Help with a dog obsessed with biting the lead.

I have a small two year old rescued Jack Russell which has a very bad habit of biting the lead, This was a learned behaviour from the previous owners which seems to have become almost obsessive.

Mia gets hold of the lead no matter what it is made of including a chain lead, and she will not release it for anything at all. Food, Toys, You name it.

Ignoring her is also not an option as she will happily play for hours with the lead once she has gotten it, and will swing it around even causing herself to even get hurt as the metal chain hits her. To her its became an obsession, she must get the lead and keep the lead.

When she is in this state of mind there is nothing which can be done to get through to her, and if you try and prise the lead out of her mouth she can get very snappy and will growl making it clear she is unhappy.

How can I stop Mia from biting on her lead? She is a very high energy dog and has many walks (where she is usually clinging onto her leash) And she also recieves lots of basic training. Sits, Stays, Downs.

Can anybody offer any advice? I really need help. I just need to improve this behaviour before she really hurts herself. I daren't walk her on a flexi lead, or a fabric lead anylonger as she simply chews through them in a matter of seconds.

Help!

I would give her a substitute. Offer it, and play with her - try a ball on a rope or a tuggy toy or a dummy.
I mean a gundog dummy btw, not a pacifier!

Is the lead attached to her collar or a harness?
Attaching it to a harness in the middle of her back might help in conjunction with training the "Leave it " command and as C&D suggested giving her something she can carry, Frank my terrier carries a cheap latex squeaky ball, it's bigger than his head but very light and it keeps him happy, terriers usually enjoy something that squeaks.