You can all laugh now 'cos the old big 'ead outspoken one has a problem! In my defence, I can and do boast that I have never yet seen a dog be PTS when he needs a home (provided the effing pound management will let him out, but thats another story!), but training is not my area.
And it is beginning to be a problem, so I'd be really grateful for some advice.
My GSD boy is nearly 3. He's very bright, food motivated but not obsessed, very willing to please. Everything he does has been almost self-taught (not that I haven't trained a dog of my own before but he just hasn't needed it almost). His recall is 99.9% perfect, his fetch, sit, down etc commands A1, HE taught himself to bring a ball etc to my hand when thrown... but his lead walking is a nightmare.
Put him on a normal lead and he pulls like beggary. This isn't helped by the fact that I'm right handed and my right arm has been weakened by surgery. So he has a halti. This stops some of the pulling and makes him managable but he dances on it, front feet in the air.
Added to this is his reponse to other dogs he meets when he and they are on a lead. He wants to play (no aggression at all, he is super with other dogs, including those I've fostered) so he pulls like a loon towards them, barking madly, which of course unnerves other owners and intimidates aand can antagonise other less stupid brave or friendly dogs. Off lead he is great, friendly to other dogs. I can get him to walk (or rather bounce joyfully) within about 6 feet of me off-lead using the command "with me", and hope that eventually I can reign this in to get him close enough to turn "with me" to a calmer "heel" walk beside me.
I've tried the turn around on the spot and walk in the other direction trick to control the pulling with limited success. The barking/pulling towards other dogs is decreasing slightly with the use of distraction treats/praise to get him to focus on me (cos he does love Mummy and will pay attention to me rather than the approaching dog 50% of the time!), and I've tried giving him more lead space while ensuring he isn't within reach of the other dog, rather than tensing it as close to me as possible (as advised by a behaiouralist) and that seems to have some effect.
But, is there anything else I can do? The irony is that, as I said, off lead he's a dream, no threat to other dogs or humans, perfect recall, but he's a big beggar and not only does his mad lead behaviour worry and irk other owners when their dogs are on lead, he is risking hurting himself or me if his pulling one day causes me to lose control or drop the lead.
All advice gratefully received (and laughter at old big 'ead taken with humility and good humour!).