Have you seen your pup (or their furry friends) dragging a rope leash on the ground while playing at PLAYtrain® Doggie Daycare? You may spot these drag leashes on our live webcams, in our PLAYtrain® photos on Facebook and Instagram, or hear our staff use the term when speaking about your pup’s day at daycare.             

Drag leashes are one of the many motivational training tools we use in our flagship PLAYtrain® program to encourage healthy play habits, redirect undesirable behavior, and make doggie daycare a safe, fun, and enjoyable experience for all dogs.            

Read on to learn about what a “drag leash” is and how we use them for teachable moments during play to bring out the best in every pup!            

What is a drag leash?

A drag leash is a leash made of rope, with a knot at the end (in place of a loop for your hand). We make ours by braiding ropes together to create a sturdy rope leash. It’s called a “drag leash” because it’s meant for dogs to drag them along the ground!            

Volunteers from Oliver Ames High School helping us make drag leashes during their Day of KindNESS   

Why we use drag leashes in PLAYtrain®

In our structured PLAYtrain® Doggie Daycare program, dogs play and train simultaneously throughout the day! Our Trainers closely monitor play and use teachable moments to help dogs learn how to socialize in a healthy, appropriate manner. This includes sometimes using behavior modification to interrupt and redirect unwanted behaviors. 

To keep all dogs and attendants safe, we must have reasonable control of every dog. Therefore, we require every dog to have a properly fitted martingale collar, and we have some dogs that wear drag leashes so we can gain quick, safe access to them. Drag leashes are extremely useful training tools for a few important reasons:

Teaching recall with young or excitable dogs

If you’re a parent, you’ve likely had this experience with your children at some point. It’s time to leave the playground or the pool, and your kids aren’t ready to go home yet… so they sprint away from you in a fit of giggles for a fun game of “catch me if you can!” 

It’s not so different with dogs at daycare. When your pup is excited and having fun with their pals, it can be challenging to collect them when it’s time to go home or when we are working on behaviors like recall (coming when called). Some pups are prone to dashing around the yard, hoping we’ll play tag! When this happens, we avoid chasing them, as the dog would think we’re playing, and this would only encourage the unwanted behavior (running away). Having a dog wear a drag leash gives us an easy and efficient way to calmly gain access to them and reward them for turning their attention to their human handler.

           

Working with nervous dogs

Reaching for a dog’s neck to hold its collar can feel scary or startling to some dogs, especially those who are naturally shy or easily overstimulated. Some dogs may even interpret a hand coming toward their face as threatening. When a dog wears a drag leash in the yard, we can gently pick it up without reaching for the dog’s neck – sometimes without the dog even noticing that we’re holding onto them. This helps us safely and gently gain access to pups who may feel timid or overwhelmed.        

           

Interrupting behaviors to teach healthy play

Our trainers encourage good play manners in adolescent and high-energy dogs by interrupting unwanted behaviors—such as excessive nipping, rough play, barking, mounting, or invading another dog’s personal space. Overstimulation from behaviors like barking or fence running can escalate quickly, so we use drag leashes to redirect dogs and reintroduce them once they are calm.

Timing is key when addressing these behaviors. A drag leash allows us to intervene swiftly, refocus the dog’s attention on their human teacher, and reinforce appropriate play. Keeping dogs within reach allows us to help them learn respectful interactions and develop positive social skills.

            

Drag leashes help us play and train at the same time

PLAYtrain® was designed to bring out the best in every dog. Tools like martingale collars, drag leashes, Haltis, muzzles, and more allow our Trainers to do their jobs—safely redirect undesirable behavior and promote positive, healthy play! In all instances, our goal is to promote appropriate doggie manners and keep the socialization experience safe, fun, and enjoyable for all dogs. That’s our PLAYtrain® promise to you.