[sdrudge]

I got the Gentle Leader and we went on our 1st walk with it. I like it but poor Cacao didn't. By the end of our walk she wasn't pulling as much. I know it will take time. Will she out grow it? What I mean is will we always have to use it? I like it but I don't want to have to use it all the time.

If you use Gentle Leader, do you like it? And how is your doodle doing with it?

 

[lmtoth2]

we use the gentle leader on Kirby and we really like it. We gave him a chance to get used to it first though. My husband put it on him in the house and gave him treats and played games with him while he had it on (so he associated it with good). He took to it pretty quickly. We have one for Dex too, but we haven't had a chance to desensitize him to it yet.

Kirby used to go up on his hind legs when he saw other dogs...for some reason the Gentle Leader keeps him much better under control (and with 4 paws on the ground).

 

[SadieFern]

I like it as a training too, not as a forever thing. Sadie really doesn't like it but she's getting stronger and really pulls sometimes. I don't even use it every day and I probably need to get her more used to it but just letting her hang out with it on.

 

[blueteal]

I love the gentle leader..........
Denver is almost two and I continue to carry it with me
just in case he forgets how to walk, but we did train him to heel
using it. I have to say though that he has never liked it and sometimes
now when he acts up I just need to show it to him and he walks nice.

 

[seazr]

Hmmmm . . . Dakota hated it so much it made walking him unpleasant. We switched to the prong collar and loved it. Now, at 2 years, if I wear him out just a bi before a walk, he doesn't need anything.

 

[sandy]

I use the Gentle Leader every time I take Nicky out in public. He doesn't like me putting it on him, but he's fine with it once we get going. I couldn't do with out it. At 85 pounds and strong, Nicky would be pulling me down the street if he didn't have it on.

 

[Guest]

It won't be forever!
Here is a great article on the Gentle Leader and it's use. I admit, I was a wimp and took it off Bella when she went into her contortions and pawing and pleading looks. :roll:

http://aopclick.com/GL_head_collar.htm

I had great success with the Gentle Leader Easy Walk Harness...sooo if you absolutely hate the Halti, try the Harness!

http://www.premier.com/View.aspx?page=d ... escription

 

[sarahann]

I have a Halti which I think is similar to a Gentle Leader. My doodles don't love it of course but I do really like it for them. I have them both on harnesses now because they learned how to pull on the Halti. When they pull on the head harnesses it can give them muscular/neck injuries later so be careful. I think I will still use the Halti when they are having a bad day but I am having luck with the Gentle Leader Easy Walk Harness for Brie and a y-harness (?) for Manchego.

I think the Halti did teach Brie to walk next to me very well. She is much better on the body harness now that she's walked on the head harness for a few months. Manchego has had a lot more Cesar Milan style shhht training and he didn't need the head harness as much.

Good luck!


Sarah

 

[Shaia]

Shaia HATES HATES wearing it. she sees me coming toward her with it and puts her head down and starts to sulk. then when i put it on, she freezes with her head hanging low. when we start the walk, she bites at it. it's funny but sad. but it works like a charm for sure. the thing is, it doesn't like retrain them or anything. i recently stopped using it since i taught her "heel," but she'll still pull my shoulder out of the socket if i'm not constantly telling her to heel. so back to using it. sigh.

 

[annabelles mom]

Annabelle did Not do well with the gentle leader , wanted to flip around like an alligator being snared.

We just got her the gentle leader harness and I took her for a walk with it and she did pretty good. Hopefully she will do well with it, when I am feeling better I will take her out again and see how she does

 

[gene]

Mine aren't big fans, but they do settle down in a short amount of time. Makes it much easier for me with the multiple walking. I found the gentle harness cumbersome for me.

 

[AJWhiting]

I just bought the gentle leader for Oliver about a week ago. He walks well, but loses control when he sees another dog... or bird....or squirrel....or leaf....


He took to it fairly well, and I can get it on without a fuss. Every once in a while he will paw at it during the walk, but nothing too bad. I keep a bunch of carrot bits in my pocket to reward him when he settles, though.

Oliver is only 35 pounds now, and I wanted to introduce it before he got too big!

 

[Sundoodle]

Harness

We took the Gentle LEader back, Cooper wasn't that bad on a walk and I wasn't patient enough for him to get used to it. We now use the Gentle Leader Harness and we have a lot of control. He's great on a walk - somehow he know when he has the harness on that I am in control. Today I took him to the groomer in just his collar and whoa - I though he was going to get away from me!

Shana and Cooper

 

[sdrudge]

now she looks up at me as if to say "did it really have to come to this, mama?"... :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: "Yes, Mija...it did." :lol:

Cacao did that last night. She just looked up with those eyes and i melt. We were almost home. So she got a treat and a long belly rub.

 

[BAD]

Abbey tends to pull when we meet other pups and their people. We tried the Gentle Walker. She is only 26 lbs and it was really too heavy for her. The leash hardware would tend to rotate as we walk. So I took it back.

A girl at the pet store where I bought the Gentle Walker told me about the Softouch harness. So I bought the harness and leash. It fits her better and is lighter and softer. As soon as I put in on she settles down. Although she doesn't like wearing it around the house. I had it on her the other night and forgot to take it off. She chewed through the harness. You can send it back and for $5 Softouch will fix it. I'll be more careful when I get it back.

 

[Sheila]

We also have the Easy Walk. I love it. It a harness that goes around the body, in front of and behind the front legs. The guy who sold it to me explained that when Pixie pulls, it would squeeze her front legs together, making it harder for her to walk. She hasn't had a moment's problem with it, and she has pulled MUCH less sine we began using it.

The guy at the store said that it tends to work only temporarily, and that the next step would be a prong collar, but I don't think we need to take that step. We started obedience training right after buying the Easy Walk, so between the two she's heeling pretty well now. I would highly recommend it.

 

[tykesmom]

My trainers say the dogs who hate the Gentle Leader most & go into contortions are the dogs that need it most.
And, I was not aware that the Gentle Leader nose piece eventually (when no longer required) is meant to come off the nose, becoming a collar.
Of course, they also said it's the owners who have trouble watching the contortions...we are such wimps.

I am definitely one of those wimps! I got the Gentle Leader collar and put it on Tyke, and she looked like she was having a seizure or something! I couldn't stand it!
I have ordered the Gentle Walker harness for her to see if that works better for her. I think that nosepiece was the thing that drives dogs so crazy - maybe the harness won't feel so foreign to her - I hope!

 

[lmtoth2]

We use the EZ walk harnass on Dex and honestly, he still pulls in it. If we can't get him used to the Gentle Leader I may have to get a prong collar...I know they're not mean, but they just look like torture devices :shock:

 

[tykesmom]

I've worked with Tyke on a prong collar - but only in the backyard - and it DOES work!
We are walking three miles together now, but I haven't tried it on those walks yet - it IS scary looking, and you have to remember to just apply a little pressure - the way Tyke takes off when she sees a squirrel, I'm afraid she will really hurt herself!

 

[sdrudge]

Well thank you everyone. I will keep trying with Cacao. She will tug at it on the walk. But only two times. So I think we will keep up with it.