My large 7-month-old dog pulls. What kind of leash should I get?

I highly recommend you buy a Gentle Leader or Halti Collar to walk him. These are both head collars and when your dog pulls, lunges or jumps it will move his head back towards you which prevents him from pulling you. It will take a little bit of time for him to adjust to walking with this type of collar but it will give you a lot more control. I use one with my own dog and walking is so much nicer!

Hi there! I would recommend a Gentle Leader head halter - this is a great tool that makes it much easier for anyone, even a child, to walk a large dog and gives you better physical control to prevent lunging when he sees something exciting. Ideally, it would also be a good idea to work with a good reward-based trainer who can help you teach him better walking skills, so that eventually the head halter won't be needed. You can search for a qualified trainer in your area here: www.ccpdt.org

Harnesses actually make pulling a lot EASIER for your dog, which could be making the situation worse. If Abby doesn't like head collars (many dogs don't), Gentle Leader also makes a harness version called the Easy Walker that is great (I use it for my own dog). It doesn't go around the neck so you don't have to worry if they do pull, and the leash attaches to the front of the harness on the chest. When your dog starts to pull, it puts pressure on the chest, and also redirects them back toward you like a gentle leader headcollar does. This can help mitigate pulling and may make your loose leash walking training go a bit easier. Another thing you can try when you resume walking again from a sit and stay position, is to walk backwards a few steps! Many dogs will either be confused at first, and thus stop pulling in their distraction, or think it is a fun game and will come toward you instead of pulling away. Once the leash is slack, you can then walk forward again. You may look silly walking backwards and forwards in the same spot for a bit of time, but it can help with stubborn pullers.

I would consider looking into a gentle leader head collar. It looks a little strange but many find it effective with their dogs who have issues pulling if you follow the instructions closely (you can get a dvd to explain the use of the product). You can find out more at https://www.petsafe.net/gentleleader If you prefer to not use a gentle leader collar then I would recommend following the advice of veterinary behaviorist Sophia Yin as she explains in detail in this article: https://drsophiayin.com/blog/entry/walk-on-loose-leash-part-1-choose-the-right-walking-pace-and-make-it-clear/

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Ayli. I recommend trying a harness such as Easy Walk by Gentler Leader. The leash attaches in the front so if the dog pulls the pressure is across her chest. This gives you more control than with a standard collar or harness. You can also try a Gentle Leader halter. This works great, but takes more time for the dog to adjust to using. A choke collar can cause damage to the neck and throat if too much force is used. I hope this information helps!

It would definitely be a good idea to try a front clip harness like a Gentle Leader. The pressure across the chest can help you maintain better control. I do not recommend the use of the choke chain collar as it rarely works and can cause damage to the trachea. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach and good luck!

Young dogs can be quite voracious chewers, and it is unfortunate when they decide to chew on their leash! One option is to keep the leash taut enough to not allow any slack for Paddy to access so he can't get it into his mouth. You can also spray the leash with something (such as bitter apple spray) to make it taste bad. If he pulls a lot when walking, you can try switching to a no pull harness or a gentle leader. Good luck!