Originally Posted by
Labradorks
If the dog gets out of position (I do not wait until the dog is pulling to respond) I walk in a circle (dog on outside) until the dog is back where I want them and then move forward again. I may use food for a puppy or in a challenging environment. You have to be consistent. So, chose what position looks like for you and don't accept anything less. For loose leash walking like through the neighborhood, I make sure to give the dog potty and sniffing breaks and use a cue (go sniff or go potty) then when done I cue again (let's go). With my older dog, I did use a head harness for maybe a year when he was 9 months and only in certain circumstances as he was would lunge, but that was mostly based on my own lack of experience and criteria. One thing that has helped is that I never let my dogs pull and if they do, they don't go forward, so they don't even know that they are capable of pulling me and getting to what they want. If your dog learns to pull to get what they want, then you may have to use something else, because they learned it works, and it's hard to unteach. With my puppy, he has no idea that pulling gets him anywhere. He still tries, of course, because he's a puppy and he gets excited. It's not a quick fix; it takes time to teach. I've used prongs in the past when I had adult Lab rescues that were completely untrained and being on a leash was actually dangerous, plus, I didn't have a yard so I was forced to leash walk for potty breaks and such. For some dogs they are fine. I don't want to use one. I'd rather go through the process of training and anyway, it makes the most sense, especially as I am often on grounds where they are not allowed -- several of my trainers do not allow them on their property and they are not allowed at AKC events.