Stop leash pulling before it starts — Boxer puppy

You're in exactly the right mindset — preventing leash pulling in a Boxer before it becomes a habit is so much easier than trying to fix it later, and starting at 9 weeks gives you a brilliant head start. The first few months genuinely do set the patterns for life, and the right equipment from the beginning makes training feel natural rather than like a constant battle. So tell me a bit more: is this your first Boxer, and when you say you want to prevent pulling, are you mainly thinking about walks, or is it also about those excited lunges when they spot something interesting?

You're right to take that seriously — Boxers are muscular, enthusiastic dogs and that strength sneaks up on you fast. The single most important thing you can do right now is choose the right harness, because collars and standard harnesses that attach at the back actually encourage pulling by letting the dog lean into the pressure. What I'd recommend is the Perfect Fit harness with a front-ring attachment. It's a modular, three-part harness that you can size precisely as he grows — which matters a lot because Boxer puppies change shape quickly — and the front chest ring redirects him toward you the moment he starts to pull forward, which teaches the lesson without any confrontation. It's made in the UK, widely trusted by trainers, and genuinely built for dogs that need a proper fit rather than a one-size compromise.

Start now — don't wait. Put it on him indoors, let him wear it for short sessions around the house, and do your early lead work in the garden. The goal at this stage isn't distance, it's association: harness goes on, good things happen, walking beside you is rewarding. By the time he's ready for proper pavement walks, wearing the harness and responding to light lead pressure will already feel completely normal to him. That foundation is genuinely hard to replicate if you leave it until later.

Keep it simple at this stage — a standard 1.2 to 1.5 metre lead in a comfortable thickness for your hand is all you need. Avoid retractable leads entirely; they teach dogs that pulling pays off, which is the opposite of what you're building. If you want to do some focused training in the garden, a longer training line of around 5 metres is useful for recall work, but for loose-lead habit building, short and consistent is the way to go. The harness is doing the heavy lifting here.