Many dog trainers recommend the Gentle Leader.

http://www.petsafe.net/gentleleader

However
it takes time to get the dog used to this type of harness and you don't
have that luxury if you're walking the dog now. Your recommendation on
hiring a trainer is spot on and something the owners should have done.

Dog
owners who fail to properly train their dogs is a real pet peeve with
me. We've had German Shepherds, Rottweilers, and Labs and their training
began the day we brought them home.

While
I was recovering from double knee replacement we hired a dog walker to
take our Lab for daily walks. Our rear yard is fenced in so I could
easily let her out if need be.

You
are a wonderful neighbor to help your neighbor. Personally I wouldn't
do it unless the dog were well behaved on a leash - perhaps your
neighbor would consider a pro dog walker.

Good luck,

Maire

I was going to recommend trying a front clip harness which is what you have linked. In my opinion they are a little less effective than the gentle leaders but the advantage is that the dog takes to them much more readily, dogs seem to hate the gentle leaders at first from what I've seen. The front clip harness is only annoying to the dog when it tries to pull. When it pulls it is immediately pulled to the side.

I think it depends for you on whether you can withstand a bit of a yank from a strong dog. If a bit of yanking and correction won't bother you I would definitely try for the front clip harness. If you cannot tolerate any yanking whatsoever go right to the gentle leader.

A harness that clips at the back encourages pulling.

I used to walk greyhounds that weren't leash trained and a little trick that I learned that works with many greyhounds is just to loop the front of the leash around the chest, for some reason it seems to really reduce pulling, this is something you might be able to try as a stopgap measure. I tried it on my sisters sled dog and the dog backed out of it right away so it certainly wouldn't work for some of the smarter dogs, greyhounds tend to be muttonheads so they never figured it out.

A good pet store Will help you fit the harness if you bring the dog in.

If you have some patience and you want to help your neighbour out with training you may make remarkable progress in less than a week if you are consistent with walking the dog and not rewarding pulling. In the beginning the dog will be frustrated and so will you.

The big thing is never to reward the pulling so if the dog is pulling it does not get to go where he wants to go. Having a few fistfuls of treats on your walks will also help. this is a good reminder for me because my puppy has started pulling a lot on walks and I need to dive back into training. We are 80% good but the other 20% is pretty miserable.

The other good thing is that the very act of training is quite tiring for the dog and you may find the dog has less excess energy and is less bouncy after a good training session. http://www.petexpertise.com/dog-training-article-training-your-dog-not-to-pull-on-the-leash.html

I agree with Marie, yes to the gentle lead. But, the dog needs to get used to wearing it first, so, there is a learning curve. The owner needs to put it on the dog in the house and I think you build up time with it on. Then, at some point you go out and walk the dog.

Soon the dog will equate the lead with going out. The premise is based on how horses are led around.

I like Annz suggestion too. When I trained my Golden at an obedience school, we learned walking on the left. It is what show dogs do! however, recently while training our rescue mix, a trainer just smiled and said either side is fine, this isn't a show dog! (My DH kept walking him on either side so we had to clear this issue up. I still walk him on the left!)

These are some good suggestions, thank you. I am going to re-read them all a few times and check out the links, too. The dog is 4 years old. He really is a nice dog and I find dog training sort of fascinating, so I don't mind putting the time and effort into it, and frankly, this dog has so much energy, I don't think anyone will mind if training tires him out! The good news is he already walks on the left, and he is definitely trainable. He does know how to sit, lie down, and shake - when prompted with cheese, anyway - but at least I know he understands commands. I really do think he would do really well in the hands of a competent trainer. Thanks again!

I agree with the Gentle Leader - some dogs adjust to them quite quickly. I personally would never use a prong collar.

I agree with Maire also. I have had labs, a rottweiler and a golden. My golden was actually much more challenging on a leash than the others-- primarily because he had a very strong prey drive. He was much smaller at 78lb (110 lb golden is HUGE) but he could surely pull.. and I am not a small, dainty gal!

I never used one but the front clip harness sounds like the way to go if you don't want to invest the time in a gentle leader (which I have used). I am adamantly opposed to prong collars though I know some who have used them. There are also some great techniques for leash training that you can find all over the internet.

Training is so important and rewarding-- you will be amazed at how your bond grows with this dog as he learns self control and good leash behavior,

I've had really good luck with the "Easy Walk" harness. It's a front-lead type like Robo is talking about. After my dog gets into bad habits on a normal leash (and it only takes a week of relatives letting him goof off on leash to get bad), I put that on him and he walks perfectly. He's only 80 lbs but he's built like a tank.

Fori, I have easy walk harness and my dog absolutely hates it, she doesn't like the way I think the bellyband is right up against her armpits. Do you have any fitting suggestions? I don't think the harness is too small at all. For now I'm using a different harness that fits A little bit further back on the belly.

