What type of lead do you use on you doodle?

[Karen & Lucy]

When Lucy was just a wee pup, I would walk her on a leash with a flat collar and as she grew pulled harder and harder. I thought, if she is pulling me like this now what will she be like at 50#'s and more. I bought several collars & harnesses and she did not do any better. I finally bought a Halti which is the same thing as a Gentle Leader. She didn't like it at first, but was a completely different dog walker on a leash using the Halti. I then took her to obediance school and she did marvalous. She is now 2 1/2 and still does not like it too well, but she tolerates it. And still is so good with it on. Anybody else use the Halti or Gentle Leader??????? What do ya think?????

[Adina P]

I've used the halti and hated it. Well ROSCO hated it so I didn't last long =) I figured why work so hard to make him like something he hates when I can train him with something else he doesn't mind at all?

We use leather leashes and either choke chains or prong collars for all our walks and "public appearances" because that is what both Rosco and Thule have been trained on (and continue to refine training on) except when Rosco is doing therapy--I use a flat collar then as that is all that is allowed by Delta society.

However I know many who swear by the GL or halti and that's great! =)

[Kay and Tanner.]

We use the Gentle Leader on Tanner.....It works great on him...At first when we put it on him, he doesn't like it, but its only for that minute, and Tanner is now 20 months old.We have been using the same Gentle Leader on him ever since he was a few months old.

[Karen & Lucy]

Same as with Lucy. Now, at first, she doesn't like it, but then tolerates it and is a real lady with it on. I get soooooo many compliments on her behavior (how good she is). It makes me really proud of her. When she was a pup and I started her on it, I would put it on her in the house and leave it on all day. That is how she finally got used to it. I love it too.

[Karen & Lucy]

I know what you mean about people thinking that the Halti is a muzzle. I saw an a site, and I don't remember which one, that you can get a button that says,"NO, this is not a muzzle". Lucy is now 2 1/2 and is doing much much better with a choker since I took her to obedience school. She can heel now with a loose leash and a choker, so she is getting there. Right now I would rather her have the halti on and explain then her pulling me all over. Give it time though, like I said Lucy is doing much better.

[Tamara & Giada]

I also tried the Halti, and Giada hated it. I swtitched to the Gental Leader harness and LOVE it as does Giada. We bought it at Petsmart. The trainer there picked out the right size, fit her, and let me walk around the store before we decided to make a purchase. Instantly she walked in the store (which is VERY distracting) without pulling and jumping!! Now, I have done LOTS of training, so I am not one that thinks this is it, but there came a point where she started to forget what she was taught and challenged me a bit......so this is just what we needed to give me more control over her training!!!

[5y05f1sn1iob]

Olive was a terrible puller made worse by the fact that I clipped her leash to her tags one too many times and she was rewarded with freedom by lunging to the end of the lead and breaking the tags off.

Then I used the Gentle Leader on Olive for a couple of months, but then she started trying to break free again and kept catching herself being pulled around by the GL (all I would do was stand firm) - I worried for her poor little neck.

And I got that "why is your dog muzzled?" look twenty seven too many times.

The concept of not pulling on the leash never tranferred to the flat collar either (which is what I use at the dog parks because the GL would become a play thing for other dogs).

We switched to the plastic prong collar (Triple Crown, I think) - it looks less malicious and doesn't work as well (i.e. the correction they receive is softer) as the metal prong collars. I wanted metal, but my trainer convinced me otherwise and suggested making about-turns when she gets to the end of the lead. I did a LOT of about turns (when she gets to the end of the lead and puts ANY pressure on the collar, I immediately make a 180 turn and take off in the opposite direction), and she started to realize that I could turn around at any time so she started to stay a little closer and pay more attention to where I was at. She's still prone to pulling just a bit when on either collar, but it seems to be transferring well since it's not such a great departure from the prong collar to the flat collar. It's been a year since we've started really working on pulling... We're using the flat collar 9 times out of 10 now. Progress! Finally!

My story aside, if Lucy does well on the GL, don't rock the boat!

[theresa wood]

i use to use the gentle leader & rudie also didn't like it. most of the time had a hard time getting it on. (he gets so excited he will not keep still) anyway a lot of people told me about the collar with the prongs. so i got one of them. it's works really well. easyer to get on too!

[R&S]

Daisy is four months old and we see a big difference using the gentle leader. She doesn't like it too much, but tolerates it. I can put it on pretty easily, but when we are walking she will sometimes try to get it off by rubbing her face in the grass...she only does this everyone once in a while. I think she is still getting used to it and is doing better with it.

[hzs7npjxfgx2]

We have the Premium, Martingale collar and leash (flat) for day to day but I also have the Premium Easy Walk ... it's the harness that attaches to the leash in front. Our trainer said he feels the halters that attach behind the neck brings out the 'sled dog' in them and encourages them to walk YOU down the street. (I have weak hands with some arthritis and fibro myalgia, and I really have considered hooking a harness to a wagon at times) With the front hook if they pull, it will pull dear doggie to one side or the other (which they don't like) so they do better with slack leash and let you set the pace. Jezzy was GREAT with it at first, 2nd time I used it she practically attacked me. I looked like I had survived an attempted suicide with deep scratches all over my wrists and hands. I didn't try it again until the other day and we took a pretty nice long walk without incident. The only thing is that you really can't leave it on them all the time (our fur matts right away with it) and getting it on can be a little struggle, but we're re-visiting it. As for the Gentle Leader (the muzzle one) I can't imagine my spirited gal tolerating it so I don't think we will go there!

[Tammy]

We love the GL, it took her a couple of days to get use to it but it makes such a big difference !

[Karen & Lucy]

You might be surprised Peggy. I have seen older dogs that have never used the head leads and they do pretty well. I would just put it on in the house and leave it on for awhile until they get pretty used to it. They won't like it, but will tolerate it after awhile.

[sru1who5u9zu]

I started to use the Easywalk harness on Butter when he was 7-8 months old. At that time, we were in a dog training class in petsmart. Among about 10 doggy students there, 2 were using the Halti type collar. The dogs were uncomfortable with to say the least. 2 were using the harness including Butter, none of them felt any dislike. Yet it was totally different with the harness, they behaved much better. Now, as a almost 80 lbs dog, Butter still wears the harness, it is so effective.