Kali got a Gentle Leader: UPDATE

[chaos270]

Yes I've decided on the GL cause I hate using the choke chain plus in public she tends not to care about it so I'm going to try the GL for me.  It also allows you to keep her regular collar on while you're using it which is also a plus.  My brother will probably still use the choke because that's what he went to the trainers with.  So far so good, it's raining today so I haven't brought her outside but she didn't protest at all when I was fitting it to her.  It suprised me because Lacey still fights hers like crazy when we put it on her (but we haven't really worked with her yet as far as using it consistently which I plan to do when I have more time).  But hopefully it'll work so I won't end up on my head again.

Plus we're going to work on Kali coming when called with our horse lunge line tomorrow if the rain stops.  She's been so bad about it.

[longshadowfarms]

I LOVE the Gentle Leader.  I fostered a Pyr for 5 months and she was a bear on the end of the lead!  She'd almost pull me off my feet.  I have a bad back and just could NOT do it any more!  Within a day our walks were a joy again!  She pawed at the thing over her nose quite a bit the first day which was a minor annoyance but the next day she only did it once or twice.  Pretty soon she was enjoying the walks again as much as I was and would put her nose happily into the Leader.  The Gentle Leader saved our relationship for those months.  Hope it works out as well for you!

[Icerotti]

I think you willbe very happy with the results. I really like them. Good Luck...You will have to update her progress

[2dobies]

I usually take my dobes for a walk using a reg. flat collar or a choke chain, but I have to take one, then come back and take the other one. After a 45 min walk, I dont always feel like going again for the 2nd round, but if I try to take them both at the same time, they think they are a team of horses (or hard-headed mules, more like it) and both will pull me, or spend the whole time together wrestling each other on the end of their leashes!  Today, I put a GL on each of them, and we walked together for over an hour--no pulling, no fighting, no wrestling!  It was VERY enjoyable!! I have to keep one on the right and one on the left, because they are a little jealous and  have that "daddy likes ME best" thing going, but it worked out perfectly. Both of them thought they were my favorite, cos each one was close to me!  If the weather is nice tomorrow, we'll do it again!

[macybean]

I love gentle leaders. Sadie, for as small as she is (55 pounds), can pull with the best of them. With her and Riley, who will stop when the leash starts to pull but stand there with it tight-he only drags when he sees people coming, I was getting pulled around too much. We couldn't really walk. Plus, they kept wrestling, instigated most often by Riley. I got one for Sadie first, and it was great. I must have called 10 people during that first walk to tell them how great it was. LOL. I got Riley one, b/c he still pulls at people and he's getting too big for me to hold back then, plus I guessed that it would stop the wrestling, which was at that point, all due to him (poor Sadie!). It worked.

They are okay with them. Sadie will rub her nose around the floor and couch when we get home. Riley still picks at it when we walk, but that's probably my fault, b/c I don't always use it with him. It's like walking little shih tsus or something, though-a totally different experience.

[mikesroth]

I have been thinking of getting one for Harry.  But as of late he has been walking really well. Heck, he has even been listening and sitting down for me when our son goes running by.

But the one thing is is awful about is if he decides he wants to "SNIFF" something he has to be PULLED hard to get him moving again.  Would a Gentle Lead help this, or be bad?  I had read somewhere that you don't want to jerk their heads in it.

[galaxybears]

I have to admit I have been using a halti or a gentle leader for around 8 1/2 years and if I take more than one Newf out at the same time they have to wear them. They are brilliant. I only have the one Newf who needs one on even when she is alone, and that is Honey, she can be a demon on a lead.... Mind you she thinks she has to ignore everything I say most of the time as well!

A gentle leader should certainly help when your dog stops to sniff... I have that problem with mine too!! Just remember to lift the dogs head with the lead rather than pull them

[chaos270]

Kali is getting used to it....I can only work with them on weekends due to college.  But I'm working with Lacey as well, not at the same time though because Kali likes to chew on Lacey and I'd end up tangled in leashes and on the ground.  So hopefully we can work up to that.

Kali is definitely more respectful to my commands when it's on which is a big improvement. 

[longshadowfarms]

Congrats!  Glad it is going well!  You should eventually be able to progress to walking the two together which I'm sure will make for less effort and more fun long term. 

[chaos270]

We took her to Petco today with it and there was no pulling and she stayed right by my side.  She was such a good girl but I got the muzzle comment and was somewhat annoyed.  But the lady was more than happy to give her attention when she realized it wasn't one which made Kali ecstastic. Not as many people came up to say hi as normal, so she was soo sad when people walked right by her. But she was a good girl when a two year old skinkid came up and said hi.  The people in the checkout loved on her and made up for it.  But one girl in the store pretty much plastered herslf to a shelf when I went by her even though Kali was on the other side of me. Some people are just strange.

[longshadowfarms]

Maybe you do need the "it's not a muzzle" button    I guess most people assume that something over the nose is a muzzle and must mean that the dog is vicious.  That's sad for Kali!  She just wants to say hello and they don't understand!  Maybe try to see it coming and just tell people it's not a muzzle, she's very friendly?  As the GLs and other devices become more common, maybe people will begin to understand how liberating they can be.

[Mom2Sadie]

Poor Kali! That stinks! I like the idea of the button or maybe you could make a sign for her "I am not a vicious dog and this is not a muzzle!"

BTW, I always think of you at our puppy class. One of Sadie's best friends in the class is a little Aussie. They are so cute together and I always think of your girls.

[chaos270]

Lacey taught Kali how to herd it's the funniest thing.  Now Kali herds all the other dogs in her puppy class including another aussie Shimmer.  They do have their spats but generally they're good buddies.  And I can't wait to meet Sadie hopefully we'll see you at the meetngreet.  Only Kali's coming though cause Lacey doesn't like strangers.

[MommyOfSchnauzers]

Dazy's Gentle Leader is black, so no one can even see it on her. 

[chaos270]

All they had was the bright blue and it sticks out on the black Kali.  I don't know where they get the idea it could be a muzzle.  There's no way that measely strap would stop a dog from biting.