Hey Peter,
Don't give up, keep at it. I have been working with my dog on the same issue. He will respond for a good couple of minutes but then he goes back to trying to take the lead. And I have found that some days are better then others. One thing that has worked for me is that when my dog starts to pull or even when he starts to walk ahead, I will tell him slow, s/times he responds well and s/times no. Another thing that helps get his attention and reminds him that I am the leader, is when he pulls ahead I will w/o warning simply go the opposite direction. In the beginning I had to do this several times w/o getting much of a walk in. But after working with him, he is starting to understand that I am the leader. Is he perfect no, but neither am I but together we are learning ... It won't happen overnight, and it will take some time, but dogs are smart and they will understand...keep working at it
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