A common problem I hear a lot from puppy owners is that, when they have pants on and are walking near their puppy, their leg gets pounced on or they find themselves with a puppy attached to their pant leg – often pulling and making noise.
It may be very frustrating for that person but for that person’s puppy – what an awesome tug toy!
Remember puppies like all animals are just doing what works for them to get their needs met. For many puppies, pulling on pant legs gets them some pretty valuable outcomes – like the opportunity to play, to be mentally, socially and physically stimulated, to have something for their sore gums to hold onto.
When people react by doing what they think is punishing their puppy, often they are unsuccessful at stopping the behavior. Why is that? Well, it could be that the value of chasing and then tugging on a moving pant leg while a person is yelling and/or pushing the puppy away is way more valuable than the intended punishment is aversive and the puppy thinks it is worth enduring the wrath for those opportunities. It could also be that your ‘punishment’ strategy is not strong enough to weaken the unwanted behavior. If your punishment was strong enough to weaken the pant chasing behavior, your strategy could also be causing your puppy to begin avoiding coming near you, as he won’t want to risk what could happen to him.
There are a lot of reasons why using aversive strategies to change this behavior (and other behaviors) are not the best approach. They can cause fear, apathy, disinterest in training, and even aggression. Those strategies also don’t teach your puppy what you would rather him do instead, in the presence of moving pant legs.
If your puppy is chasing and then pulling on your pant legs as you walk by (if it is not fear-based), here are some puppy training tips that can help.
- Think about what you would like your puppy to do instead, and focus on that. For me, I like a puppy to want to be with me while I am walking with loose body muscles and all four feet on the floor. Prepared with treats, as I practice walking near the puppy (going slowly at first if needed, depending on the puppy), I am ready to tell the puppy GOOD or YES or CLICK just as he is approaching my leg and before he thinks about my pants. Then I deliver a treat, holding my delivery hand away from my pant leg. I repeat that over and over.
- If your puppy does get to your pant legs, do not yell at or push your puppy. Be as unexciting as possible but calmly remove your pants from your puppy’s mouth and ask for an alternative behavior such as sit. When your puppy sits, then begin walking again and give him a chance to succeed. If needed, you could also get yourself over a barrier such as a gate so that your puppy can not physically get to your pant legs.
- When you puppy is getting it, test your puppy’s knowledge by walking around. Give your puppy reinforcement for being around your legs or doing anything except grabbing at your legs. If your puppy does grab your leg, since you have been practicing it, stop your movement. Will your puppy let go of your pants or legs? Great! Then start walking again and give your puppy a chance to earn more reinforcement.
- Always be prepared for teaching this with your puppy as your puppy will always be prepared to go for your pants if bored or in need of the stimulation.
Remember that if your puppy is overly tired, he will be in poor decision-making mode and be more prone to amping up quickly. That is a good time to give your puppy a nap.
