Drummergirl

Thanks everyone for the advice; it's really interesting so hear different ideas and opinions. He's really improved over this week (or perhaps it's me who has improved ). Our short lead walks are much better and my shoulder is intact once we get to the park , then he has the fun of being off lead. I don't have any photos on this pc at the moment, have to get them off my phone soon.

@Thistle the dog, thanks for the information, good to know. We had another really good walk this morning with little pulling (!!); fortunately we have a bushy park directly opposite us and it's a very short, quiet walk to get there. A good chance to practice and he then gets the chance to run around off lead, which is another great reward. @JRG, I agree that I wouldn't want him necessarily walking at heel all the time. I would be quite happy for him to walk on a loose lead, rather than heel, but at this stage if he's out front he can't seem to help himself with the nose down and pulling (of course, that's what he's bred for - not the pulling, but the nose work ). I did notice towards the end of our walk that he came to walk by my side naturally, off lead, which is great, but I probably will need to teach him a release command so that he knows when he can go ahead and "get on".

Thanks, The Spotted Devil! Yes, I think that sums it up - asleep or sprinting! I am trying to be realistic about what I can expect a young pup to do, but at the same time I want to get on top of the pulling as it certainly won't be easy to correct in a few months at double the size. I like your idea of using life rewards. I have been doing this, but need to do it more consciously. And I agree a low distraction environment is a must, difficult when you have a young family and I'm using every opportunity I can get to work with him one on one (sans children).

Thanks for the replies and the encouragement. In particular, thanks for the specific information on what has worked for you with your dogs. This afternoon I had a bit of a breakthrough (always the way - it happens after you post a question about it). He stayed by my side for a considerable distance (for a puppy), breaking occasionally, but coming back with lots of encouragement and a food treat every few steps. I kept the walk short, as I know it requires a lot of concentration from him. He kept his head up and was keen for eye contact and lots of praise. It was great! I definitely need to work on the sniffing at cue and as a reward. Thistle the dog, would you mind sharing the type of harness you use on your pup?? When you say you use the martingale for safety, what do you mean by that?

Hi, I am new to the forum and would love some advice. I have a 15 week old ESS that pulls terribly on his lead. I am trying to correct this using the stop and wait method when he pulls and/or turn in the opposite direction, including treats and verbal praise. However, he is very persistent and at this stage it's having a limited effect. I am currently using a flat lead and have been advised to use a choker, but, after some research am more keen on using a harness. The problem is that he constantly has his nose on the ground sniffing (and hence, pulling like a steam train to follow the scent). My understanding is that these harnesses won’t stop the dog from sniffing; how do I keep his nose up when wearing a harness? I think this will dramatically help to reduce the pulling in the first place? Many thanks!