Hello All-
I have a 10 month old chocolate lab, who is very strong at the beginning of a walk. He will pull incessantly to the point that he has trouble breathing. We took him to a local dog trainer, and their immediate advice was to put a gentle leader on him. I think that could be a last resort solution, but I would like to make an effort to avoid tactics such as that, as he is generally very intelligent and trainable. Recently, I will stop walking and make him heel when he pulls, trying to teach that pulling gets him nowhere. Sometimes this works, but other times it does not.
Is he pulling like this just because of his young age, or should he be well behaved on a leash at this point? I am just looking for any strategy, advice, or resources to help prevent him from pulling on a leash, without using items such as a gentle leader or pincher collar. The unfortunate thing is that when off leash, he will not get more than 20ft from you, and will constantly wait and look back for you. Any input is appreciated. Thanks.