What kind of lead should I use for my 4 month old hyperactive Lab puppy?

Answer 1

heh heh heh
Many people adopt Labs without realizing how active they are, and continue to be for about 3 years....
Try a Gentle Leader, which applies gentle pressure to the back ot the head, rather than the throat. Do not use a retractable lead, use a fixed length leash, 6 ft. long.
Expect to spend LOTS of time training and be as consistent as possible. Investing the time now will produce a wonderful home companion for many years to come.

Answer 2

To begin with, no collar/lead is abusive, but any collar/lead can be used abusively.
Next, a halter and a harness are two different things. You put a halter on a horse to lead it to the barn, and a harness on a horse to pull a plow. So unless you are planning to use the pup as a sled dog and like being pulled ever where you go you probably don't want a harness.
What people don't understand about a halter is that the dog makes the correction instead of the handler making the correction, but there is still a correction made. Problem is that most halter designs make an extreme correction, far harsher than either a choke chain or a pinch collar. So they only create the ILLUSION of being nice when in fact they are not.
So ok, at 4 months your pup still lacks the cognitive skills to properly understand training. So all training needs to be kept on a fun and games bases at this age. At 4 months the pups only motivation is still food, so take advantage of that and cookie train. Somewhere around 6 months the puppy will show a newfound since of independence and self awareness. This will signal the development of other motivations (should not need an explanation), and the cognitive skills necessary to fully understand training/corrections. Formal training should start at this age with a sound "basics" program.
At the age of your pup now you should use nothing but a flat buckle collar and a leather or nylon clip lead. In about another two months you will be able to start using whatever training collar you wish to use. A training collar of any type should only be on the dog when training!! That way the dog knows the difference between free time and work time.
I use a British slip lead 99% of the time, and a Germen snake 1% of the time

Answer 3

I have an 1.5 year old lab, so I've been through the training!

I'd suggest a gentle leader and a regular leash (not the retractable kind). Retractable leashes teach your dog to pull (as every time they pull they get rewarded with more leash). With a strong lab, you do not want to encourage pulling!! When you introduce your dog to the gentle leader, give him lots of treats. For the first week, don't even use the gentle leader for walks. Just put it on him and give him his dinner, then take it off. Then put it on him and play his favorite game, then take it off. After about a week he will think the gentle leader means really good things and he won't mind wearing it. Also, he won't try to rub it off his face constantly (which is very annoying for you).

You can try a harness (Easy Walk Harness is a good one), but in my experience they will not work with a lab as they get stronger and older. If you do try to use a harness, make sure that when you first use it to train the dog correctly to it. Whenever the dog pulls ahead, stop. The harness will tighten across his chest. He should turn and look at you. When he does, treat him. Then move forward with him at heal. Every time he forges ahead, repeat the process. This will condition him to look at you when he feels the pressure of the harness. If you don't train him to do this, he will totally disregard the harness. Labs are bred to retrieve birds, often running through thick brush that slams into their chest. If you don't train your dog correctly, he'll just disregard the harness and the pressure it puts on his chest.

Note: If you use a harness, use it only for walks. It isn't good for dogs to run in them as it restricts movement and can cause shoulder lameness.

So, the gentle leader (or other head halter, like the halti) is what I found worked best for me and my lab, and for other people I know with high-energy labs.

And make sure he is getting enough exercise. Labs and lab puppies need LOTS. If he has enough exercise, it will be much easier to train him and manage him in the house.

Also, get him into a puppy class and basic obedience. They help keep you training and provide exercise for your dog and a bonding time with you and your dog. Also, the teacher can help you fit the gentle leader, which can be confusing to put on the first time.

Answer 4

I have to vote for the Halti or Gentle Leader as well. This works in the same way a horse halter works with the theory of, "Where the head goes, the dog will follow". This is a harness that fits loosely around the dogs' muzzle and around the head, the lead attaches to a ring that is under the lower jaw. You can control almost any dog with this on when walking. They will not/cannot pull because you control where the head goes. It also does not put pressure on their throat.

I don't recommend a regular chest harness until the dog is leash trained and will walk correctly beside you because you honestly do not have much control over the dog in a regular harness.

Answer 5

your dog is hyper because you need to give it some obedience training. harnesses were made for pulling, so i wouldn't use a harness. use a sturdy collar, nylon or leather, and a thick, short leash (4' or shorter). have the dog sit before you walk or whenever you stop, then say "heel" when you start walking. make the dog stay by you when you are walking. if the regular collar isn't working well enough try using a halti collar. http://www.furbabies.co.uk/images/halti150h.jpg.

if the dog still wont stay by you and is bouncing all over go with a choke chain. be sure you use the choker correctly. if all else fails try a pinch collar.

im sure with proper training you will have the dog behaving in no time

Answer 6

I tried everything on my Lab when he was a puppy and nothing worked better than the Gentle Leader, Head Halter etc. It is the best training device and now my Lab is the absolute best dog to walk. With the Gentle Leader you haev complete control and they pick up on training easy. My Lab is huge and when Iwas training him I was on crutches but I had not problem with the Gentle Leader.

Answer 7

If your puppy pulls on his leash, then I agree that a Halti or Gentle Leader is a great training tool. It teaches them to walk on a leash without pulling. I have used them successfully on many dogs. But, there is no substitute for training. Enroll in a puppy class and you'll be glad you did. Labs are great dogs but you should realize that they mostly continue to be very energetic and enthusiastic for a LONG time - in some cases to age 2 and even beyond. Therefore, for you and your dog to both really enjoy your life together, training and patience is the key. Good luck to you and your puppy!

Answer 8

The best way to train your puppy to walk is to get a lead that is very short .. don't give your dog the chance to run about .. keep him by your side and don't be afraid to tug on the lead when your puppy acts up ... Labs are known to be very rambunctious and head strong so make sure you are consistent with your walking techniques

Answer 9

A normal one or a choke rope lead. Learn your dog to heel. My lab is 22 wks old and his lead is loose and slack. I taught him how 2 heel from day one when we got him and i only got him last week and for past 3 days or so hasnt pulled once. You need to do this 2-3 times a day.

Answer 10

We tend to think of dog training as a series of steps for teaching particular behaviors. To teach a dog to stay in a particular position, you reward her as she remains in place for gradually longer times, at gradually greater distances, with gradually increasing degrees of distraction. Read more https://tr.im/NonZz

Now, this is fine, training does involve teaching dogs specific behaviors with a step-by-step approach. This week, though, I’m going to discuss three mental habits that will not only enable you train more effectively but also make life pleasant for both you and your dog.