How do I get my dog to behave while we're on walks?

My dog is about 8-9 months old, and he is getting really annoying while we walk. He tugs, stops and smells everything in sight, then he'll try to run. Sometimes he behaves, and stay by my side, which is rare. How do I get him to stay by my side?

When he pulls, or stops to smell, give a quick tug on the leash. He wont like this, and he'll soon stop doing what causes this unpleasant tug

i agree with miss manners,

you should walk and not stop and if the dog should become ahead of you, tug on the leash until the dog is beside you and use voice commands to tell the dog when he is being good/bad. and then just keep repeating that every time he starts to tug. I am in the process of doing this with my dog and it seems to being working well for me.=) hope it does for you too!

I know it seems annoying for him to sniff around but sometimes if you think about it, that's the only enjoyment they get when you take them out. I have a basset, she loves to get out of the house and yes she sniffs her way through our walk. We enjoy her so much that I don't mind letting her sniff around.

He sounds like he has never been leash trained.

You just walk, and keep walking, so he has to keep up with you, intead of sniffing around.

If he gets ahead of you, just give him a tug, and as soon as he is where he should be, relax the leash. Whenever he is beside you, the leash should be loose. That way, the most comfortable place for him to be is right where you want him.

Basically, your dog is a 5 y/o child with more hair and teeth.

Treat him like a kid.

Bribe him to make him behave, scold him when he does something wrong.

Unlike kids (little sods), dogs get the message pretty quick.

my dog does the same thing and i need help too!