Dog Pulling On Lead Continually

I am at my wits end. My dog goes for walks every evening and almost chokes himself to death. Hw do I get him to stop pulling on the leash? He is a cross husky and chow and is now 1 year old. We have tried everything recommended. Any suggestions? (Nicola - Cape Town, South Africa)

This is quite common in both the Husky and the Chow, neither like to be on the lead. And unless the required behavior is enforced when these dogs are young it will be very difficult to have them change. There are no easy quick-fix solutions to this problem. The only way to approach this problem is to be dedicated to changing your dog's behavior over a long-term program, consisting of rewarding him for good behavior. One way to approach this is to carry lots of small treats in your trouser pocket on his side. Once he starts to learn that you may give him a treat from this pocket he will start to try and investigate it. You should keep his interest by repetitively giving him treats when he is holding back and trying to smell/investigate your pocket. Over time, he will be happy to receive less and less treats, simply by associating his behavior with feeling pleased. In time, you may hardly have to reward him at all. But, as with all big breeds, be sure not to be too complacent - he may still try and simply run on without very much notice! Good luck with this.