My yorkie (she thinks she's HUGE) figured out how to get out of the easy walk harness in 5 minutes.

Just wanted to add that note.

You are a good neighbor. When our neighbor's son was going through cancer treatment, the other neighbors including me pitched in to walk their Great Dane. He was young then and very headstrong. I quickly realized it was beyond my capabilities as I just was not strong enough to control him. I was afraid he was going to get away from me and run into the street. DH took over my slot for me. I just wanted to add that in case you can't do it physically, don't feel guilty.

We've had Rotties and Dobermans in the past and all were off leash trained. But our American Bulldog is so stubborn and no amount of correcting would curb her pulling on the leash. I took her to a training session and I was shown how to use the leash with small corrections as shown in the google picture. It has worked wonders! The loop needs to be kept in the position shown, not higher. You could try it first and see if it will work for this dog before you invest in something else.

Neverbe, that is interesting. We learned a way to loop across the chest.

A prong collar is much more humane than any other collar, flat buckle or slip chain. Properly fitted, a prong collar (the prongs are not sharp) evenly distributes the pressure around the neck and will not tighten enough to do any harm whatsoever.

Apparently, dogs don't like the pressure around that area and when they try to pull, it puts them off balance so they go around in circles. My arms and shoulders are very happy with this solution.

My dog is a puller, she would make a great sled dog! I have the best luck with the Gentle Leader or the Halti head collar. They are both similar but the Halti fits my dog's face best. I had no luck with the front clasp halter type collar. As time has gone on, she has eventually been able to be transitioned over to a regular chain snap collar. She doesn't really like the face collar but the sucker works like a miracle! I was about beside myself with her and her pulling. Nothing would work with her. Someone gave me a gentle leader to try and I was sold immediately!

Robo, you do have to tweak it a lot, especially since dog shapes vary so much. It took a few tries to get it to not rub my dog's pits too. I had to loosen the front part as far as it would go because he's barrel-chested. I think I also have the back part longer and the belly part shorter so it doesn't pull up as much on the arm pits. I'd look but I'd get caught and I don't want to go for a walk right now if you know what I mean. Lately he's been wearing it looser than he probably ought to (weight loss and/or stretching) but it still works. He still has a good time but he knows he can't get away with anything with the harness on. (Probably habit and not harness at this point. We have not trained our dog especially well.)

It's just so beautiful how the dog goes from a hard-pulling pain to a docile obedient little pup. It crushes his spirit for badness! And if you have to do a serious correction, you can yank it right and put the dog on the ground.

My Golden's fur is so thick that the prong collar didn't have much effect. The Easy Walk was OK but not great.

The Gentle Leader is great. My dog hated it and spent all his time trying to get it off. But after he pulled me to the ground and I broke my wrist, I forced him to use the Gentle Leader and he now tolerates it pretty well.

"My Golden's fur is so thick that the prong collar didn't have much effect." Then it was not fitted properly. We have had many many Goldens over the years (bred, shown, trained).

I would find the anti pull harness the easiest to,use immediately. Some have a front and top clasp.

Training, fenced yard, hire someone young & strong, or prong collar.

Cared for eldely woman with a fractured pelvis due to a fall from a dog pulling.

Lots of great advise. Our 80 lb lab used to pull pretty badly when she was small, in snow and ice it was really scary. I did exactly what Annz did, turning the opposite direction each time and now she walks beautifully.

The great thing about the retriever breeds is they are smart and they do want to please so if you're consistent, the training doesn't take too long to accomplish.

As far as leads go, I know a lot of people like them, but the gentle harness didn't work for us. Having something around her snout freaked our girl out. I admit I was a little freaked too because she pulled so hard I thought she was going to snap her neck. I tried a few others, but since she was still puppy age she would just slither out of them. I finally settled on the Freedom no pull which has a clip in the front and a clip on the top. They're a bit pricey but they're American made with good materials and I've had great success with it.

https://freedomnopullharness.com/

The gentle leader didn't work for us. Both of my girls freaked with anything put on their face (maybe past experiences -- both were adopted) but the ThunderLeash made by the same folks as ThunderShirt worked well. Check to see if Amazon has any open box deals -- I got one of mine for about half price.

I cannot walk my dog without his gentle leader on. He still doesn't like it but knows he doesn't get to go without it. He actually sulks and pouts until it is on and we are out the door!

I'm kind of surprised and maybe even confused by the responses that say they use the gentle leader even though they are fully aware that their dog doesn't like it. What good is it if the dog can't go for a walk feeling just as comfortable with what it is wearing as you do? Even though purpose of a harness or a collar is to gain control, the walk should still be a happy and comfortable experience for the dog. There are enough options out there that it seems odd (to me?) you wouldn't want to find one that works for the both of you.

