my dog is dog aggressive and the behaviorist says to use the gentle leader.
what do you think, will me using a GL on the walk overlap to help his dog aggression? (he's never gotten away from me on a leash so that's not the problem..the behaviorist says i need to toughen up with my dog, to be the leader, like using the GL and crating him inside, etc)
I'm just having a hard time using theGL..i end up taking it off during the walk to give him some enjoyment on the walk.
i am the kind of dog person who needs a dog that WANTS a leader. my dog doesn't want a leader, he wants to lead. and i'm not good at it.
it's almost funny. with his GL on, we bump into each other because i'm expecting him to lead ME on the walk out of habit..and he can't lead with the GL on.
but he hates the GL..his head hangs low his tail down. i want walks to make him happy. so it take it off
my q is, will keeping it on help stop his aggression by making me "pack leader"?
Not every dog wants a leader some are dominant and if there is no clear leader they will happily take the job.
No training tool will work if you do not take the role as the leader. If you are going on walks, you should lead the dog, not the other way around.
I am not a fan of the GL but if that is working stick with it and leave it ON throughout the ENTIRE walk. I also suggest you practice NILIF (nothing in life is free) to set clear leadership. The dog should get nothing and that means no play, petting, attention, walks, water or food unless he first perfoms a command that is given. It could be any command like sit, down, wait and etc but nothing should be givem to the dog until he does what is asked.
If you do not set up clear leadership with your dog, your dog could end up biting another dog or a person and that will then cause you big problems.
Good Luck!!!
BTW, I prefer prong collars. I know they look cruel but they are not, they are actually a very good training tool because the prong, when contracted, simulate an alpha dog "biting" the neck of your dog. It is through biting that dogs understand/learn what is acceptable/not acceptable behaviour. The pinch of the prong collar only contracts when the dog lunges or pulls and the pinch makes them stop doing that. You do not need to "pop" these collars (like you do a choke chain) and very little effort is needed from you for a correction. Most dogs walk happily with a prong on and quickly learn while wearing the prong collar and using voice re-enforcement, not to pull or engage in otherwise unwanted behavior.
Dogs can only do and get away with what we allow and they need to be taught what is wanted and expected so they can be good canine citizens.
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what size gentle leader do you think would be best for a seven to eight month year old border collie?? and whats the difference between a gentle leader and a halti?
The size varies by weight. See the source below.
My wife had a problem with our dog practically pulling her arm out of joint. Once I got a Gentle Leader that fixed he problem.
He didn’t like it at first, but now he’s a perfect gentleman.
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Which is better? and Why?
I'm thinking of getting my puppy one. 
I have heard that the Gentle Leader is better, but that may just be for certain breeds. They do fit differently — I believe that the Halti slips off of shorter faced breeds too easily.
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I have a female 1 year-old boxer who does not like the gentle leader. We have been using it for about 6 months to take her on jogs around the neighborhood. I wouldn't be able to walk her without it as she is easily distracted and stubborn sometimes, but she will still paw at the gentle leader around her face and put up a "tantrum" 1-3 times during the walk. When we take the gentle leader out, she will run away, and it has become quite difficult when getting ready to leave dog parks. We've followed the directions on the dvd (treats, approach from back, 1 finger, no pulling, positive words etc.). Is there anything else I can do to "make" her like the gentle leader? Or should I not be using the gentle leader because of the fact that boxers have shorter snouts? Are harness leashes better for boxers? Thank you, as any help is much appreciated!
Thanks for the responses, I'll try them out!
The absolute best training book I have found is basically any dog training book by Dr. Patricia McConnell. She has a a book called Beginning Family Dog Training that has some good tips for teaching a dog to heal. Also The Other End of the Leash is excellent for understanding dog behavior and what our body language and words are REALLY saying to our dogs.
To start with, find something your dog really loves as a treat (liver, chicken pieces, peanut butter, bananas, etc.) and use it only for walks. Take her to an enclosed area (like a baseball field or school track and field. A dog park will work but only if there is an area that is separate and you can work with her without other dogs around and on the leash) to practice. Practice walking her next to you and treating her when her head is next to your left knee. Make constant changes in your direction, walking to the left and in front of the dog. If you run into her, you waited to long to make a change. If she starts to pull ahead, turn to the right so she has to stay next to and behind you to keep up. Treat her when she's by your side and only when she's by your side. After several good rewards, allow her off the leash or on a long leash for a game of fetch or chase as a reward. Keep the training sessions short (10 minutes or so) and she will soon learn to stay by your side, rather than at the end of the leash. The goal is to keep the leash loose at all times. If she fights the gentle leader, start without it and when she seems like she's getting it, put it back on. You can use it with a short nosed dog, but make sure you keep is slack when she's in the correct position (not pulling). Make sure it's not too tight so it's not rubbing her nose or pulling up into her eyes.
