Switching from gentle leader to chest harness

I do believe you will find some setbacks when switching harnesses. Some may correct me here, but I think harnesses like the Gentle Leader are a device for achieving comfortable walking, but not for training the dog to walk nicely. So she might suddenly go "wow freedom from the GL, let's go!!". I know with our Scout, we used a Halti for a little while, walking was nice, and then I decided I wanted to actually train her on LL walking without the harness. We were retty much back at square one once she realized the Halti wasn't there.
 
I got a lot of help from the LL walking articles on www.clickersolutions.com

Well, the point of the gentle leader was to prevent tugging so that we COULD teach loose-leash, and so she wouldn't choke herself to death before that was accomplished.  I'd like to think the progress we've made is more due to our training than the device we're using   I just didn't know if she'd get confused with a completely different type of harness and forget everything she's learned.  She walks almost as well on her regular collar as on the gentle leader, but since when she does tug, she tugs HARD we want to avoid any sort of neck collar.
 
How long did it take you to catch back up to the point you were at with the Halti once you stopped using it?

"We were retty much back at square one once she realized the Halti wasn't there."
 
I have heard this too.  I used the GL with my husky.  My husband was able to get her to walk by his side, but she wouldn't with me.  She would ull no matter what, so I returned the thing. ( I am the usual walker) 
 
I am hoping to get her to walk with a harness.  She will mature as well, and that usually slows them down a wee bit!

ORIGINAL: dogslife

I have heard this too.  I used the GL with my husky.  My husband was able to get her to walk by his side, but she wouldn't with me.  She would ull no matter what, so I returned the thing. ( I am the usual walker) 

I am hoping to get her to walk with a harness.  She will mature as well, and that usually slows them down a wee bit!

 
It's the same with my dog, she DOES tug with the GL, just not as hard, and since it's not around her throat she can't choke herself.  I'm hoping that the principles we're using to train LL walking are universal enough that it doesn't matter what sort of harness we use, although I assume that the pressure on her nose with the GL helps deter her from tugging at least a little.  I'm just worried about having a complete setback.  I'm also not sure if a harness is even really the best idea, as she's a very strong-chested dog.  I've been told that it doesn't matter, though.

OK I see what you mean. If you've been training the principles of LLW, like doing the "I'm a tree" thing and whatnot, I guess the setback shouldn't be too major. You might just have to add more treats at first to encourage her.
 
Scout was a bit different because she didn't pull at all when she was on the halti, so we just relied on it. However, we only used it for about 2 weeks before I changed my mind about it! Since then we've been working on LLW for about 2 months, and she's gotten better (still need more progress though).

I too have a pit bull and know all to wel what you mean about people thinking its a muzzle. To make it worse I made the mistake of saying "oh no she can still bite with this on", godo way to put my foot in my mouth, ha ha.
Anyhoo when I was crossing this path with my girl, she was 90% ok with not pulling and I gradually switched her to the harness. I used the harness for vigorous walks like on the beach and stuff where we didnt encounter too many people or dogs for her to want to pull and used the gentle leader if we were going to a heavily populated area like a farmers market or a festival. A lot of people forget to praise when the dogs are walking properly, the dogs can tell your happy with them. When I praise Rory for walking good she throws her head back like "uh huh, I got it".
Nowadays I carry the GL in my purse and if she see's me take it out it puts her back in check real fast. I cant guarantee that will work she just figured it out, he he

I dunno... I graduated from a GL to an easy-walk harness with a very, very drivey and reactive dog. Not perfect transition, still needed the GL in certain situations for control, but generally she did retain the loose lead walking training we did.

Just dont' get one of those harnesses that have a d-ring in the back. Those are meant to make pulling feel good.

I've not had as good luck with harnesses on Pits as I have with GL's, so be prepared if that happens with your dog.  It's worth a try, though, since some of them do quite well.  But, in the end, I would not worry what others think, I would simply manage my own dog with her best interests in mind.  Besides, it's a great opportunity to spread the word about GL's *not* being muzzles, and about your breed and the necessity for managing it well)

ORIGINAL: sheprano

I too have a pit bull and know all to wel what you mean about people thinking its a muzzle. To make it worse I made the mistake of saying "oh no she can still bite with this on", godo way to put my foot in my mouth, ha ha.

 
LOL, I made that mistake once, too!!  It was to a friend of a friend, not a complete stranger or anything, but he wasn't too comfortable around dogs, and I think I made him nervous.  After making the comment I stuck my fingers in her mouth to demonstrate that while she could open her mouth she wouldn't bite, but I don't think it made him any more comfortable.
 

When I praise Rory for walking good she throws her head back like "uh huh, I got it".
Nowadays I carry the GL in my purse and if she see's me take it out it puts her back in check real fast. I cant guarantee that will work she just figured it out, he he

 
That's a good idea.  Scout gets lots of treats when she's walking nicely, but she doesn't like the gentle leader much, and I bet a threat of returning to it once we've switched would be more useful to get her to stop tugging than "be a tree"!

ORIGINAL: fisher6000

I dunno... I graduated from a GL to an easy-walk harness with a very, very drivey and reactive dog. Not perfect transition, still needed the GL in certain situations for control, but generally she did retain the loose lead walking training we did.

Just dont' get one of those harnesses that have a d-ring in the back. Those are meant to make pulling feel good.

Thanks fisher!  I wouldn't have thought of that, so I'll keep it in mind when I start shopping. 

Agreed on fisher6000's recommendation.  I didn't end up doing a GL precisely because of the reaction of people to it - even when the dog isn't bully, but it is large like Pofi is, there is that "it's a wild dog - look at the muzzle" reaction you see from people.  And while you can try to educate, it's hard to do if they swing really wide of you or cross the street to avoid you!
 
We've had good success with Easy Walks - and I walk two dogs on one lead frequently.  Pofi alone is strong enough to pull me off my feet with a conventional harness or on collar.  With the Easy Walks, I feel I can control both dogs even when something pretty exciting happens.

Thanks, Pofi, I saw the EZ-Walk harness online and was considering it.  Maybe people could help me out here and choose the best harness.  Pofi, what is it you like about the EZ-Walk harness compared to other harnesses?  And everyone else, if you use a harness, what kind and why do you like it?
 
I  also want to stress that I don't want any harness that goes around the neck.  Some of the harness that I looked at looked like a harness/collar combo.  Scout's getting better at loose-leash walking, but when she tugs, she tugs HARD, and I don't want her choking herself.