Once the gentle leader is actually on our dog & we are walking she isn't too bad, she scratches at it a little but then relaxes and walks really well.

We bought the gentle leader because she pulls towards traffic and this is making a difference as we only need to put a little pressure on the leader to turn her head and distract her instead of using alot of force to pull her back on a normal collar & lead.

I've seen the videos on youtube of gentle leaders being put on obedient dogs but my pup is not happy about having it put on and I do not want to fight her every time we go out for a walk, I have tried treats & can get her nose through the loop but as soon as I try to fasten the back all hell breaks loose.

I had the same problem with my dogs, 1 german shepard 1 Alaskan Malamute and a Shih-tzu, I did think of trying the Leaders but I was recommended a Halti check this site http://www.doglogic.com/halter.htm
it has loads of good advice. You can get Genuine Halti's of ebay, I find them much better and it stops the pulling completely. I used to get tugged around with the two big dogs, and the little just went with the flow. The Halti seriously made walking my dogs much more easier.

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My rottweiler HATES his gentle leader. He constantly tries getting it off (rubbing his head on my leg, clawing at his face, etc.).
I have a prong collar which he is fine with, but I can't control him with it when he has a major freak out (like sees another dog or human he doesn't like). Plus prong collars are not allowed in our obedience class.
Is there something else I can use to keep him under control that won't make him crazy? Keep in mind, I only weigh 5 more pounds than him.
exactly how snug should the prong be?

I think you should gain some weight so you can control him with the prong collar.

I am submitting your rottie to be on the Dog Whisper. Now that I have video of one of his freak outs, there is no way Ceasar will say no.

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We have a crazy bloodhound and need help

Gentle leaders are not for every dog, especially not for sensitive dogs and usually herding dogs react badly to them. GL'S MUST BE DESENSITIZED TO ALL DOGS. Do not expect to buy a gentle leader, put it on your dog and go out walking that day or the next or the next. It needs to be desensitized over a good couple weeks before going out and walking properly.

And like all other tools, this does NOT teach loose leash walking. This is only for you to be able to gain control, and teach LLW yourself.

Gentle leaders work by putting uncomfortable pressure on a dog's neck. There are rare cases of GL's causing tissue damage.

I had much better success with positive reinforcement than with the GL. Because just like with any other tool, a dog can get used to the pain/discomfort and just start pulling again.

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well I finally got the gentle leader and finally put it on. It fits how it should, and in the right positions, and not too loose, one finger can snuggly fit under. But the dog, he figured out how to get the part that goes over the nose he gets it into his mouth and he works it off in like 2 seconds. people here who have used gentle leaders, can you please give me tips about how you started off with it? he's 11 months old.
funny dogs. i walk 2 so thats why i kind of need some extra help with this 1 he's 60 lbs. i could handle the pulling if i had just 1 dog but honestly most times i walk the dogs i look either like a scare crow or a zombie (with the way my arms get stretched out)
greekman it took me like a month just to get used to using a crate and gentle leader!! i have had a LITTLE progress with the heal command, but if i wanted him not to pull i'd be saying heal every 5 minutes which would back fire im sure..

That is the reason they invented prongs and chokers. I have never seen a dog take off one of those.
Have you ever seen a dog hit the end of a halti at a dead run while fighting you or after another dog or whatever…not pretty.

ADD: I applaud your persistence and your dedication. You could teach the "heel" command using a prong in about 2 days and the pulling would stop totally in the first 2 minutes.
Try it, let me know if it works…

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I use a Gentle Leader for my golden retriever, and he is magnificently behaved with it. I got one today for my mutt and he FREAKED out. He was okay for the first three minutes, but then he started to panic. He flailed and whimpered, and he even snapped at my leg. If I was wearing tight pants he would have bitten me, and he's almost four and he's never even opened his mouth at me before. I rolled him onto his back for a while and made him calm down while I switch the leash from his head collar to his regular collar.

I know it was adjusted correctly. I've watched the DVD and done it twice. He just had an anxiety attack with it on.

I've tried making him walk beside me. I've tried pinch collars, and harnesses with him. He's still a puller. My sister walks him, and he's 65 pounds and just yanks her all around and hurts her shoulder.

