Stopping a dog from pulling

That was a part of it, but it came later in the training.

 

I can see that. Good point!

 

My sister’s collie pulled terribly. I taught him to walk on a slack leash. If he started pulling ahead I just wrapped the the leash around my hand to make it short enough that he could only walk in line with me. If he pulled, we stopped walking. If he behaved and walked by my side for a while, I praised him and let the leash out a bit so he could have a bit more space. If he pulled again, shorter leash and back to walking in line. It didn’t take long for him to get used to it. I still let him stop and sniff and swap sides if he wanted to, just not strain on his leash. No need for yanking or shouting with him.

 

Interesting topic, I'm totally against negative/punishment training.

I'm all for a working partnership where I have earned the right to be pack leader, and my wife is able to step into my role as pack alpha, whenever she takes the leash.

Our hound is 4 years old and still wears a harness with a top center leash attachment, as well as other "hard points" when we walk, we use an extendable reel leash. She is not other canine friendly and we have many dog walkers, most of which have learned to give a wide bearth to our trajectory.

I got to spend her first two years with her 24/7 just her and I, with my wife returning home in the evening and walking with us on our evening walks, thus learning the commands I had established.

Any dog will heel. All dogs have a genetic code to respect their human care giver. Most dogs seek to give unconditionally to their master, everything; including their life. I said most dogs.

I would say a safe harness that you can control with invasive effects to dog would a good choice. Start with a short leash.

More importantly establish a strong bond with your best friend. If that bond is impossible for the two of you to establish. Find the big puppy a suitable home.

I shudder to think that I might ever wind up in the situation with child, woman or animal being invasively aggressively abused. That situation is totally irrevocably beyond my comprehension of what type of response I might possess for what I would consider the attached.

Love your dog, consider the blisters, the stumbles and set backs as your dog asking you to setup and show up to allow him/her to serve you. The comments about a sled and go-cart are not inconcivable to me or maybe you dog too.