I haven't read all the replies yet, but wanted to share what worked for us. DH had a spoiled (i.e. completely untrained) lab when we married. Sweetest dog in the world but very headstrong and was allowed to do whatever he wanted. Walking him was miserable for me because he would pull so hard.

We took him to a group obedience class and the first thing we learned was to use a basic choke collar (pronged wasn't necessary). Keep your dog on your left side when walking and make sure the collar is on correctly. A backward collar will not tighten and release; it stays tight once it is pulled.

Use quick, sharp pulls on the leash to correct the dog. The quick chokes get his attention then releases. Tell him to heel with the pulls. Eventually you will only need the voice command.

Within a week or so of doing this I was able to walk our dog with ease. I was eventually able to walk him with a baby stroller too (something I never dreamed I'd be able to do).

Consistency is key. Everyone who walks him should do it the same way while you're training him.

Good luck!

I suggest watching cesar millan videos on youtube about how to walk a dog. My neighbor's dog, a lab, was pulling her all over the place. I took the dog for a walk and within 10 min, I had her by my side, paying attention to me, no pulling.

When I was fostering my brother's dog after his death, a 110-lb golden, he was pulling like mad and no way could I control him. So again, using Cesar's techniques, within a few minutes, I had him heeling perfectly.

The discipline of the walk starts at the door. You have to be the first one out, and the dog needs to wait for you to ask him out, not go charging out in front. Dog language is very simple...whoever is in front is in charge. So the dog needs to be at your side or slightly behind. You need to be literally the leader.

One of the most effective techniques I've found that he uses is one of surprise and distraction...you can have the dog stand or sit next to you and as soon as you see the dog start to focus on something, lift your foot on the side opposite the dog, reach it behind you and touch the dog on his leg. (This is not a kick! This is simply touching them with your toe.) It surprises them and immediately distracts them from what they were focusing on and puts 100% of their attention on you, which is exactly where you want it.

Another important element is to keep the collar, whichever one you use, up near their head like they do in the kennel shows. That's where the dog is sensitive and will feel it. If you have the collar down closer to their shoulders and you pull on it, their reaction will be to pull in the opposite direction. That's what dogs do...and we've all seen it where dogs are pulling so hard that they are actually strangling themselves, and yet they keep pulling.

First as a 20+ year pro in dog training and care my gut response is 110lb Golden Retriever? A full grown male gr should top out around 75 lbs.

Go on Dog Star daily with Dr. Ian Dunbar to learn about proper training techniques.

Annie makes some good points, however, training will not work unless everyone who walks the dog is on on board.

Annette, my Golden was 72 pounds, perfect for her height. She was by no means the largest Golden, so I can see a large male being more. But, at 110 pounds that is probably pushing it. People with long haired dogs sometimes think the dog just loos big because of the hair!

I was really interested in learning different ways of training and ended up going through two sets of training classes with our dog . The technique of turning the opposite direction when the dog pulls is what both trainers taught and seems to be a standard for someone who is looking for a simple option. But you also have to be a strong leader and make it fun for the dogs too. Don't fight with it.

I agree that 110 lbs reflects that the dog is most likely overweight so if you do give it treats, try using a little bit of it's kibble or treats that are low in Kcals.

Also the first thing I wonder when someone says "Oh I tried training but it didn't work" is well, how consistent were you with it? Because if you aren't consistent and do it every time the dog pulls the dog gets confused and of course it won't work.

When I got my lab he was already a young adult and very strong. He already knew sit, stay, fetch, shake, everything except how to walk on a leash. He was a puller. My next door neighbor, a big strong guy, used to borrow him and also had trouble walking him. We finally went to obedience training, and basically the problem was I was not being authoritative enough. Once I learned that we had it made. My husband always laughed that there was that "one" voice I used that Ike didn't challenge!

Thanks, everyone, for all the suggestions. I read everything offered here and my fastest potential solution was the Easy Walk because I could find it locally. I have used it three times now and it works great! The dog no longer pulls, and it takes only a gentle tug if he needs to be redirected or moved along. Now, I realize this is not the answer to all of our issues, because the dog could definitely still use some training. I am also trying some of the tips suggested both here and in the linked web sites/videos. That will take a little more time, though.

As far as his size, he really is huge. I had to buy the extra large Easy Walk. He is very large boned and has a broad back. He looked a little overweight when we started walking, but he looks slimmer side-to-side so I think he has lost a few pounds since we began. I am walking him longer than I think his owner was - we sometimes walk 45 minutes vs the 20 minutes he was getting before, plus lately, we are walking in several inches of snow, which seems to tire him out a bit more.

I appreciate the advice!

Good for you! I just hope his owner follows up on the invaluable training you have given her dog!

Wonderful that he's doing so well with the Easy Walk halter!