Gentle Leader
- Thread starter duzzey1a
- Start date
cattitude
My Sweetest Boy
I have one for Biscuit and we love it. You can't just put it on the dog and head out for a walk. To start, hook the part around the dog's neck for a few times and let him go around the house, etc. Then put the part over the nose and allow them to walk around freely. Then add the leash..go slowly. It works very well and it doesn't hurt them at all.
Chasey_Lane
Salt Life
Not sure if it's the same, but my b/f and I use one that fits around the chest and the straps lay just in back of his front legs. It doesn't hurt and it's easy to use. Paid about $15 at PetsMart for it.duzzey1a said:
cattitude
My Sweetest Boy
Chasey_Lane said:
Not the same thing. The gentle leader is like a bridle.
http://www.bargraph.com/gentleleader/frames.html
donbarzini
Well-Known Member
duzzey1a said:
It does. I have a bassett that chokes himself on the regular leash and is just too damned strong for anyone in my family but me to control him with the chest straps.
Kinky!
flashyfawn
New Member
The Gentle Leader is a great tool but like Cattitude already said, you have to introduce it slowly. What I do is put the neck strap on and feed treats, once the dog seems okay with that, put the nose loop on and feed more treats. Do this several times a day and your dog will get used to it. It's important to have it fit correctly or it will be uncomfortable and might rub. Some dogs will be very dramatic about it and try to paw it off or rub their face on the ground but they all get used to it.
You can eventually stop using this and go back to the regular collar but only if you do training to teach your dog how to walk on the leash. If you don't do any training, your dog will walk wonderfully while the GL is on and still drag you all over the place when it's not on. Some people always use the GL for their dog's whole life and that's fine also.
It will not hurt your dog at all--actually I think it's nicer than a regular collar for a dog that pulls because you won't get the choking/gagging stuff with the GL. It is WAY nicer than a choke chain or prong collar.
You can eventually stop using this and go back to the regular collar but only if you do training to teach your dog how to walk on the leash. If you don't do any training, your dog will walk wonderfully while the GL is on and still drag you all over the place when it's not on. Some people always use the GL for their dog's whole life and that's fine also.
It will not hurt your dog at all--actually I think it's nicer than a regular collar for a dog that pulls because you won't get the choking/gagging stuff with the GL. It is WAY nicer than a choke chain or prong collar.
duzzey1a
New Member
Well, after a few minutes of pawing at the leader, he seems to mind it alright. We took a short walk down the street..and by golly he doesn't pull anymore. He is so behaved now. It's like night and day. I would like to enroll him into an obedience class. He likes to bolt toward the door when he knows I'm going outside, or if the doorbell rings.
cattitude
My Sweetest Boy
duzzey1a said:
Teach him the "wait" command. Put him in a sit by the door, far enough back so that you can open it. Standing beside him, put your hand down to your side, in front of his face..."WAIT!" Then go to open door. If he moves, close door. put him back in his sit. Repeat "wait" and open door...just keep working at it. He'll eventually learn what you want him to do. Work on it every day. It's a great command for them to learn. You can do it in the car, so they don't bolt out when you open the car door too. Might be best to start off with a leash on him too and it wouldn't hurt to use some bits of treat as a reward when he "gets" the concept. Good luck.
thakidistight
Wanker
After reading this yesterday afternoon, I decided to take my pup over to Petco and get him one of these gentle leaders. He is such a drama queen, so I knew it would take awhile for him to get used to it. But after his inital pawing at it and bucking around like a wild stallion he realised it wasnt going to hurt him (after some treats of course). By golly I had him out on it this morning, and lo and behold, like a completley different dog!
flashyfawn said:
My huskies NEVER got used to it... It wasn't very funny then, trying to drag them around the neighborhood - no matter how often or how many times the GL was placed with positive reinforcement (treats and high pitched compliments, blah blah) and at short intervals... Once put to the test, they were hideous! 
I have nothing but respect for the GL though, it works like a charm for 99% of the doggie world, when introduced properly!
I went with and stuck with harnesses for the huskies and the malamutes... (although one of the huskies kept chewing through his harnesses too - for giggles, I suppose :shrug
Chasey_Lane
Salt Life
Bought it for little guy about a month ago and just put it on him this morning. He FREAKED! I know it will take time for him to get used to it. Even with him trying to paw at it, I could tell he wasn't pulling as much already.
cattitude
My Sweetest Boy
Bought it for little guy about a month ago and just put it on him this morning. He FREAKED! I know it will take time for him to get used to it. Even with him trying to paw at it, I could tell he wasn't pulling as much already.
Keep working with him...slowly..he'll get the hang of it. I love it when I take my dogs places and people ask "Oh, is he/she a biter?" and they back away.
Chasey_Lane
Salt Life
Keep working with him...slowly..he'll get the hang of it. I love it when I take my dogs places and people ask "Oh, is he/she a biter?" and they back away.
Yeah, I'll continue to work with him. He's always pulled really bad and ended up yacking/coughing the entire time we walk him. None of that this morning.