Jocko was a big, strong and handsome German Shepherd that I worked with in the 1980s as a security dog trainer in Hartford, CT. Jocko was also one of the best trained dogs I have ever worked with. His obedience was perfect and walking on a leash was what he did best.
Most dogs are trained with choke or prong collars. Choke collars are very difficult to use properly and I do not recommend them. Tooth collars are more effective, but I don’t generally use them for training. Instead, I recommended a more positive approach. If you do it correctly, you won’t need any kind of force to train.
The first step is to teach your German Shepherd to walk with you and not to pull. This is accomplished by keeping a loose strap. Whenever you hold the strap, don’t let any tension develop. If your dog starts to move away from you, it is common for us to pull on the leash. This will create more tension and your dog will pull even harder.
Always keep a loose leash while walking. Start by asking him to follow the treat by his side. It will learn that this is where you want it to be. It is important that when you practice, you change direction, pick up your pace, slow down, and make frequent stops.
Once you’ve done this for a few weeks, you should start fading away the goodies. As you gradually fade the treats, make sure your leash is always loose by your side. Once the treats fade, your dog may lose attention. When this happens, quickly change direction to keep your dog’s attention on you and where you are going.
Within a week or two, your dog should be walking well by your side.