Mini schnauzer pulls on leash

Question
I just recently adopted a 1y4m old female mini schnauzer. So far, every walk has
been at top speed with her pulling me down the trail (and I'm not a slow walker).
Is a choke chain recommended for a mini schnauzer, or is there a better
technique for this breed?

Answer
There are a number of ways to work with this, and you might find that one will work better with her than another.

What I do with mine is keep the leash fairly short so that the dog is right next to me, and when the dog starts to pull ahead, I quickly either turn left or do a U-turn (into the dog) while telling it to "get back". I do that every time the dog tries to pull away from me. Make her have to watch you so that she doesn't get run into. Praise her if she moves out of your way and starts to pay attention. I do also always walk my dogs on training collars and I prefer nylon over metal. If a dog needs a correction for something, the collar is there; you cannot correct a dog with a buckle collar.

Some more dominant, head-strong dogs will do well with Gentle Leader Head Collars. This is a great training devise on the right dog; it is not for more submissive dogs.

Some people have done well with spray bottles filled with water. Again, the leash should be somewhat short. When the dog forges ahead, spray it in the face with a stream of water, while telling it to "get back" or some other similar command. Most schnauzers HATE water, and this really gets their attention. Praise the dog when it falls back into position.

You are going to have a lot of fun trying to break your girl of this now as she thinks this is how walks are done. Get her into obedience classes, as that will help both of you a lot. Also start practicing "Nothing in Life is Free" with her.  http://k9deb.com/nilif.htm  

Karen