Things are getting worse, despite me trying very hard to train him.

[Endler32]

Feeling very ,

I couldn't find my old post but hopefully you will remember me and my lab x.

I have tried very hard not to give into the whining, have change things around so I don't set a routine ( so he can't asume it's walkies time or feeding time ). The whining has improved very slightly but walking him has got worse. I have tried to take him somewhere different each day to make things more interesting but this has caused huge problems, because he doesn't know where we are going he is pulling me all over the place, he trips me over, he pulls me across the road, my hands are bruised, my shoulders are in agony and I have no control over him at all, I'm still trying to do the 'turn around and walk back' when he pulls ( which we have been doing for over a year with not much success ) and he just wraps himself around my legs and trips me up and then continues to pull.

I have just got back from a very long walk with him, it involved 20 minutes run in a field, walk through another field and then a 30 minute walk along country lanes. I thought after a run he would be easier to control on the lead as he would be tired but 'no', as he didn't know where we were he dragged me all over the place,I'm kept stopping and turning back but then there was someone behind us with another dog so I tried to keep walking forward. He then dragged me most of the way home and is still bouncing off the walls.

I feel like crying, I have no control over him and I am considering not walking him at all, each time I take him out he gets worse, a few days ago we stopped to talk to someone, other than jumping up at the woman he was quite well behaved and then someone walked past with a dog, I held onto him on a shot lead and because he couldn't reach the dog he started barking causing the other dog to go crazy. I feel like the worlds worst dog owner, I'm starting to really not like my dog, it's not enjoyable, he just makes me want to cry .

Having a ball helps when off lead, if we are playing ball he's not really bothered about anything else that's going on and will focus on the ball but when on the lead the ball in my pocket makes no difference .

Apologies if you've already done this but have you had him checked out for thyroid problems? Hyperthyroidism can cause hyperactivity. I'm not sure how likely it is but if you haven't already it might be worth getting him checked out just in case.

What about getting a squeaky ball getting him to sit if you see another dog then get ball out and squeak it let him mouth it but not actually have it IYSWIM ,when dog has passed let him carry the ball for a bit then take it back and put it in your pocket ready for the next dog .

Thank you, I will talk to out vet about thyroid problems, it's a possibility, I grew up around dogs and gave always had dogs but have never met a dog like him ( so hyperactive ).

I will try the squeaky ball thing too.

You need a dogmatic head collar, very similar to the halti but gives much better control and they can't get it off like they can with the halti. Our boy pulled so bad he injured my back and neck and I had very bad bruising to my palms for months. He can barely pull with the dogmatic so gave up trying lol. I cried the first time I walked him with it, it was such a relief!

Endler I remember your other posts and really think that you all the time, money you are spending on getting new head collars and emotional exhaustion this is having on you - it would be better to call in a behaviourist who can give you RL help.

I know you said this was not possible but it is will help you sort out all your issues in one swoop.

You poor thing. It is horrible being with a dog and feeling you have absolutely no control. I think when you've been to the vet, muttynutty's idea of getting professional help is good. It may well involve just a slight shift in your behaviour to change things. I am working on one of our dogs who can pull like a train. He wears a harness and I click and treat when he looks at me or isn't pulling. I don't yank him around for pulling as it doesn't work. He is the one putting the pressure on. He is getting better.