I have been working hard with our new pup and leash training only to have our three kids let him drag them around the yard or house with leash if he's after something. Occasionally he does walk well even with them on the leash but about 50% of the time our 4 month old little buddy is strong enough to drag around our 8 year old any time he wants to. Just wondering if I trained the kids on how to use it, if the GL would be a good route for us? Especially since we plan to take him camping this weekend where he's going to want to pull us all around everywhere he wants to go since it's a new place. He gets very excited expecially to meet new people. Suggesstions?
I would not use a gentle leader and allow a child to handle the leash. If the puppy hits the end of the leash it will snap his head around. An adult can be watching and prevent that before it happens, but a child won't have the same ability to watch and prevent it.
Have your kids wear a treat bag, and keep giving the puppy one treat at a time to keep it near them while they walk, and not dragging them with the leash. This should be closely supervised of course, kids should never be sent out "walk" the puppy without an adult.
On the camping trip, I'd recommend a harness so he doesn't damage his trachea pulling on the leash.
And teach "sit when you meet new people" so he is calm and not pulling on the leash or jumping on new people. No sit, no petting. When he sits, he gets petting.
Thanks for the info. We are planning to start a training class soon. Also thanks for the info on the gentle leader.
I will talk with the kids again about the leash walking. We have also have a 13 year old and an 11 year old so I'm trying to figure out a good training system that they can also be consistent with. They let him pull too much and it negates the training I spend with him to walk correctly.
Our Gemma (8 months) is a puller. We put months into loose-leash training and she's wonderful in the house, in the yard, up and down the driveway and around our cul-de-sac - but on a longer walk she gets distracted and pulls. We tried the leash on her flat collar, on the back of a harness and on the front of a harness. In desperation we tried a Halti head collar. It was like the sun bursting through the clouds! Within the one walk she was walking politely and waggy happy.
So, when our granddaughters (8 and 10) came to stay for a week we let them walk her and she was perfect. Even skinny little 8yo Mae was completely in control of her.
Has it taught Gemma loose-leash walking? Nope. But what it has done is let us all have an enjoyable walk while we continue the training.
Absolutely recommend it.
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