Gentle Leaders

[goldenlovingknitter]

what is the difference in this and a harness?  I'm confused.  we have a harness for Sunny, but he still pulls me across if I got the wrong footing he'd just drag me a long behind him i think.

[goldenlovingknitter]

Thank you so much for the link.

[sgoehner]

The company "Gentle Leader" also makes a harness that has the hook in the front so that it also helps from pulling, I think someone already mentioned this, but I use one for my Beagle Maggie and it seems to work well.

FOr the most part it works because when Maggie Pulls it almost spins her out, but it doesn't pull on her head or her neck.  Beagles are notorious pullers and with a normal collar it can affect her neck and scare her throat, or so I am told.  With this harnes about 80% of the time it stops her from pulling and it has started to make a huge difference with the way that she walks.  She is doing a much better job of walking next to us.

[goldenlovingknitter]

we currently have a harness but it doesn't do much good he pulls like crazy.  I guess its with his chest I duno his nose is to the ground. LOL I like to let him smell and look around but he goes crazy with it and nearly pulls me off balance while he is trying to sniff around.  He and Ace both wear a harness and Ace seems to be doing well with one, but if one has to sit and stay for a minute because he is pulling the other will not keep walking he will sit and wait and if you try to get him to go he looks at you like but we can't leave him behind!  Its very cute, but can be frustrating when the one sitting won't sit and stay because he is trying to get to the other one.  we realize they are still young so we're working with them every day we go for our walks.  we give them lots of praise during the walks so hopefully we're on the right track.   thank you again

[GR8DAME]

I have never used either of those devices, I am a pinch collar trainer myself, so no help there. But I have always had multiple critters to train, and can help with that. To foster independence, train them separately. Either at different times or two different people go in different directions. Once they start listening and focusing on their handler, you can begin to train them together again.
Stella

[goldenlovingknitter]

Thanks I'll give this a try!  I think we'll go into different rooms and shut the door and just devote time with each one then switch off who goes with who the next night.  gets frustrating when they're just trying to see who can swipe the treat the fastest lol

[2dobies]

I have to take my 2 dobies walking separately, unless I can get a volunteer to take one or the other!  They get along fine, but that's the problem.  When I've tried to take them walking together, all they want to do is jump and wrestle with each other! That doesnt work. That, and the fact that if a cat or a squirrel happened to cross our path, they would take off like a team of Clydesdales and I would not be able to hold them back!  So, I really get my exercise, because I take Dar, then come home and take Sasha.

[goldenlovingknitter]

That's what Sunny and Ace like to do!  They like play at first but then they do ok as long as you have one a little bit in front of the other.

[greek4]

I can walk both my 120lb dogs with gentle leaders on.  They stay nicely by my side.  I trained them on the gentle leaders seperately then together which is probably what did it.  I try to keep a pace walking that doesn't allow them to do anything but walk nicely beside me and I am very quick to correct and even quicker to praise good behavior. 

I would walk seperately until they are reliable and then it will be like starting over but then walk them together and they will get it.  Gentle leaders are great.

[kathryn]

I have used a gentle leader for Cinder but it looks like that she has finally started to catch on to the no pull command.  Kaila, on the other hand, I have been able to use the "no pull" command and she will back off on pulling.  Unless she is on a short lead and as long as she is the one in front on walks.  Totally different story if Cinder is walking ahead of us.  But I love the gentle leader. 

Kat

[angelsmama]

since most of you say gentle leaders are bad , what would be good for angel?? cause she pulls bad

[GR8DAME]

since most of you say gentle leaders are bad , what would be good for angel?? cause she pulls bad

It's not that gentle leaders are bad, they are just like any other training tool. They work in some situations, with some dogs and not others. I have always had good results with prong/pinch collars, but that is just what works for me, with my mooses.
You have to try different things and discover what works best for you and angel.
Stella

[angelsmama]

i know i got a big surprise checking her  for a new harness shes not had one in forever , and i expected it to be maybe 28-29 inches , she is 31 i had to measure while she was eating  will need an XL harness.. my big girl

[Cruisermaiden]

I had to buy a large GL and the nose strap is thin and it has rubbed off some fur on his nose so I had to stop using it for a short time.

I had this problem with the GL on my weim, Jewel. You can take some moleskin w/ adhesive backing (like you would use in shoes to stop rubbing and such) and wrap it around the nose strap area (with the sticky towards the strap, of course). It keeps the nylon from rubbing their nose so roughly, which (in your dog would make his fur come off) with her short fur caused a sore spot on her nose. Just be careful if he gets the moleskin wet, as it can harbor stuff underneath of it and cause a nasty raw spot - if it gets wet make sure you take it off and dry it right away. Just my two cents worth.

Mary

[HersheysMom]

My dog has a "Halti", which is something like the Gentle Leader, and I love it!!  Before, he pulled me all over the place when I used  a harness around his waist.  He isn't always happy about it, but he knows when it goes on he's either going on a walk, or going bye-bye!!  I have never used a prong collar yet, but I am seriously thinking about putting one on at the pet store, just to see if his reaction would be different to it.  But the good thing is, with the Halti, and with a little training, NO PULLING!!