you tube though.

I recommend the halti. Has worked wonders on a very pulley cockapoo! I was finding walking stressful as was she. The halti has slowed her down and she still sniffs away but not a million miles an hour and she walks so much better. Am incorporating loose lead training and it’s a much more relaxed dog and owner!

You can use a slip lead like a Halti - just put a loop over the dog's nose. And reward reward reward for staying by your leg AND nose off the ground with the lead loose.

I have been told that if you use a slip lead, it's so unkind that your dog will become scared of it. This is not an issue I ever have: I say to my dog, 'lead on', and she sticks her head straight through the loop: in her mind, good things follow this, as either she is taken for a walk, or taken home for her dinner.

Ours walks much better on a slip lead, its what the trainer we used advised from Day one and I have found it better, this is the 5th dog we have trained.

Definitely do not use a slip lead or anything like that. Its cruel and no wonder they work when the poor dog is in pain.
I trained loose leash walking by always walking with high value treats in my hand and continuously dropping one (its great if they can catch). The dog soon learns it pays to walk by your side.

Like PP have, slip leads are fine if the dog is already trained to walk at heel, but they shouldn't be used as a training method.

If your dog pulls, you must keep them in a decent, Y or X shaped harness to prevent damage to the throat or elbow joints. Work on walking on a loose lead in residential areas then build up the stimulation levels.

I like my slip lead as I'm lucky to not have to do a lot of on-lead walking, so it's quick and easy to use when i do need it.
I trained him to heel as a puppy in a collar and clip lead, walk him in a harness if we're going jogging, and use the slip lead for quick walks and as a back up on off lead walks.
I have so many leads and harnesses it's incredible. But nothing replaces heel training.

This has been advised by a breeder we met recently. All her large breed dogs were trained to walk with slip leads. She has her 3yo and 5yo able to walk a large breed dog without concern of them pulling. Met an owner of an Akita who also said that he uses a horse slip lead for his dog. Never considered that an option.

Hopefully you will find a solution to the pulling OP. It can take some time to find the right approach to training for each dog.

I wouldn't use a slip lead as a tool to "train" loose lead walking but they are incredibly useful for certain situations.

We use them to take our pup out for her last wee at night, then keep it on to take her upstairs and to bed. This keeps her focussed on (1) toileting and then (2) going to bed rather than sniffing and playing around. We also use a slip lead to get from the car having taken her harness off, anx we also use it for other scenarios such as car into groomers (covid rules mean we need to remove harnesses/collars for then but it's a small space and she's usually riled up - so easier to bring her in from the car on a slip lead) and when we picked her up from the vets after an op.

For all walks we use a harness. I do carry a slip lead for emergencies, I've had to use it to "catch" a loose dog with no owner in sight as it was bothering mine and I am not keen on closely handling a dog I don't know.

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We only use slip leads.

No lead will work as a cure for inadequate training though.