How do I leash train a big dog?

I never grew up with pets in my family, because one sister is afraid of nature and the other is highly allergic to it, so it's pretty cool that my boyfriend has this monster:


(I don't have a picture of him, but he looks just like this dog, a Mastiff-Boxer mix, around 130lbs)
He's not with us yet, but we want to bring him to live with us in our apartment. He's almost 2 years old and is house trained, and sleeps in a kennel. Whenever he needs to go outside to use the bathroom, his parents let all the dogs out at once and they have a big field, so they go where ever they want until they are called back. I don't think he's ever even been on a leash before, and he does follow commands, so it might not be hard to teach him, but I'm concerned with how he might react when we try to walk him, since he's never been properly walked before.

 

I would ask the current family if he already know how to walk on a lead. All my dogs have a huge fenced in yard but they are all taught to walk on leads. I only have 1 that is a problem child but we are working on it. If they taught him commands there is a very good chance that he has been taught how to. Plus I am sure they have taken him places and he would have to be on a lead to go since most places have leash laws. Nothing wrong with asking. If by some chance he isn't start with leash walking in the house this way he gets used to the idea and make sure it is a short leash. 135 pound dog can get away from you especially if he has room to get up speed to move.

 

Congratulations on your new pal!

Well, since you're a little hesitant on the regular leash, you might as well invest on a Gentle Leader. I've had friends who's been using it successfully to walk their dogs and I think it's the perfect tool for newbies to use.


Try checking this video out.

Reinforce it with treats and eventually, you'll be enjoying long walks with him.

My dogs are fortunate to have started young so it's not that difficult to walk them anymore. Of course, when they were puppies, they drain the energy out of me.

Good luck.

 

Be CAREFUL with gentle leaders. They are very good tools, but remember, you are only training the dog how to walk on the gentle leader. And you aren't not supposed to use gentle leaders if you are long-lining your dog or have him on a retractable leash. If your dog is on a long leash and is running and runs out of room the gentle leader will cause their head to 'snap back' and you coudl break their neck.

 

One of the best lead walking trainers I have come across is the "Halti". It fits over the head and kneck and the clip for the lead is positioned halfway along the face. As the dog starts to pull, because of the position of the lead, the head is pulled round to the right, causing the dog to turn. Ideal if your dog pulls so hard on a standard lead that he starts to choke himself.