Using A Leash Inside Your Home

by Bailey Coldwell

If you have worked with me at all here at BAXTER & Bella, you will have heard me say, “Until my puppy understands the guidelines of the home, they are on a leash with me if they are not in a crate or small pen.” This can sound confusing and exhausting at first. So let me break down my reasoning behind it, and you might just see that it can (and should) lead to faster success and fewer bad habits formed. 

If you have been around toddlers, you know the hard work that goes into keeping that child safe, even inside the home. We don’t leave the child unattended (apart from sleep), we don’t allow access to rooms that are not baby-proofed, and we are constantly monitoring them throughout the day. This is because curious kids will put non-food items in their mouths, draw on walls, pester the animals, and even accidentally injure themselves. Puppies are similar to toddlers. Neither is trying to “be bad,” but they are simply learning about the world around them, which often can have negative results if we aren’t helping them learn. I have found that it is cool to watch children learn about the world while we are watching over to support them as needed. We must help teach our puppies what to do and prevent unwanted actions, just like with children. 

If a puppy can come into our home and sneak off to pee under the bed, chew on wires by the television, or chase the cats, they are finding fun behaviors that work for them. Dog law is, “If it works, I will keep doing it. If it doesn’t work, I will not”. So, we want to be by their side while they are exploring our homes. Spend time showing them different areas of the house, while you are casually praising them, petting them, giving them food rewards, training them, and even playing with them. Allow them to sniff around and let them know it is super that they walked past the couch without chewing it. Or teach them that it is terrific that the toddler just ran by and the puppy didn’t jump on them. 

I often hear, “Well, my puppy is always in sight of me while they aren’t in the crate/pen”. This can be okay, but it depends on the room setup. If it is an open-concept room with many tempting objects, or you are distracted, we will want the puppy on a leash. It is all too easy for us to send a 20-second text message or get a snack for your child while your puppy walks away and poops in the hallway. If you are in a smaller room with your puppy, you can interrupt unwanted behaviors and reward good behaviors, then, try having them off leash. If they start to offer unwanted behaviors, put them back on a leash. You want to adjust based on your current situation. 

So, how do we use an indoor leash? I like to use a 4-6 feet long leash with a clip on each end. Having a leash with a clip on each end allows us to change the length of the leash and makes it easy to connect the leash to sturdy objects nearby if needed. We don’t want to leave dogs unattended while tethered to a sturdy object for safety reasons. But tying the leash to the foot of the couch, a table leg, a cabinet door, a post, etc., while we are close by can have benefits. If I am cooking, I might tether my puppy to the refrigerator so that I can use both of my hands, and the puppy will still be near me. If I am working on my laptop, I can tether my puppy to the coffee table while I use both hands to type. It helps keep the puppy close and out of trouble while we are doing our day-to-day tasks. 

By the way, we want our dogs to relax while we are home and doing our daily chores/hobbies so they get used to our routine without us constantly needing to tell them what to do. Dogs often become anxious if they are never encouraged to learn contentment without constant direction. 

Another helpful time that I might tether my puppy to a sturdy object is if they start to bite, jump, or otherwise make inappropriate contact with household members. This is a super easy way to stop the contact and help your puppy learn that those behaviors do not work to get continued attention. If I have a particularly bitey or jumpy puppy, I often will tether my puppy to an object from the very start of a training or play session, so that if they get worked up, it is easy for me to step away.  

Another benefit of using the leash indoors is the introduction of leash walking. We often see that the first exposure to the leash is after a few weeks of being home and it is also  outside, which is really stimulating for the puppy. Just like how we teach sit, down, and stay indoors, teaching behaviors such as leash walking indoors first is helpful because the environment is less distracting. Know that most pups will try to chew on the leash at first. The more we expose the puppy to the leash and reward for good behaviors, the sooner the puppy should get used to it. 

Sometimes, I find that we plan to manage the environment by never allowing the dog into certain rooms of the home. I agree that we want to prevent unsupervised access. However, sometimes, we rush around and forget to shut the doors to those rooms. Or the puppy has discovered how to jump over the baby gate. If the puppy has never been exposed to that room and they do so for the first time when we aren’t there, they are much more likely to have an accident, chew things up, or otherwise do behaviors we do not want. The room is new and exciting, creating an overstimulated puppy. Instead, if we have controlled exposure to the room while the puppy is on a leash, the room becomes more normal and less exciting. This supervised practice can set us up for success if the puppy does ever get a chance to sneak in there, as they will be more likely to know how to behave. 

If your older puppy or dog is still doing behaviors in the home that you do not want, it is not too late to apply using the leash inside the home. Regardless of the dog's age that comes into my home, they are on a leash with me if they are not in a crate or pen. I adopted a 9-year-old mini poodle last year who was not housebroken. Even though he was well into his adult life, I still needed to limit his freedom to help him learn that pottying inside isn’t an option anymore. 

Whenever I mention putting the puppy on a leash indoors, I often get asked, “How long am I going to have to do this?” The answer is very situation-dependent. It depends on how frequently we are practicing and teaching the dog what to do in the areas of the home. I can say that dogs are quick learners. It doesn't take long if we are consistent about preventing unwanted behaviors, interrupting them, and rewarding the good. I have found that puppies offer much better behaviors sooner if we limit freedom at first. All dogs are different and all situations are different. Therefore, I am always cautious about giving time frames. But I can promise you that if something works for the dog, they will keep doing it. If something doesn’t work for the dog, they will learn not to do it. 

I know that the idea of using a leash inside the home can seem tiring. I have found that I am much more at ease if I know where my puppy is instead of turning my back briefly and suddenly the puppy is nowhere to be seen. Plus, the dog learns much faster with me right there to guide them. Give it a try and reach out to us if you have any questions!