UPDATE: How long before your dood tolerated the Gentle Leader?

[Allyson, Peri & Taquito]

We broke down and bought the Gentle Leader for Peri (goes around the snout).  I know, I know, it "masks" the pulling that happens, but we had had enough.  Right now, it is too hard to train both dogs on a leash at once. 

 

So, DH had Peri fit for one on Saturday.  Our trainer told us to put it on her around the house, let her eat in it, etc...DH did this while I was out of town.  She is pitiful when we put it on her.  She just lies down and pouts.  DH called me during lunch and said she was asleep on his feet pouting with it on (we leave it on for about 20-30 minutes off and on to get her used to it).

 

Yesterday I took her on her first walk with it and the first 1/2 mile was terrible. She wanted to lie down and pull it off. Finally she started heeling perfectly, but would still end up behind me and jump/put her front paws up my legs - telling me "mom please...".  We did make it over 2 miles (surprisingly).

 

We are doing this for her safety and our sanity because she pulls so much.  Do any of you have tips to help her tolerate it or is this just something they will get used to????

 

Please keep in mind we do frequent walks, at least 3-4 per day for 15 minutes each. Tonight it is gorgeous and I am doing a 3 miler with the dogs.  So no pulling is a must.  We live in a condo.

 

Thanks for any advice.

 

Update 9/30:  After much thought, I decided Peri was not going to train me into feeling sorry for her and taking the head harness off.  Maybe I have some pride???  Anyway, I set out at 5pm last night for a 3 mile walk on the greenway. Told DH to hang with Taquito.  Dropped liver treats in my pocket.  Put the pink gentle leader on her and rubbed her ears, talked in that annoying baby voice with some high pitches, gave her a liver treat, and we set out.  Starting out was rough - she scooted in the grass and tried to paw off the halter.  As soon as she would stand up and concentrate on me and walking, she got the "yes, good girl" and a liver treat. Once we hit the pavement on the greenway, she was perfect. PERFECT the whole time.  I kept yesing and treating when she would focus on me.  She even peed on the walk (breakthrough with harness on)!  At the end, there is a big field (where we start out, right outside of my condo).  I spent 10 minutes walking her in grass - she did not paw at it once.  DH did not believe me until we took her out later - no pawing.  Same thing this morning. 

WHO'S TRAINING WHO NOW??  That walk was the most pleasant, perfect walk I have EVER had with any dog.

[F, Calla & Luca]

I had read about possible damage from choke collars, how awful to think of micro fractures of the larynx.

[Suzann, Rosey & Bandit]

I tried this on Rosey, I didn't like using it either, DH made me try it. It got so tangled in her hair everytime it "pinched" it stayed pinched, she had so much hair not even sure she felt it.. then getting it off was like pulling her hair out... then a couple of times it just fell right off??? Plus Victoria Stillwell told me not too;)

[F, Calla & Luca]

Well, I can't argue with Victoria Stillwell I guess. But my trainer was the one who suggested it for Luca. I think having the closure that I do makes it so much easier to use and I rarely get into any tangles with hair and never anything more than a second to release any caught hair on a prong. Neither one has ever come off unless I've taken it off. There are pictures of the kind of release I use at the bottom of this page.
Leashes by Design

[Suzann, Rosey & Bandit]

Hey if it works it works right:) It didn't for us, mine are still pups so we just need to keep working on the training aspect of it too!

[Camilla and Darwin]

I don't have a problem with them, but I don't use one because I don't want people to be additionally intimidated. Darwin is really big, and many people I've come across have been fearful of him. I think people (at least where I live) associate prong collars with bully breeds, or aggressive dogs. I am not exactly sure why... but they do. Maybe it's silly of me but I worry about that. Just like when the people thought the head halter was a muzzle... it bugs me.

Now that I type it out it seems ridiculous... LOL.

[F, Calla & Luca]

I don't think anyone even notices when my two have them on. The fur completely covers them which is why fancy collars don't make sense for my dogs either.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Camilla, I don't think it's ridiculous; Jack is also very large, and I have those fears that people will be intimidated by him, too. I used to think that way myself before I understood the purpose of the collar & halters.

[F, Calla & Luca]

Funny, I really don't like the look of the head haltis although I know they are not muzzles.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

I don't either.

[Laurie, Fudge, and Vern]

I fought hard against using the prong collar, but Fudge is so easily distracted by squirrels, birds, anything moving, etc. and pulled so hard on her regular collar that she was choking herself constantly. Our trainer suggested the collar and it has helped. I tried the chest collar and it did not help that much with Fudge. I have never had a dog that shows so much interest in anything moving and we continually work on sit, stay, leave it, wait, and easy, but as soon as I go back to a regular collar she pulls like a nut. My dog sitter is always telling me to get a head halti, but I just do not like how they look and the thought of it going around their face.

I was in Pier One a while ago and a woman with a standard poodle was in there. The dog was a service dog...she had seizures or something...and it was wearing a prong collar. She said when she received the dog, the trainer told her that it must always wear a prong collar while on duty. The dog was so calm in the store that it surprised me and that is why I asked her about it.

[Joanne ~ Spud*]

I don't think this is silly Camilla. I was constantly asked why Spud was muzzled. Also, Prong Collars too. They used to frighten me when I would see them until I understood the concept behind them.

They certainly are not for all dogs, but they certainly have their place if used Correctly.

[Frannie & Callie]

I use a pinch collar on Callie. Our trainer actually recommended it for her. It's a tiny one - the groomer teases me about it every time we're there but I don't see a point in having gigantic metal prongs when all she needs is a gentle pressure. In our early days, Callie pulled me into a ravine (we back into a creek) and after two months of constant work, she just wasn't responding to loose-leash training.

Karen - I used to have an aversion also but it was night and day for behavior, and it makes us both happy on walks. Before I purchased the collar for her, I tried it on myself (yes, I was standing in petsmart, trying pronged collars on my own neck) and there's a reason it's called "pinch" and not "painful spike". I didn't find it painful at all, even when I tugged.