labrador behavior

Question
I have a 7month old lab. He walks great sometimes. He likes to get ahead but I try to correct it. The issue is when another dog comes close or barks from a distance. He seems to go into a fixated state. He locks eyes, ignores me and even walks sideways to keep looking at the other dog. Also as we walk he keeps sniffing and tries to pull to get at something to sniff at

Answer
Stop correcting him!!!!  Sometimes, that contributes to a dog's anxiety over meeting other dogs on leash.  Instead, teach him a "watch" command, or to focus on you when you say his name.  There are some hints on how to teach "Attention" at www.clickerlessons.com.  By the way, it is not a sin for your dog to walk a bit ahead of you, so long as you are able to verbally call him back and so long as the leash is slack.  The same site also has instructions for how to teach a dog to walk nicely on lead.  Don't punish him for being interested in other dogs (which is normal) - he may start associating negatives with the appearance of other dogs!  That causes something we trainers call "leash reactivity".  And, it can escalate into aggression with some dogs.  Train instead, and you will both have much more pleasant walks.