Suggestion for all new dog owners: The Gentle Leader

 I have never used one myself (prefer to teach walking/heeling off leash, ironically), but our behaviorist, trainers, and volunteer manager at our shelter all swear by them!  The "problem" dogs at the shelter are always fitted for Gentle Leaders and walked by the behaviorist and trainers.

I use the harness variety. I teach heel and loose leash walking but when you have a puppy that's REALLY exciting about going to the dog park, heel and loose leash walking is tough!

Now it's a pleasant walk to and from the dog park instead of getting my arm ripped off from 2 excited dogs. I swear by that harness. I tried the one that goes on the face but I didn't like it and Neiko couldn't stand it (he actually wiggled out of it eventually)

Jewlieee,

What harness are you using?  The problem with my sister's dog is its older and was first leach taught on a choke collar, so he is uncomfortable walking close to you... always trying to get way ahead and out of reach.  I was amazed at how quickly he changed his manerism with the Gentle Leader on.

He did try a few times to pull it off, but as long as the dog is walking forward the leader is secure.

thornleyjacob

I know there is probably another post somewhere on the board already about this, I just wanted to remind everyone and make sure the new people knew how freaking awesome these things are.

A few years ago, Spiritdogs would recommend them as a training aid, in lieu of corrections. As in, the physical construction allowed the dog to correct himself, allowing the owner to re-train the dog not to pull with more time and less aggravation. I initially rejected her advice as I was all about Shadow being a sled dog and taking pride in his pulling power. I still take pride in his pulling power and sometimes I have him walk in heel or LLW.

ETA:

I have never used the gentle leader. I achieved heel with something else. But I hear it's helped a number of people.

I have never used it, but I have seen dogs fight that thing.....including digging at their face......I give it 2 thumbs down.....

As with almost anything, it depends on the dog.  Watch his body language when it is fitted.  If his tail droops and his eyes plead, or if he (as snownose says) is alomost tearing his face off, reconsider. 

Hvaing said that, lots and lots of dogs that start out not liking the GL do come round in time if you make every effort to associate it with GOOD THINGS.  If they still resist there are other makes of headcollar you can try: the dogmatic, the canny collar or the halti for instance.  (I like canny collar best, personally).

If your arms and/or voice is tired from delivering so many corrections, then quit using the corrections.... it's just nagging the dog.  Find a new level of correction that effectively punishes the behaviour, or a new tactic completely that is more positive based.

Lastly, I do not agree with using any head brace or harness as a crutch.  They are a training aid.  The aim should be to dispense with them completely and have the dog walk normally, IMO.

snownose

I have never used it, but I have seen dogs fight that thing.....including digging at their face......I give it 2 thumbs down.....

I'm not sure how you can give "two thumbs down" to a piece of equipment you have never even tried.  The GL is just like anything else--there is a right way to use it and a wrong way to use it, and some dogs do better with it than others.  I've seen dogs thrash and lunge against choke chains and prongs, and I've seen dogs who are not at all comfortable in harnesses.

Sally does great with it.  My trainer, who is iffy about them even commented on how well she does.  Jack does OK but doesn't really like it, and *really* does not like the Easy Walk, so he uses a prong, because that is what works best for him.

 I would not recommend rejecting to GL out of hand because you witnessed people using it improperly anymore than I would recommend rejecting a prong because it "looks mean."
  

I tried one with Max when he was probably around 6 months or so. Since I already knew about 3 or 4 people who were using it with great success I thought I'd have better results.  Max hated it with a passion.  He'd stop every few feet and he'd roll his face around on the ground trying to get it off.  We gave it a good 3 months, but he was so unhappy about it that it got so he didn't even want to go for a walk if it meant wearing it.  He'd get excited when he saw his leash and then just sit down and turn his head away when he saw the GL. It was pretty obvious that it just wasn't going to work for us, but for people who can make it work I think it makes an amazing difference.

Joyce

 http://www.coastalpet.com/products/product_output.php?Item_Number=6160

The Control Ease Training harness. It was pretty expensive imo at Pet Supplies Plus, around $26. Looks like you can find it a lot cheaper online. It's really nice though. Comes with a nice leash with attachment hooks on each end. 

 I've used the Gentle Leader, and the Halti, and don't care for either of them. I don't have an issue with other people using them, but I found the GL totally ineffective.  My stubborn puller simply braced his head side-ways and pulled like that.  He looked funny, but he could pull like the dickens that way. 

I'm also not thrilled with the neck-yanking possibilities of  the GL.  I've never used their harness, so perhaps I'd like it better.  For our dogs, the evil dreaded prong has been the best device to stop pulling.

I've used it as a training tool and I worked actively with my male so he'd learn to watch me and match his pace to mine. (And not get ahead or behind, or too far to my side.) Now my male's pulling is under control 90% of the time (the 10% being when his enemy, the squirrel, is around--nothing is a match for that enemy of his, the squirrel).

Today, however, when he spied his enemy, I stopped and put the Halti on him and things were okay as we were making our way past when, just like that, my male freed himself of his Halti and you would have thought he'd escaped Alcatrez. He was pretty full of himself and me? I laughed and laughed at him. He was in no immediate danger (the Hatli was still connected to his collar) but he sure looked pleased with himself and walked the rest of the way home with pride.

I've never had to use one on my own dogs for pulling issues (have been lucky in having dogs that picked up loose lead walking pretty easily), but my late Basset did wear one when on walks/going to the vet/etc. She had the large neck/little head syndrome and if she dropped her head to sniff, or backed up all of a sudden her collar would flop right off of her head. Harnesses, even ones that seemed to fit well, were never a great match. She didn't mind the Gentle Leader and it did well for her, even though staying at heel was never a problem for her 

I did use one on a GSD that my grandparents were keeping for someone. He had never been trained in proper leash manners (had previously been an outdoor yard dog), so we used one until he got the hang of walking on a loose lead.

the gentle leader is okay. Kaiser pulls so hard sometimes that it goes to the side of his face and he pulls against it. It also tends to rub the hair off of his nose. I prefer a pinch to the GL.

I tried a gentle leader on Wyatt, and he wasn't having it. I now only walk Wyatt on a flat collar.

How can you make the statement that the folks I witnessed were using it improperly, so your assumption automatically is that if the dog doesn't like it the handler was not using it right?

I gave my personal opinion, and what I have seen was not pretty, that makes a leashpop look like a walk in the park......problem with the gentle leader in my opion is that not enough people can read body language of a dog and force that darn thing on the dog anyway.....

Reason I never used it, I have never had use for it......with enough training dogs will walk without it.....