Question: My 5 month old Golden retriever pulls on the leash so badly I'm afraid she is going to choke herself, and she is starting to get strong enough that she will soon be able to pull me over.

Salli: You wrote me just in time. At this age you can still influence her behavior in this area very passively.

The simple truth is that puppies pull because it works. The puppy wants to go somewhere and sniff something and whoever is on the other end of the leash is thrilled. She may be able to find that perfect right potty spot and she is so interested in the world. As a result the hapless human gets pulled all over and then is surprised when the puppy grows a bit and continues the same behavior.

At this point I would tell you to STOP! Whenever your puppy starts to pull simply stop. (Holding on to the leash with both hands if you need to). Your puppy will start to wonder what is happening to her parade, and will eventually stop to turn and look at you in confusion.

At this point begin to walk again until the puppy starts to pull again and then stop! Repeat this process until the puppy gets it. As you will have noticed, following this plan means that no one is getting a lot of exercise so you will need to play some good retrieving games in a securely fenced area in the interim.

Remember, dogs do what works.