Sorry, I missed the perhaps crucial word of "new" in your original post. I think you can expect a lot of pulling at the start, as he gets overwhelmed with new smells, new sights, and new noises.

I would pick a time when you know it's going to be reasonably quiet and accept that you're going to get pulled. Using no verbal commands whatsoever, good or bad, just let him have a really good sniff around his new 'territory'.

With Blondi, I did that, then I started walking her in the garden only. Up and down, up and down, until I'm sure it must have become an absolute bore for her. Each time she pulled, I issued a firm but calm "no" and walked in a different direction, showing her that I'm leading the way, not her. (Some say just stop dead in your tracks, but I found that, as you have, Blondi just sat on her backside then and did nothing.)

After each successful length without her pulling (and it takes time and patience) I rewarded her. When there was pulling, no reward.

I then moved onto outside the front of the house. (I'm sure the neighbours thought I was losing my mind as I walked constantly up and down, up and down along the courtyard, using the same technique as I did in the garden.)

A few weeks on, and she can very easily be walked around the garden and the front of the house with a loose leash. However, I won't deny that she still has occasional pulling tendencies when we get to "new" areas, and this is why I use the harness, but am persisting in the loose-leash training each and every day, and she's improving by the day.

As for the going loopy whenever the lead approached, Blondi was exactly the same. I would get the leash, she would run around like a nutter. My solution, to place the lead back down, sit down, maybe have a bit of a read or something. Anything but acknowledge her and her action. Eventually, she got the idea that to get on the lead, she had to be near me and be calm enough for me to place it on her. If she came and then went loopy as I tried to affix the leash, same again, I placed it down, and went about my business, giving her no acknowledgement in the meantime. Getting a leash on her is absolute childs play and she'll sit quite happily for me to put it on her, and again to take it off her.

Sometimes, you might have to accept that your dog won't get out for a walk for a day or two, until the message gets through to him. Some see that as cruel or irresponsible, I see having a dog that I can't control on a leash, and therefore potentially endangering her life and other lives, as far more cruel and irresponsible.

Hope it helps, even if only a little.

thanks for the great advice.

we take him to the football field behind our house which is always deserted!!!! our garden isnt really big enough to walk him around but i will try your technique

Even better then. At least you won't have to fear being reported for walking a dog up and down in a deranged manner. Good luck.

As he is still new, maybe it'd be good to concentrate on getting him to look at you/pay you attention.

Have you used a clicker? If he's a GSD he should get the idea of click=treat really fast, and then all you need to do is click/treat each time he looks at you. Then start adding in his name, click/treating when he pays you attention.

Once you have this, you can use it to help with loose-lead walking. If he pulls, stop. Say his name. When he looks at you, click-treat and off you go again.

Also you could train him to follow a target-stick using the clicker (really easy - put a treat on the floor, put the stick on the treat, and 'click' just as his nose touches it! He'll get it within seconds!). Once he has the idea that nose-on-stick = yummies! you can use this to teach him to heel . . or jump onto things, or over things, or spin, or go under your legs . . etc, etc

I take my target-stick with me on walks, it helps keep the dogs attention on me and they love the extra chance to earn some more yummies!

Just some ideas - all dogs are different, I'm sure you'll find something that works for you. Best of luck!!

wahts a gsd?

German Shepherd Dog . . have I got you confused with GSDlover?

LOL! Sorry . .

Even so, most dogs love the clicker, so the advice still holds for any breed.

We've got an anti-pull harness but stupidly forgot to tell Suki that's what it was and occasionally she just goes daft and pulls like mad (doesn't do it with me but OH and son seem to have the greatest trouble in preventing her from pulling). Latest purchase has been a halti - using a double ended training lead we're planning to connect one to the halti and the other to the harness to give us a choice in controlling her.

Will let you know the results because just now we're getting her used to wearing the halti without freaking her out by actually using it!

Happens all the time. I think it's my ears.