Brent asked:

Our 1 1/2 old lab gives us a lot of problems on the leash. He is very strong, and often yanks the leash (leaving us with bruises) and takes off. Because of this, my dad is the only one who can handle him, and he still pulls him. I know that he shouldn’t be allowed to walk in front of us, but when he’s out, he is just too strong to control. We try to walk him everyday, because he is in a kennel (we don’t have a fenced in yard) and he probably would behave better if he had more room to run. But, we have to make the best of the situation. He also finds ways out of his kennel (its really more of a large pen, its not one of those plastic things) and runs around the neighborhood. He hasn’t been fixed, and we think that might help. But the biggest problem is his behavioral issues on the leash.
Any suggestion?

We have tried a choke or pinch collar, Im not sure which it was, but it worked for a day. Then he didn’t care. His neck is huge.

Reply:

For sure get him fixed.

After that, try using a gentle leader, or halti harness. These can help a lot with pulling. I have a 75 lb lab who is very strong and can pull a lot, especially when she sees a squirel.

Also sounds like your guy needs some serious excersize to burn off some of that energy. Is there a park near where you live where you could take him and really let him run? Or anyone in your family who likes to jog? The more excersize you give him the more tired he will be. I promise if you take him on a long walk (like 2 hours) by the end he will stop pulling. Good luck!

You should also think about going to a dog training class, they will probably give you great tips on how to stop leash pulling etc.