Irish Wolfhound pulling on lead fix

The most effective tools for lead pulling are no-pull harnesses and head collars — but the right choice depends on the dog's size, strength, and the reason they're pulling, and fit is absolutely critical for any of them to work. What breed and size is your dog, how strong is the pulling, and have you tried any equipment so far?

Right, so you've got one of the biggest, strongest dogs that exists, mid-adolescence, with no lead training equipment in place yet — that's a lot to manage on just a flat collar. A few things I want to understand before I point you at something specific: is the pulling mostly forward excitement — he just wants to get somewhere faster — or is it reactive stuff, lunging at other dogs, smells, squirrels? And are you the main person walking him, or is it multiple people in the household?

That actually makes the decision clearer. For a non-reactive dog this size who's just a freight train of enthusiasm, a well-fitted no-pull harness is the right tool — it redirects the force sideways across the chest rather than letting him drive straight forward with his full body weight. A head collar can work but on a giant breed with a long neck, there's a real risk of neck strain if he hits the end of the lead hard, and at 60kg he absolutely will. The one I'd recommend for him specifically is the Ruffwear Front Range Harness in their largest size. It's built for big, strong dogs, has a front clip that cuts the forward pulling force effectively, and critically — it has multiple adjustment points so you can get a genuinely secure fit on an Irish Wolfhound's deep chest and long body. It's not going to turn off the pulling overnight, that needs training alongside it, but it will stop your partner being pulled over while he learns. Make sure you size it by chest girth, not weight — measure right behind his front legs.

The harness is definitely not a substitute for training — it just makes the situation safe enough that training becomes possible. The most effective method for a dog like this is stop-start: the moment he pulls, you stop completely. No forward movement, no reaction, just stop. The second the lead goes slack, you move again. Irish Wolfhounds are smart and they work it out faster than you'd expect — they just need enough repetitions. Keep walks shorter and more deliberate for a few weeks rather than one long pulling session. Also worth knowing: he's going to keep changing shape until he's about 18 months, so recheck the harness fit every month or so — what fits now may be too tight in six weeks.

Good plan. Measure before you order and go by the chest girth chart on the Ruffwear site — Irish Wolfhounds often size unexpectedly due to the depth of their chest versus their length. You'll probably be in the L or XL. Stick with the training consistently and by the time he's fully grown you'll have a dog that's actually manageable. Good luck with him.