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My dog is good on the leash- sometimes. When she's not she's pulling and if we're walking in the neighborhood she's okay but when she sees a chipmunk she pulls and she makes a bad sound because her throat hurts from pulling so much. We told the vet about this and she said to get a gentle leader.
Now that the story is told…
Should we get a gentle leader…. or a harness?
Why a gentle leader and not a harness…. or a harness and not a gentle leader?
Or I just heard about the Canny collar? Any opinions about that- some say it's better then a gentle leader but it looks almost the same..?
My preference is the Halti. It works the same way as the Gentle Leader. I like the fit better, and can control the mouth if the dog reacts. I love the body harness. I rather control the whole body and it gives me something to hold onto. So what I like is to use a multifuction leash and I will hook one end to the harness and the other end to the Halti. The Halti will control the head to easily stop the dog from pulling. The harness will give the dog added feeling of security. Eventually you will not have to use the Halti, but I normally keep it in my pocket just incase.
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I have a black lab/basset hound 6 month old puppy who pulls when I walk her. I feel like I've walked 2 miles just going around the block with her. The dog trainer at PetCo recommended the Gentle Leader. Has anyone used this before and does it work as well as they say it does?
Yes, the Gentle Leader works! I bought the one that is halter style, not the one with the thing around his nose. After about a few months of that, my dog no longer needs it and walks wonderful on a leash. With the harness on, I praised him whenever he behaved properly and I would also give him treats on walk.
Best wishes.
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For a couple weeks now I have been trying to get my APBT to not pull on the leash by stopping and turning the opposite way when he pulls, but it doesn’t seem to be working. He will do good and then go back to pull 5 minutes later. Do you think a gentle leader is ok for him or should I try something else? I could use any advise right about now….thanks!
Some people prefer haltis. I prefer a prong collar for my APBTs.
Fitted and placed correctly, they are extremelly effective, and cause no tracheal damage.
http://www.3cdog.com/images/pinch-collar.jpg
http://leerburg.com/fit-prong.htm
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I bought a gentle leader and I put it on him correctly, he kept on fighting it though and finally chewed it off. He has a history of chewing through collars/leashes, any ideas, advice?
You need to train your dog to stop chewing through its leashes. It's not going to stop unless you step in and command your dog to not fight against you when you put it on its leash. I'm not sure if you have a small or big dog, but our pit/lab mix is about medium sized and it took a good while for her to get used to it. Trust me, she didn't want ANYTHING to do with her leash, she thought of it as torture if anything, but after awhile she was getting used to it after we started rewarding her with treats after every walk session with a leash.
So train your dog firmly to not chew out of its leash anymore. It's going to take a lot of time, patience, and commitment, but it's worth it for the wellbeing of your dog. Be sure to always reward them with a treat after he does good with his leash.
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I was going to buy a gentle leadr to control the pulling of Tony, my puppy. But i'm not sure what size to get since ive been getting mixed information online.
Why would you purchase a head halter for a puppy? This is when you should focus on *training.* Do not rely on a tool to do the work for you.
http://www.positivedogs.com/articles/head_halters.html
Here's a helpful article about teaching loose leash walking:
http://ahimsadogtraining.com/blog/leash-walking/
All dogs should be taught to walk well on a flat, normal collar. However, I can understand if you'd like more reinforcement for the sake of safety. My 160-pound dog typically walks very well, but I still walk him in an Easy Walk Harness. This is a simple body harness. Unlike other harnesses, though, you attach the leash in the front.
http://www.petexpertise.com/dog-collars-dog-harnesses/no-pull-dog-harnesses/easy-walk-no-pull-harness.html?sef_rewrite=1
http://www.puplife.com/collections/no-pull-dog-harnesses/products/premier-easy-walk-harness
This is the harness that is almost always recommended by the multitude of mastiff owners I know. If we can control mastiffs, you can control an Akita/Chow puppy. (And I'm seriously the most unathletic teenage girl around.) Just plant your feet and center yourself. Be a tree.
(Also, if it makes any difference to you, both the Easy Walk Harness and the Gentle Leader Headcollar are produced by Premier.)
If you're insistent about using the Gentle Leader, why don't you have someone fit it for you at the store? Go to a place like PetSmart or something. An employee or the store's trainer should be able to help you. It's their job to be knowledgeable about their products.
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Does anybody know if Petland or Petcetera sells the Halti or the Gentle leader. I am working with my lab cross puppy to not pull and have heard good things about the use of these accessories assisting in the training process.
Do any of you have personal experience with either of these? Which would you recommend?
Oh I was so mad yesterday, ok so I bout the gentle leader for whopping $20 and I go to Walmart yesterday and here’s the exact same thing just an off brand and only $7, so my advice to u is to go to Walmart and see if the gentle leader is there in ur area, I like the gentle leader
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