Whenever I take my dog on a walk its a struggle to have him walk beside me. I hold his leash next to me but he always is pulling away. I cant seem to train him...

Believe it or not but 90% of my clients complain about this problem. I've actually written a book that teaches owners to walk their dog properly, that's how prevelant the issue is so you aren't alone. It actually has to do as much with leadership (being the pack leader) as with technique. Pack leaders are out from, your dog may believe he or she is the pack leader.

Quick tips:

Put your dog in a side command at the door. Be sure that your dog is completely calm before heading outside.

Be sure to walk through the door first. It shows him that you are leading this walk.

Use a gentle leader collar and regular leash. No flex leashes.

Get a dog back pack. Load it with water bottles to great weight. It will drain twice the amount of energy as a walk without the pack.

Keep a loose lead and change directions quickly if need be. When he catches up, reward with a treat. If your dog gets ahead again, change directions. It will take some repetition and you may feel foolish but soon he will learn to pay attention to where you are going and not where he wants to go.

Check out http://www.virtualdogtrainer.com and read the dog walking and pack leader articles (free) on the left in blue. Great insight into how to get your dog under control on the walks.

Chad Thompson

I use a choke collar (chain collar that tightens when you pull, but loosens as soon as you let go) and let him know who's boss. You should always have your dog know that you are the alpha dog. I use sounds instead of word commands, as I have found that for me they are more effective than saying "heel". As I give a quick tug on the leash, the collar tightens and I say "Ahh" in a short, sharp tone of voice. When I do this, I tug the leash in the direction of my left side (or right, if you prefer) and say "good girl/boy" when the dog is in the right position. It takes a little time, but as the dog learns that you are the boss, they will settle down and walk beside you.

[mightymite]

You can actually teach your dog to walk beside you with no collar at all. You can teach it to target with its nose to a stick or to your pant's legs, or you can simply clicker train it to want to walk at your side.

First you need to get your dog used to a clicker and to let him understand that every click means a treat is coming and that each time he does something you "like" he gets clicked.

Then, all you need to do is start walking in a circle in a small room. Every time your dog reaches your left side at your pant's seam, you click and immediatly give him a cookie. He'll start to "choose" to walk at your pants seam. Just be sure that you give him the reward in this spot, not in front of you and not behind you. Once he's got that down, at the leash and collar and begin again - you'll immediatly notice - no pulling. When he's doing this reliablly - add a verbal cue like "Walk with me." Voila - problem solved.

Originally Posted by iitob

Whenever I take my dog on a walk its a struggle to have him walk beside me. I hold his leash next to me but he always is pulling away. I cant seem to train him...

You can stop your dog pulling on the leash relatively easily by teaching your dog a simple 3-step "Heel" command. This simple command works wonders for both puppies and full-grown dogs alike.
do you wanna learn heel command?