Gentle Leader

[Erin]

Anybody's dog pull like a sled dog with this thing on? Hershey's gotten so much better, but some days, like today - she just puts her head down and pulls me down the street with her face!
Every time I stop, she stops and comes and sits by my side and looks at me. And then we take another couple steps and I have to stop again, and she comes, without prompting, and sits by my side... Am I doing it right? Any suggestions? The gentle leader fits her, and like I said, sometimes she's great! It's gotten to the point where we will soon have to replace the gentle leader due to wear and her pulling!

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Erin, which Gentle Leader harness are you using? The head collar type? Many dogs dislike those.
The Gentle Leader Easy Walk harness has the lead coming from the center of the chest, and it attaches to a Martingale-type device.. lots of us here have had great success with these...stops the pulling almost immediately.Jackdoodle weighs 82 lbs and has a neck like a bull moose...this harness keeps him from pulling.

Here's the review from a while back, you can see the positive responses:
http://www.doodlekisses.com/forum2/topics/2065244:Topic:83572

[Erin]

Oooh, that looks very cool... We have been using the gentle leader head collar, the one that goes around the neck and muzzle. I don't know if its that she doesn't like it, persay - I thought once she'd stopped pawing at it the first week she'd grown accustomed to it.

I tried a regular body harness for a little bit awhile back, because I was worried about her neck and head stress... Well, I felt like I had more control over her, but she still pulled, and now she could pull with her whole chest! gah....

I see that it attaches in the front. Pardon my ignorance, but I'm not 100% sure what a Martingale-type device is? Can you explain how it works?

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

The Martingale attachment tightens when the dog pulls, which exerts a little pressure under his front legs, due to the design of the harness. On the Easy Walk harness, it also slides to the side if the dog pulls. Assuming the dog is to your left, if he pulls, the leash moves to his right, and turns him toward you. So if the dog pulls, he automatically ends up turned around facing you, instead of going straight forward as he is trying to do. It gives you a lot of control, and since dogs naturally want to move forward, they learn very quickly that the only way they can keep moving forward is to let the leash be slack.
I know it looks as if the dog has to be in front of you (or behind you, as one person thought from the photo, lol) while walking, but that's not the case. It just comes down in front of his chest and to the side where you're holding it, the same as it would if the dog wore a collar with the leash attached. It's very easy to keep the dog next to you with the Easy Walk.

[Adina P]

Erin, I'm not much help as I believe in making every walk a training walk so I don't use head halters except when walking untrained dogs I'm baby sitting...BUT how far in front of you do you let Hershey walk? That might make a difference. Do you shorten the leash so she's within 2 feet of your side or is she out in front? I'd keep the leash short so she can NOT get out in front and pull while ahead of you. Teach/work on heel on walks if you can...works better in long term.

[Erin]

Here's what I just realized - since Husband and I both walk the dog, I'm sure she's getting mixed messages... He's convinced that a longer leash and letting her roam makes the walk more pleasant with less pulling, while I would rather have her on a much shorter leash, sometimes doubled up in my hand, so that she must stay by my side... Perhaps the dog's issues could be solved by some couples communication counseling... heehee...

[Adina P]

Yeah...does make things tougher if you do things differently. Perhaps HE can use a harness and you can use the head halter (or something diff than he uses) to help Hershey distinguish between how she should walk in each case.

ALSO...if YOU make every walk a training walk then she'll be focused on a command. In other words...if you use the walk for training "heel" then you can use the "heel" command once she is reliable with it (don't let hubby know though or else he'll butcher your heel!). Whereas your hubby can continue walking her casually with no heel and let her walk ahead. When YOU walk Hershey she should do well with you because you're actually commanding something specific. But if there is no specific instruction given to Hershey then she will be confused because a walk is a walk is a walk.

[Ann]

I use the one that is shown in the picture from Karen & Jack and it has worked fabulously with Samson!!! I love it and I use it on all his walks and he stays by my side, no pulling at all, unless he sees somebody he knows. But I can pull him back easily. I really really like it!!

[Noble Vestal Labradoodles]

I am not a fan of gentle leaders or head halters... Dogs should be trained to walk on a flat collar. I once had a dog that had to be walked on a leader and it was so embarrassing..

The best way to train the dog is to get on a sidewalk with the dog on a flat collar or training collar and leash. Walk forward giving the Heal command, when the dog pulls turn around and walk to other direction and continue walking, when the dog pulls turn around and walk back the other direction. Yes you may just end up dizzy walking in a circle but your dog will soon get tired of walking in a circle.

Dogs want to walk forward so by nature he is going to start to get the message and should stop pulling.

I prefer to leave a dog on the training collar while walking until they learn the behavior I am looking for.

[Krista, Angel, and Toby]

I use the head collar for Angel, and while she sometimes pulls, she mostly walks fine. What my trainer suggested was to walk directly in front of her and into tight circles. (Of course the leash must be short...) If that ceases to work make sharp turn arounds and go the other way. Also practice weaving in between things, like trees or mailboxes. Oh and be sure to heavily praise her when she's walking well.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

The Easy Walk harness was recommended to me by a professional dog trainer and animal behaviorist who believes in positive methods. All dogs and all dog owners are not the same, and this is what works best for Jack and I, and what we are both happy and comfortable using. We enjoy our walks together twice a day without any pulling; I can't imagine why anyone would be "embarrassed" by that.

[Noble Vestal Labradoodles]

it is a personal thing~ more pride in the accomplishment of having well trained dogs that dont need gadgets...

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

I don't think the fact that a dog wears a harness means he isn't well-trained or needs "gadgets". Some of us prefer not to put anything around a dog's neck, let alone yank or jerk them by it. And when the dog is a healthy adult who weighs 80 lbs and you weigh 110, you have to do quite a bit of jerking, especially if you are over 50. In this particular case, the dog was so afraid of his own shadow when I adopted him at 14 months of age that he would hold his urine for 36 hours rather than go outdoors at all. I get enough pride from the fact that he now walks happily & confidently down the street, and incidentally, is quite well-trained.