Stop paying for the pull
If the leash tightens and the walk continues, you have rewarded pulling. Change direction, stop, or wait for slack before moving again. It makes the first several walks tedious and the following months easy.
Pay for position
Mark and reward the dog for being beside you, especially when nothing exciting is happening. Most owners only give feedback when the dog is wrong, so the dog never learns what right looks like.
Equipment
A properly fitted training collar or a well-adjusted prong used correctly gives clearer information than a flat collar on a strong dog. Back-clip harnesses make pulling more comfortable and are the most common reason a dog keeps pulling. Fit and timing matter.
Where to get help
Leash mechanics are a hands-on skill and the fastest thing to fix in person. A single private lesson usually changes a walk more than months of reading about it.
Every dog is different. If you want a recommendation for your dog specifically, tell us what's going on and we'll point you to the right program — we're at 8618 Ridgefield Rd, Crystal Lake, IL.