Have a look at harnesses particularly those which have a front ring to fasten the lead onto, Mekuti or Ruffwear are good makes but there are others. The front fastening stops a dog pulling badly and gives you a chance to work on walking beside you on a loose lead. It won't stop amdog pulling entirely, most dogs will work out a way of pulling in whatever is used, so you do need to train as well. A double ended lead fastened to the front ring and the other end to the back ring will give you lots of control, check out YouTube videos on how to use a double ended lead effectively

 

Have a look at positively.com website and also kikopup on YouTube for lots of training advice and tips. You don't need to use a clicker though personally I hav found it to be a useful tool. Just saying Yes! at the right moment can also work well.

If you do want to explore clicker training but with lots of practice first without the dog have a look at Karen Pryor's website. Before I clicker trained my cat I practiced sitting in front of the TV clicking whenever a certain character appeared on screen and then throwing a bean into a bowl to represent treating the cat. My timing improved greatly and it livened up watching some TV programmes too.

https://clickertraining.com/how-to-practice-clicker-mechanics

I agree with the suggestion of a harness they can be much more comfortable. As it was your pups second walk he will be all over the place. You will need to practice lose lead walking at home first in a none distracting environment then slowly practice in more and more distracting environments.

Here is a video which may help...

 

I practiced sitting in front of the TV clicking whenever a certain character appeared on screen and then throwing a bean into a bowl

That is genius! May I steal that idea please?

 

I agree with the double clip harness (plus a harness will be better for her than a collar when pulling). Double clip lead as well so you can clip to both front and back. I use the Halti Training lead. Training wise the main methods I used to stop my dog pulling were turning around and going in the other direction when he pulled and stopping when I felt pressure on the lead and waiting until the pulling stopped and the lead was loose again before moving on. Then always reward with a high value treat (cheese in samsons case). This does take a while and it can be a very slow process for some dogs, i would recommend devoting walks purely to working on this as you can literally be spending 10 mins only getting a little way down the street. A few short training walks a day would be good if you have the time. Also would be a good idea to invest in a treat pouch. Oh and yes definitely practice at home first, then garden (if you have one) then outside as you need to start in a less distracting environment at first.

 

I had a look at the video for using the Mekuti harness with a double lead. Tbh it looked really complicated to use (I am not a practical person so I need things to be simple!) perhaps it is easier in real life than it looks?
If not, can anyone recommend any other anti-pulling harnesses for puppies? Thanks

 

I always use a Mekuti to train ..I think they are one of the best harnesses - and not complicated once you have fitted them once or twice.

However at 13 weeks I would be simply taking pup to quiet places (not round town) and practising loose lead walking in a playful manner so that pup gets the hang of following you. Lots of training time in the garden etc. Socialisation isn't about busy places, it's about gently and calmly introducing your puppy to a host of new things ...almost one at a time.

J

 

I wouldn't be putting a 13 week old puppy in an anti pull harness of any type personally. I wouldn't be particularly comfortable using even the one I use with my adult Lab on a pup that young. I'd have a regular harness and rather than looking to actually go for walks I'd be focusing on getting her to be by my side on a loose lead. Treats and clicker would be my preference with it but no reason you can't just miss out the clicker and just use the treats. Or a toy but Labs are generally greedy lol.

 

Oh and a waist belt really helps as well. Stops your arms getting pulled too hard and you can use your own weight to stop him.

 

Thanks for all the advice. We have just got back from a nice walk in the middle of nowhere! Off lead at her own pace most of the time, and then tried a bit of loose lead walking at the end. Think I will keep working on that for the time being. Thanks

 

Good luck @Eejay! Training a pup to walk well on a loose lead has been REALLY difficult with my 8 month brittany but last week , after approximately 300 hours of dedicated practice (yes, i have really been practising with her that long when it's all added up!) She has finally got it!!

I can finally take her out on lead (just an ordinary flat buckle collar and lead) and she will walk by my side. I can pass other dogs on the same pavement and everything. I honestly never thought we would achive this. I had to have her on a gentle leader when we were actually trying to go somewhere but she's hardly worn it lately.
Now i have to go back to square one and see if she will walk nicely in parallel with my other dog. He is fabulous at loose lead walking but she tries to bounce on him, push in front etc etc. So we will need to start in the garden and build it up step by step.

I have a funny feeling your lab will crack it in far fewer than 300 hours!!