Is there any substitute anyone recommends that is not a choke collar? My mother won't allow them, even though I have been trained to properly use them at my local Humane Society. If nobody knows about a substitute, any suggestions for getting him calm with the head collar?

Thanks ahead of time!
Opps! I meant to say, "Does anyone knows about a substitute, any suggestions for getting him calm with the head collar?"

You can't just slap on it, properly fitted or not, and expect them to tolerate it. While some dogs will just along with it most won't without careful slow conditioning. Even after conditioning for weeks some will absolutely refuse to tolerate a head collar. Which can be a huge disaster for the dog both mentally and physically, since if they pull to hard and there neck jerks back it can cause neck and spine injury.

Forget the head collar you forced it to quick, and forcing the dog onto his back and holding them didn't help your cause at all.

When your dog is properly leash trained the leash should be just a safety tool, not a restraint.

Depending on the dog and the space I have to work in I use either a 6 foot or 20 foot long line and a plain buckle collar to teach loose leash walking. The goal with the 20 foot line is to get the dog walking nicely next to me with no leash pressure at all. I click and treat the dog for walking with me. Once the dog is doing well with that I move to the 6 foot leash. Again rewarding for walking nicely, if the leash goes tight I stop and wait. I don't say anything, I don't pull on the leash I just wait. Eventually that leash is going to go slack again at which point I click/treat and move forward.

I use a very high rate of reinforcement in the beginning. If the dog can only walk 3 steps before it leaves me, I click and treat at two steps. Working my up slowly to 3 steps, 4 steps etc.

If a dog decided they want to smell a pole, tree or bush and starts to pull I use penalty yards. Again I don't say anything I just start backing up for several feet away from the object. When I'm several feet away from the object I stop and wait. When the leash goes slack I start moving again, if the dog starts I stop and back up. Eventually the dog figures out that if he wants to sniff the bush the way to get to it is to walk nicely. Once he can walk on a loose leash all the way to whatever he wanted to check out I let him check it out.

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Shes a big dog mixed breed. I wont use the harness because it constricts their chest, which i think is medically wrong to do. i use the nose piece. it work, she doesn’t pull. but as soon as i take it off she pullz. Shes about 110 lbs healthy weight. but she doesnt like the gentle leader after 2 yrs of using it. her tail is never up on the walks. take the gentle leader off, and her tail is up and shes excited to sniff. but she pullz non stop and i’m only 14 i dont way alot if she sees a bunny she yanks the leash right outa my hand. but i want her to be happy too!!!! i want her tail up!!!! i tried the halti but same reaction. what can i do? shes had obediance training.
i dont want her off the leash but i want a way to make her like the gentle leader or if theres something better than the leader?

You can try a special collar called the Illusion Collar by Cesar Millan (The Dog whisperer). It sits higher up on the dog’s neck to prevent them from pulling so you are more in control.

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I use a haress, flat collar, easy walk or gentle leader with a 6 foot or retractable leash they all work even the normal harness but he behaves soo much better with the gentle leader but he hates so is a grntle leader and 6 ft lead OK? what do you use for your larg dog?
He has calmed down and now rarely pulls thats how I can use a harness and a flat. But he simply behaves soo well, he heels (I do show him but he is as big as me so he does not always listen!) so is that OK?
I had a prong but my mom made me take it back. and after reading on choke and prong I changed my mind, they are cruel.

I used an halti (similar to the gentle leader) and a retractable lead with both my Labs, they didn't like it at first, but got used to it, it stopped them from pulling, and now they don't need it.

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I just got a Gentle Leader for my hyperactive dog. She has dominance issues anyway and doesn't look at me as a pack leader and absolutely FOUGHT the leader as soon as I put it on her and adjusted it. It fits very snugly, but she's able to pant easily. She has a long "grin" and the corners of her mouth go past the nose guard when she pants, is this ok? When she's not panting the corners of her mouth sit right where they're supposed to be in relation to the nose strap. Also, is it ok to just leave her in it for a while?

I use the gentle leader on my dogs, and find it the only thing that lets me walk them without major hassles - they weigh 115 and 83 lbs, and I often walk them both at the same time.

