Easy Walk and some training.

We used to have gentle leaders for training. The New Trix head collar is much better.
http://www.newtrix.ca/index.cfm?page=ourProducts

We have used both gentle leaders and halli, but had to hire a trainer to really get loose leash to work/

EZ Walk harness works for our dog. The clip has to be on the chest. When a harness clips on their back, they pull like a sled dog with all their weight. To prevent your dog from slipping out of the harness, you can clip it to the chest and the collar ring. He will get better with age and training. Our previous dogs hated the Gentle Leader and never got used to them.

Another less common halter is Newtrix. My friend uses it with her dog, but it reminds me of the Gentle Leader

We use the EZ Walk harness for our 130-pound baby, but like PP's said, the thing that really did the trick was a whole lot of loose-leash walking training from a young age. Our pup walks with the leash hanging in a "J-shape" on the left side and does the same with a flat collar, but I feel better having a harness when I need to pull her back quickly, like when some dummy runs a stop sign. There is no miracle harness that will stop a dog from pulling, but from what I've read, front-hook harnesses are better because the back-hook ones are what they use for sled dogs and they encourage pulling. Good training makes walking safer and more enjoyable for everyone, and honestly the training was just as much for me as for her. Our dog also has a good "leave it" which we use for things like chicken bones on the sidewalk but it also works for ignoring other dogs. She knew the commands pretty well but a training class for adolescents helped her learn to actually follow them around distractions like other dogs.

We learned a technique in our puppy training class that worked amazingly well. I'll try to describe it. Take your normal collar and normal 6 ft. leash. Connect the leash as normal. Put the leash down the dog's left side, bring it under the left front armpit, then across the dog's chest, under the right front armpit, up over the right shoulder, under the back of the collar. When the dog pulls, the leash will tighten up across the chest and under the armpits and make it a little harder for him to walk fast. It doesn't hurt -- unlike pulling on a regular collar, which can really damage their throats (unless you have a really thick necked dog, like an English lab). What I liked about it is that you can really easily loosen it back up and let the dog start walking again -- as soon as he pulls, it tightens up again, so he learns quickly that he only gets the uncomfortable feeling when he pulls. Also, when the dog gets better about walking, you can just connect the leash normally -- if he has a day where he "forgets" his training, you can put it back this way and remind him.

Our trainer said that the chest harnesses just make it easier for the dog to pull, by letting them use their chest strength (like a sled dog would).

The "Gentle Leader" works, but a lot of dogs really hate it, and I think it is uncomfortable for them. This way is only uncomfortable when they pull, and then you loosen it right back up.

After training this way, my 110 pound dog was very easily walked by children as young as 3.

Highly, highly recommend PetPDC ComfortFlex harness. It was the best option for our wiggly golden retriever puppy/young adult. http://www.amazon.com/PetPDC-ComfortFlex-Harness-Medium-Saffron/dp/B005WKDG7C

We love the Sporn harness, and it has a lifetime guarantee.

Anonymous wrote:A prong collar along with a great obedience class. Or if that makes you cringe, a sporn harness.

No.

Anonymous wrote:We have a very energetic and strong 9 month old puppy who is terrible at leash walking. He pulls like crazy when seeing other dogs (because he loves them and desperately wants to play), squirrels and birds and his pull is so strong that I worry about my arm dislocating We have tried the gentle leader leash which he hated and refused to wear, a harness, which was semi effective but he got out of it a couple of times and just a regular collar.

Any suggestions for collars or harnesses that are effective in getting the puppy to stop pulling and walk nicely?

TIA

It's not the collar or harness that gets the dog to walk nicely on a leash, it's training. If you are unable to do it yourself, please seek assistance. If you are caving to his desire not to wear a gentle leader, I suspect you aren't capable of training him yourself. My 84 pound dog (who I trained to walk nicely on a leash) is quite tolerant of puppies but it won't be long before he'll see your dog's behavior as threatening and will react to your dog's perceived aggression.

Easy Walk, as long as you use it correctly with the leash attached on the dog's chest and not back. Treats, lots of tiny treats, also helped at that age.

A prong collar along with a great obedience class. Or if that makes you cringe, a sporn harness.

We have had the best luck with the EZYDog harness. We use this with our beagle (who is not a puppy, though).

We have to use a halti or a gentle leader for our dog that lunges at birds and squirrels. He generally walks well on a leash but when he sees prey, he loses it and I need to be able to keep him under control. If your dog won't let you put the gentle leader on, not sure if you'd be able to get a halti on since they're pretty similar.

We have a very energetic and strong 9 month old puppy who is terrible at leash walking. He pulls like crazy when seeing other dogs (because he loves them and desperately wants to play), squirrels and birds and his pull is so strong that I worry about my arm dislocating We have tried the gentle leader leash which he hated and refused to wear, a harness, which was semi effective but he got out of it a couple of times and just a regular collar.

Any suggestions for collars or harnesses that are effective in getting the puppy to stop pulling and walk nicely?

TIA