2009.03.03
Gently leading your pooch
This recommendation came from blog reader Kim:
"I’ve been keeping up with the blog regarding pet products that work and those that don’t. I have one for the “works” category to pass along and it is the Gentle Leader head harness/leash. Before we got it we’d walk Cali on a traditional leash. She would get so excited that she’d pull very hard on the leash which caused her to choke and gag herself. She’s so strong that I’d almost have my arm dislocated from my shoulder when she’d make a sudden change of direction.
My husband bought the Gentle Leader and at first I rebelled because I thought it was mean and Cali absolutely hated it. However, when we started doing dog training our trainer recommended the Gentle Leader. Not only does it make Cali walk like a normal dog but it keeps her from damaging her esophagus (and my arm). It’s not something you can put on a dog and expect them to like it and take to it right away. It took a step-by-step process of wearing and rewarding for Cali to accept it. I can’t say that she likes it, but she knows she gets to go for a walk if she wears it and we both have a more enjoyable walk with it on. If any fellow blog readers have dogs that pull too hard on their leash then I recommend the Gentle Leader."
I second that recommendation, Kim. We had the same problems with Stormy that you described with Cali, and our dog trainer also told us to use the Gentle Leader. He hates it too, but it makes all the difference in walking him. While the Martingale-style collars work best for the long skinny necks of our greyhounds, the Gentle Leader is the best way to handle our bull-headed little terrier.
What other tools have been helpful with leash-training your dogs? Post a comment and share your lead/collar recommendations
We use the Sporn harness, purchased from PetSmart. We tried both the Gentle Leader head harness, as well as the chest harness and they did not work for Charlie. It wasn't that he didn't like the head harness (which he didn't, by the way), but it didn't seem to change his behavior at all. He would still lunge at the squirrels or anything else with all his might. The result was him flying through the air, being jerked back by the head and landing on ground on his side. Eventually, the head harness cut huge gauges out on his snout from all of the lunging. The regular Gentle Leader chest harness just didn't work on him at all. The Sporn harness has a collar with two straps that go under Charlie's legs. If he pulls on it too much, the straps under his legs tighten up and it makes it uncomfortable for him. He doesn't like this one, either, but it seems to work the best out of the ones we tried. I have heard great things about the Gentle Leader head harness, but for us, unfortunately, it didn't work.
Comment by Emily — March 3, 2009 @ 2:02 pm
Thanks Kim for the information on the Gentle Leader. I have seen them at Petsmart but never got one because I didn't know if it was good or not. Holly jerks my arm really bad when we go for a walk. So far I have just been using a collar and like you wrote, she gags and chokes while I have come close to falling down. I'm going to get one for Holly...walking could be a good thing for both of us instead of a workout and possible danger to us!
Comment by Deborah — March 3, 2009 @ 3:48 pm
Deborah,
Be forewarned, it may take some time before Holly adjusts to the harness. The way I got Cali used to it was to start out slowly. I would put it on and give her a treat, increasing the amount of time she wore it with each session. Be prepared to use lots of treats! Once she was able to wear the head harness without throwing a hissy fit I introduced the leash portion and walked her around the house and then the yard. Again, give lots of treats! After a short time we were able to leave the yard and start our normal walks. I'd say it took about 2 weeks to get to that stage but every dog is different. I hope Holly takes to it right away for you!
Comment by Kim — March 4, 2009 @ 9:25 am
I wish I had known about the sporn before. I had a foster dog - wire fox terrier, that came with a gentle leader. He could leap and twist his way out of it! When I "walked" him I had two leashes on him - one on the gentle leader, one on his regular collar. I will keep that in mind for future foster dogs.
Comment by Lisa — March 4, 2009 @ 12:20 pm
Kim...thanks for the advice! Holly usually gets upset over a change but she does love treats. I'll make sure that I have plenty on hand while training her to walk with one. She'll usually do just about anything for a treat!
Comment by Deborah — March 4, 2009 @ 4:28 pm