Leash Walking

[Tamara & Giada]

I have been working hard on loose leash walking with Giada for months. All was going GREAT, until a week or so ago.............she now has forgotten everything she was taught. Some of the problem might be from the kids helping me walk her this Summer ( they aren't strict with her). So, I am back to square one. I bought a Halti thinking this might help, but she gets out of it FAST. Now I'm thinking I should take it back and get a Gental Walker instead because it is not on the face, or maybe it is just that I need to go back to the "training" again and go slow. Very frustrating:(

What have you all done that has worked?

[Kay and Tanner.]

We found that the Gentle Leader worked great with our doodle...We got a Gentle Leader when he was going to puppy classes..Now Tanner is 18 months old and we still use the gentle leader when we go on our walks.

[Tamara & Giada]

Yes, I hear it does work wonders, but if they know how to remove it, it can't do the job:(

[Tamara & Giada]

Well this is the Halti, and they are a bit different, so I don't know...I do know someone else on here says there can take it off too:( I am going back to the petstore and see it it is the wrong size....I am wondering it this is the case.

[Tamara & Giada]

Well, the Halti was too big, so we tried a couple things right at the store with the trainer. We went with the Gental Walker. This device goes under the front legs and conects the leash at the breast and will redirect her in the opposite direction when she starts to pull the least bit. This time Giada was with me and we walked her around the store............she did GREAT!!! I could not believe how fast this thing worked!! Thinking this was a fluke, I tried it out as soon as we went home, we walked all around the subdivision, and again....GREAT!!!

I will give this a coiuple weeks and if all is still this great I will post a review:) I am one happy Doolde lover again:)

[Sue & Willy Babe]

We have put a leash on Willson but he refuses to take a walk unless we go to the park or the near by trail, I have tried bribery sometimes it works I would love any suggestions, we just try puppy steps and I am happy with that. We can go about 500 ft on the trail so I think that is a big accomplishment

[Mary Beth Sancomb-Moran]

Casey absolutely HATES the Gentle Leader. Prances about pawing at his face. He doesn't get it off (you may have to tighten the part around Giada's nose so she can't get it off) but he definitely doesn't like the feeling.

I've found that a chain collar that you can jerk at the right moment works best with him, especially if I place it high on his neck, just behind his ears. Otherwise he's so strong that it barely gets his attention.

Doodles are so high energy, I think training is pretty much a lifetime commitment!

[Tamara & Giada]

Thanks! I don't see anywhere that it can be tightened, so I am wondering if it is the wrong size. I am heading to the store today to see if they have someone that can healp. I am realizing it is a lifetime commitment..........at least this is the only area we are having trouble with (oh, and distractions). I have heard from many large breed dog owners that she is still so young, and I will be amazed how she will be at 2, lets hope!!

[Richard Crowe]

The chain link training collar does work for some dogs but, will not work with others. However, there is a right and a wrong way to place the collar on your dog. The correct way for placing the collar allows the collar to loosen as soon as the correction is administered. The incorrect way keeps the collar tight around the dog's neck even after the pressure on the lead is relaxed. If you hold the collar so that it forms a "P" and then slip it over the dog's head it will be correct. if you are holding the collar so that the "P" is backwards, the collar placement will be incorrect. The correct use of the "choke" collar is to give it a quick snap and then release the pressure, not to pull on it choking the Doodle. Having the collar high on the dog's neck with the ring just behind the ear will prevent larynx damage.

An alternate to the chain link "choke" collar is the "Martingale" type collar which combines some of the efficiency of the choke collar with a flat nylon portion which comes in contact with the dog's larynx. This prevents damage to the larynx. However this doestn't give quite the sharp snap of the chain link version.

Neither a standard choke collar nor a "Martingale" style collar worked with Holly. I found that I was having to exert far too much pressure using either type collar. She would not respond even to a rather harsh snap. I did not want to damage her larynx. I had a rescue dog who had a damaged larynx (probably due to excessive correction by previous owners) and I needed to use a sight hound collar on her to prevent her choking even when she was not pulling on the lead.

My trainer recommended a Sprenger Prong Collar which works very well. I was shocked and dubious regarding that type of collar, thinking that it was only used for vicious dogs. The trainer told me that it was actually a more gentle form of correction than using a chain link choke collar. He had a collar that was sized for us dubious doggie parents. He placed the collar around my neck and exerted a gentle pressure. It did not hurt a bit.

There are prong collars made by various manufacturers but, he recommends the Sprenger because this, German made collar, has rounded prongs rather that sharp prongs as do some others. Some Chinese made prong collars seem to be the biggest culprits when it comes to sharp prongs.

It was a night and day difference when we switched from the choke or Martingale collars to the Sprenger. I do not need to place any pressure on that collar at all. Holly no longer pulls against it. I only use this type collar when in the training mode, but the training she has received using the Sprenger has rubbed off and she no longer pulls while wearing a standard rolled leather collar.

By the way; any training type collar should only be used when training the dog under close supervision, None of these collars should be the day-in; day-out collar for your animal. A rolled leather collar is the correct one for a dog with longer hair like a doodle.

Here is the Sprenger website.

http://www.dog-training.com/fsdtchai.htm

[Adina P]

I use choke on all three. But my corrections involve a swift turn in the opposite direction as soon as the dog's midsection is in front of me...so the correction is very noticeable even for weaklings like me...and the dog learns fast. It would be very difficult to truly damage the throat...you'd have to be trying to hurt the dog.