My 7-month-old goldendoodle drags me down the street on walks. I got a no-pull harness but she still pulls. I can't enjoy walks anymore. What am I doing wrong?

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🐾 Coach Answer

The harness isn't training — it's management. She's still trying to pull, the harness just reduces her leverage. You need to teach her that pulling doesn't work. Use a standard back-clip harness and a 6-foot leash. Walk normally. The instant the leash tightens, stop walking and stand still. Don't move forward until she creates slack by moving toward you, sitting, or looking at you. The moment there's slack, start walking again. No treats, no verbal cue — forward movement is the reward. For the first 10 days you'll cover 100 feet in 20 minutes. That's expected. She's learning the rule: tension = frozen human, slack = progress. Doodles are smart and food-motivated, so most catch on in 10-14 days if you're absolutely consistent. If you sometimes let her pull when you're in a hurry, you're teaching her that pulling works sometimes, and she'll keep trying. Also: exercise her before the walk. A 20-minute fetch session will drop her arousal level and make her brain available for learning.

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