The Art of the Leash: A Soft Hand and a Listening HeartMelanie Whitehair, Sandstone Bull Terriers
I came from the world of Natural Horsemanship, where moving a twelve hundred pound horse can be easier than opening a bag of chips… IF you are willing to listen to and feel your horse.
I studied the greats: Bill and Tom Dorrance, Ray Hunt, Buck Brannaman. They taught me that horsemanship wasn’t about control, it was about timing, softness, and connection. The reins and bit weren’t for steering; they were for communicating.
Now that I’m in the dog world, I carry those same lessons. I teach what I call The Art of the Leash.
To me, the leash and collar are the dog-world version of the reins and bit. If you’re present and paying attention, they become your line of communication. Your leash and collar can easily be just a thread between you and your dog. It’s not about pulling or yanking. It’s about feeling your dog, the way you might feel a fishing line with a fish nibbling at the worm.
That subtle, delicate feedback, that’s where the magic is.
It reminds me of that moment in Star Wars when Yoda closes his eyes, lifts his hand, and raises Luke Skywalker’s X-wing out of the swamp. He's calm, centered, and it's effortless. That’s the kind of magic we’re after with the leash. Not through muscle or force, but through feel, presence, and trust. You don’t need to drag or yank when you learn to listen through the leash.
Some folks out there haven’t quite discovered this art yet. Don't tell anyone, but I call them headbangers. Not because they listen to heavy metal, but because they are banging their poor dogs' heads, ears, and necks around like they’re on a carnival ride.
If someone you loved, tried to guide you down the sidewalk like that, how long would you be able to keep your cool and forgive? Fortunately, our dogs are very forgiving but there is a point that they will 'check out' and stop trying to listen.
Some years ago, my husband trained our first conformation show dog. He had an extensive and successful background in dog training. He did everything perfectly. Tanoshi understood every cue, every shift of weight, every hint. They were beautiful to watch. Then came the big show, her first... our National Specialty. She entered that ring like a joyful tornado and had the best time EVER! What happened?
He had trained her entirely off-leash, which is a difficult way to train a Bull Terrier. The show was the first time he’d ever formally worked her on a leash. AND she thought it was fabulous! An entirely new game! To her, the leash meant party time.
That moment stuck with us, because the leash changes the conversation. Ty demonstrated clearly that you can communicate with your dog without being harsh and unfair. Find a better way to train; one that attracts your dog and keeps you as the best person he could ever want to be with.
If we want it to be a soft, kind, and flowing conversation, we have to practice it that way. We have to finesse OURSELVES. Our dogs can only be dogs; we are the ones who have to accept the responsibility to communicate in a way they can understand.
So the next time you pick up the leash, think of it like picking up the reins. Or a violin bow. Or a fishing line with a nibbling fish at the other end.
Be gentle. Be present. Be open to listening.
