This can lead so many behavioral issues in the mind of your dog and at the end the dog will never obey your orders. A dog walking in front does not drain their mental energy. They are not relaxed and following, as they have a big responsibility to be leading the pack. This mental anguish can build up inside of a dog. When a dog is hyper or high strung it means the dog is not getting the proper amount and or type of exercise. If your dog runs laps around your yard or houses it is an indication that they are not getting enough exercise.
If you take your dog on a regular walk and your dog is still unhappy or hipper than ask yourself what exactly could be going wrong, when you left for the walk and who lead the walk towards the door, was the dog following you or its you following the dog if your answer is yes then you are walking the dog while they are excited and if the answer is NO then you may have the super high energy dog which required more exercise.
Another thing which every owner should keep in mind is it is not solely the act of heeling but also you as a human should make a decision for the dog to heel. Meaning how often do you walk, do you make your dog to heel or its the dog who heels because he become tired or for some other reasons Just because a dog walks well on a lead, not pulling and for most of the walk walks beside the humans does not mean the humans are being pack leaders. It really is about who is making the decisions.
Was your dog calm and in a submissive state of mind when you snapped on their lead? When you left your home who went out the doorway and/or gate first? You or the dog? Is the dog deciding to heel when it wishes, but pulling to the side to sniff or walk out in front when it pleases? Or is the human consciously making the dog heel? If the humans allow the dog to decide because after all he walks "pretty good", then the dog is making the calls and that is allowing your dog to be your leader. If it is all about who is making the decisions, can I decide to let my dog walk in front? No, since instinct tells a dog the leader leads the way, your decision to allow your dog to walk in front will be communicating to your dog that you are allowing him to be your leader.
As a dog owner it is your job to provide adequate exercise to your dog, walking is one form of exercise every dog loves and it is also an exercise that can be given by most dog owners without a problem, if done right this can be very constructive and healthy activity for your dog, but make sure you follow the important rules and train your dog right otherwise you will face behavioral issues later on.