When adjusting the muzzle loop, you want enough for them to open their mouths easily, but not so loose they can rake it off with their paw, or by rolling on the ground. My dogs can do what you describe, of having the corner of their mouth slightly behind the loop when they "grin". The neck strap should be fairly snug, and fasten right behind the back of the skull. If that's too loose, they can slip the collar by backing out of it. I also back mine up with a regular choker, and clip the lead to both. Just be sure that when you apply pressure with the lead, it acts on the gentle leader, not the regular collar - that's just there in case they slip the gentle leader. You may not need this with your dog, but I want the added security just in case.

I wouldn't leave it on for extended periods, espeically without supervision. Try putting it on, and spending a few minutes working on some training, like your sit command, or shake, or whatever, just to distract her. Take it off and do another session later. She should learn to accept it without making a big fuss. I don't know if I would try walking her with it until she's gotten used to wearing it.

Good luck with your training.

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I bought a gentle leader head collar three days ago. I followed the directions, so the nose loop goes up to the nose, and the neck one touches the skull and tight enough so it doesn't rotate.
It looked like the pictures, but it might've been a little tight.

My dog still paws at it and rolls on the floor, but it has WORKED. No pulling or jumping while on the leash.

The problem is that the skin under the nose loop is very raw.
I don't know whether to keep using it or if I should take it back to petco and exchange it for a harness.

QUESTIONS:

If I do try to use it again (but make it a lot looser), when would it be okay to use it again? Will it infect/irritate the cuts caused by the chafing?

Which brings me to my next question, what can I do to relieve the pain and how do I clean it? The only thing I've done so far is clean it with a soft towel and hot water.

Thank you.

I've heard of a lot of people having the same problems with it. Try to let the dog's nose heal fully, before you put it on again. If it is too loose, it will chafe more, so you may actually need to tighten it a bit. You can wash it with a mild soap, just make sure it all gets rinsed out, and dries completely.

Maybe try coating it with a non-scented talcum powder, on the side that touches the dog's nose, to help with the chafing.

You should consider obedience classes so that you can train the dog to 'heel', with a training collar. Good luck!

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How does this affect the pack walk? Can you still maintain dominance when using a head collar like it? I personally don't think that using a collar like this is the best, and that you should use proper training of heel and a regular collar. So would you train heel before using the collar? I guess I'm just asking thoughts on gentle leader collars in general. I use one and it doesn't make my dog walk at my side, I have to tell her heel (which she knows and listens to). I'm also mostly asking about the gentle leader in use with a puppy who is about 5 months old. Thanks, and I can add more details if needed, but I'm really just asking your thoughts on the collar
I just bought a gentle leader last week for our new dog. He is a 9 month old Newfoundland lab mix and had very little training when he came to us and as he is in the rebellious puppy stage training has been a struggle and he is always testing us to see if he can be pack leader. The gentle leader has made walking him possible! I am small and he is already about 80 lbs and growing everyday so dealing with him and his over zealous puppy excitement on a normal collar and leash is impossible for me! The gentle leader makes him so much easier to control and it actually reinforces to the dog that you are the pack leader. The part the goes over the muzzle on the face applies pressure when the dog pulls in this area. This is the same area that an alpha wolf will put his mouth around when he needs to remind a member of the pack of their position in the pack and assert his dominace. So whenever the dog is wearing the gentle leader he has a constant reminder that he his not the alpha dog. He learned to walk calmly on the gently leader in a matter of minuets and he does walk at my side. Using the gentle leader properly is a bit tricky, you have to know exactly when and how to apply pressure when your dog starts to get ahead of you and pull and exactly when to release the pressure. If this was not working you probably where not correcting the dog properly with the pressure. Its hard not to jerk the dog when he starts pulling but that's not how it works. You have to use slow steady pressure until the dog is at your side ant then immediately release pressure. He learns it is uncomfortable for him to walk anywhere but at your side. when wearing the head collar if the dog gets ahead of you and your holding the leach properly he has no choice but to turn and look at you because his head his pulled back to you. I also find that fitting the gentle leader properly is difficult especially if the dog has longer hair and/or is very wiggly and excited. If the collar is not fitted properly it will not work and will chaff the dogs nose! I think its a great way to pretty much instantly teach a dog to heel. It does not teach them the command heel on cue of course but it does make walking them possible without being dragged! Now I am working with my dog to learn the command heel and eventually to have him heel off leash. I don't know how well he would heel on a walk with out the gentle leader on now. I do recommend it especially for large dogs that are just starting out with training and for dominate dogs.

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