[Jannie]

Has anyone tried a gentle leader? Do they work?

Our 3 month old labradoodle Sadie is needing some help with walking nicely on the leash. When we first start our walk, she jumps to try and bite the leash, or tries to nip at my boots. She is like a little kangaroo, bouncing and jumping all over the place. She always settles down after a bit, and I know it's just pent up energy, but I want her to walk nicely from the get-go, especially for the kids. The gentle leader looks like it may be just the thing.

 

[wannadoodle]

I tried the halti, then the gentle leader, neither worked for us. But the prong collar...yee haw! It looks mean, but it really really isn't. It does create a very well-mannered young pup. (just don't ever leave it on when unattended).

 

[susan]

I have also tried the gentle leader and the prong. The prong is much easier to use and I think the dog likes it better. It's like power steering for your dog. Love my prong.

 

[Jannie]

thanks for sharing your experience

I have been doing some reading and have learned that the prong is great for dogs that pull. Sadie does not pull so much as jump around and change direction often, as well as nipping at the kid's pantlegs and boots. The gentle leader is supposed to prevent jumping. I don't know what to buy. I guess I could try one, and if it doesn't help, try another. Or maybe the collar doesn't matter, it's all in the training? I had her enrolled in puppy obedience classes but the times weren't working out for us. Are there any good books or videos out there that would help?

 

[susan]

I like the training information from LeerburgKennels.com. They have lots of training questions and answers, discussion forum, and videos for sale. I have two of the videos.

 

[julie_liberman]

we had no success with the gentle leader. additionally, we use a professional dog trainer, and he said that they are unsuccessful bc they work when on bc they make it physically impossible for them to pull, but once you take them off the dog, the dog will still pull.

 

[Jannie]

My problem with Sadie is not so much pulling but jumping around, and crossing from side to side when on the leash. She gets really excited when she is out for a walk and will not walk calmly by the walker's side. She is like a little kangaroo. Must be her Aussie heritage, ha ha. From what I have heard, the gentle leader is not the miracle I was hoping for. Some of you have suggested the prong collar. Will that stop her from jumping? Will that hurt her as she is still a puppy? Will the jumping correct itself as she gets more mature, or is it something I need to correct asap as it will only get worse as she gets older and bigger?

 

[wannadoodle]

Jannie, The prong looks mean and Petsmart doesn't "approve" it, but it really has been a blessing to me. Toby can walk right past a pond full of ducks with it on. It doesn't hurt unless they misbehave and then it is just a slight pinch. The key is that it touches the neck all the way around. Pressure points are equally distributed. Much more friendly than the old choke collar. I am an overprotective parent and I love my prong.

 

[mssteuer]

Pacha has eaten through 2 gentle leaders... we've been on the prong since, works perfectly!

 

[Tinaweena]

Maybe I'm just lucky....but the regular chest harness we tried on Boone today was insane! In a good way....we walked for 30 mins with a slacked leading and a doodle at our side the whole way!
I think you just have to try a few things to find what's right for you, and the dood.

 

[dixiedi]

The gentle leader worked for my veterinarian on her 2 St Bernards but it didn't work for me. I like the prong collar (which I never thought I would). The secret of the prong collar is getting the correct fit. There is a website that was posted on this forum a while back on the correct fitting of a prong collar, does anyone recall what it was? I'm sure you could do a search and find it. Good luck.

 

[Chesterpal]

The prong collar works great for us. When Chester hears it jingle he comes running so I'm sure it doesn't hurt him at all---its probably nicer then when the dogs wrestle and grab at each other's necks.

 

[Jannie]

Well I'm getting lots of endorsements for the prong collar. Thank you all for sharing your experiences. Where does one get one and can you use them on a puppy?

I haven't tried the gentle leader simply because I live in a rural area and just haven't had a chance to get into a pet store lately. I guess its just a question of finding out what works for us.

 

[dixiedi]

Jannie, here is the link on how to fit a prong collar http://www.leerburg.com/fit-prong.htm It is a very helpful site on prong collars.

Another good link that was on another discussion forum is
http://www.flyingdogpress.com/prong.html
It explains how the prong collar works.

Let us know how it works for you. I'm not sure how old the dog has to be before you can use one but I'm sure that somewhere on the Leerburg site it will tell you.

 

[Jannie]

Thanks for the references. Suzanne Clothier is definitely NOT a fan of the halti type of collar. She does advocate use of the prong. I asked in Pet Value and they do not sell them, so I might have to look around a bit to find one. I'm also wondering if I should give Sadie more time to settle. She is only 3 months. Sometimes she walks nicely, other times she is more hyper and tends to jump and get tangled around the walker's legs. If I really praise the nice behaviour, maybe the other will go away with time? Or am I just talking myself out of the prong - I must admit I am rather nervous about using it.

 

[Chesterpal]

Are you picturing the prongs to be sharp? If you are, don't worry they aren't. Take a look at one and feel it and you'll see it won't hurt Sadie.