I've been reading the many threads on lead pulling but couldn't find anything specific to my current situation! My 16 month old female chocolate lab is an absolute sweetheart and is doing so well with her general training - much more confident with other dogs, loves people, her jumping up is so much better and she's brilliant at home and doing well with recall on off lead walks. Our one issue - like many others - is lead walking. I spent the entire lockdown period working on this with her - went back to basics, got the clicker out and after weeks and weeks of training she was doing really well. After several months I started phasing out the kibble/treats, reducing to longer intervals between each treat, and eventually trying to phase out to just the odd treat. Unfortunately things quickly reverted back to pulling. I went back to the clicker and treats and she's doing really well again, picking up where she left off which is fab. If we're walking through a small park full of squirrels - it's a little unpredicatable(!) but we can generally walk around the streets without any real concern. However, I cannot walk her with anyone else! It's just me and the pup at home so she's obviously used to being walked by me alone. When anyone else joins us she descends into insane pulling and is ridiculously strong! We have got a lovely dog walker who takes her once a week with other pubs and has never mentioned any obvious concerns. I've realised the main issue is walking on the lead with other people. If friends, family, neighbours walk with us she pulls like a train, so hard in fact she makes a wheezing sound! The same applies if we're walking with another dog and owner on lead. She absolutely has to be in front and even then she will not relent. This is the case in a quiet residential street she knows really well (where we live) or somewhere highly stimulating like a park. I've tried the front attachment on the harness (Ruffwear) and although it did deter her from the same mad pulling, it was twisting her legs, and frankly I was more concerned about eventual damage to her legs. I also tried a halti harness (going across the chest with the lead attachment at the side) and had the same concern. I tried going back to the collar but it's far too dangerous, she would definitely choke herself! I've tried getting friends and family to take the lead to see if it makes a difference and it doesn't, she still pulls. I've tried getting some patient friends to walk with us while I click and treat, but Ember will whip herself into a frenzy of wheezing pulling again, grabbing the treat and lurching forwards again. To be honest, I'm curious to work out why she is doing this? What is the reason behind the behaviour? When walking with her doggy best friend and owner and who we have an off lead walk with once a week, she will lunge ahead again and exhausts herself. Off the lead, she'll be great. Yesterday, I tested if my friend holding both leads for the two dogs would make a difference - and oddly it did. My pup started to walk in the same pace - with some occasional light pulling, but pretty brilliant - alongside the other dog. When I took her lead again she started lurching forward again, even when I was beside her doggy best pal. I'm considering trying a gentle leader for a couple of months after many recommendations, just to break the habit, but I'm, still curious why she does this. Does anyone have any experience with this? Or any thoughts at all? Any help or insight would be really appreciated! Thanks! Charlotte & Ember
