Can't decide...Gentle Leader (head collar), or front attach harness.

What have you done so far to train Ruby to walk in a comfortable way with you? How old is Ruby, and how much exercise does she get ? Do you think she pulls because she is curious and outgoing or is she insensitive to her collar? Need more info!

Ljilly28 said:

What have you done so far to train Ruby to walk in a comfortable way with you? How old is Ruby, and how much exercise does she get ? Do you think she pulls because she is curious and outgoing or is she insensitive to her collar? Need more info!

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I dont' mean to hyjack this thread...but....that's a great question...so if Chloe does all the above...and I have tried everything posted on this forum, (now started with clicker training to mark good walking manners), what would you suggest. She walks quite nicely 60% of the time but if she sees something she wants, she will just lunge and pull (nearly knocking me off my feet!) She is 8 months and 70lbs.

any suggestions appreciated!

L.

I'm going to read this thread with interest. The Easy Walk Harness that I ordered for Hank just came today. Right now he's wet from walking to the mailbox to fit him. He's still a little guy but likes to pull, that's after not wanting to walk on leash at all.

I tried the Gentle Leader head harness with Maggie and she hated it, spent the whole walk rubbing her head on the ground that I finally gave up. I decided to try the Easy Walk Harness this time around for Hank. I can't wait to try it out.

I still have Maggie's size large which I'll try when he's big enough.

No experience with the head collar, but I used an EZ walk front attach harness with both of mine and neither seemed to be bothered by it in the least, and they worked wonders for helping mine learn to walk on a loose leash. We can now walk with a regular buckle collar with minimal pulling which was impossible before using the harness.

I have the Gentle Leader head collar for Cam and he does the same thing as Willow52's golden - runs his head into the grass trying to get it off:. I also don't care how it leaves a small impression mark on his snout and people asking why I have a muzzle on my golden:uhoh:! I am going to purchase the Easy Walk front harness here in the next couple of weeks so we will see how that goes!

Jeff

I have a gentle leader and it workers great! Noah was a puller, he does not pull at all in this.

I've come to the conclusion that fitting a 10 weeks old puppy with a harness is a two-person job :doh::doh::doh:. I don't think I can get a correct fit with Hank laying on his back, biting the harness...nothing like the dog in the online video! :no:

Guess I'll wait until my husband gets home.

We have an EZ Walk Harness and love it. We have only had it about a month, but the results were immediate. I preferred it to something going on the face because, unfortunately, a lot of people do mistake the Gentle Leader as some type of muzzle. Plus, the harness just seems more comfortable for the dog.
Our obvious goal is to be able to walk nicely with a flat collar/loose leash, so personally I try not to depend on it and usually alternate between the two. But, I really like it when we'll be in situations where I feel I just need a little more control. Hope this helps!

I use the EasyWalk Harness with Gunner and I love it. I was a little skeptical that it would give me enough control, but it works beautifully. He's a real determined puller, weighs about 87 pounds now (I only weigh a little over 100) and it's enough to give me complete control.

The only complaint I have about it is that it can loosen up a little bit after we've walked for a while. You just have to keep an eye on it. Or do what I do and attach the leash to both the harness and a real loose Martingale for an extra layer of protection. Works great.

I decided to dig and make one final try and getting chloe to walk on a loose leash while on a buckle collar. I do bring the gentle leader with me just in case she is really crazy and I need it, but (hope i'm not jinxing myself here :crossfing......) but the clicker has actually stopper her from pulling!!!! it took about 5 1hour walks with total consistency with the clicker and treats, but now she actually walks beautifully beside me even past distractions! You could have almost knocked me over with a feather tonight I was so in shock! When she does start to walk ahead of my knee, she will actually correct herself and come back into position without me having to say anything!!!

Thanks to everyone who helped with advise on the clicker!

L.

Ljilly28 said:

What have you done so far to train Ruby to walk in a comfortable way with you? How old is Ruby, and how much exercise does she get ? Do you think she pulls because she is curious and outgoing or is she insensitive to her collar? Need more info!

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First, thanks to everyone for your recommendations. If I do use one of these, I think it will be a harness type.

Now, for the answers about Ruby....

She's 2 1/2. She gets a daily walk of at least 20 minutes, plus loose playtime in our fenced yard. Once a week she gets a good hike and swim at a nearby park too.

I've been using the stop, or turn around, techniques to stop her from pulling and they are working if it's just me and her, here around the neighborhood. Throw in a friend walking with us, or walking at a new location, and she's suddenly crazy, friendly dog. Again, if we're just walking our street she does well, she'll even listen when I say "leave it" as she starts to pull toward a person or animal.

I just can't get consistency with her and want something that can be used everywhere and by anyone who walks her.

I use the Gentle Leader on mine, but I'm considering switching to the other one, they really walk good on the Gentle Leader but I don't think they really need it anymore.

I'll be looking into switching to the other one and eventually not using any at all! I'm dreaming..LOL

With four it's impossible..LOL

At my puppy class our trainer just gave the "collar talk" last week. She said that gentle leaders are very misleading and hurt the dog. There have been studies done on this, and it puts pressure on their sinuses and they will never get used to it. She recommends a prong collar for training; it looks bad, but is the most humane she says and does not choke the dog either. This is what we have used and they are quite effective for pulling.

With two Goldens and one little me, I bought the Easy Walk Harnesses. Here's why: My DH refuses to cooperate with loose leash training - he puts them on retractable leashes, lets them pull his shoulders out of socket, then lets them off leash for mad midnight runs in the dark. So when i tried to walk them and train them to loose leash, they were incorrigible.

With the harnesses (I bought mine online and went to the trainers at PetSmart to help with fitting), I can walk both dogs (80# Yorvit and 35# Z) with no problem. They walk on either side of me, perfectly happy. I walk them each morning, about 1.5 miles, and dh still gets his wild midnight off leash time. Kinda funny - he complains about their unruliness with him and their good behavior with me. Hmmmm - wonder how that happens?

EDIT TO ADD: Oh, yeah, I tried the Gentle Leaders on both with no success. Both refused to walk with them on.

knog said:

With two Goldens and one little me, I bought the Easy Walk Harnesses. Here's why: My DH refuses to cooperate with loose leash training - he puts them on retractable leashes, lets them pull his shoulders out of socket, then lets them off leash for mad midnight runs in the dark. So when i tried to walk them and train them to loose leash, they were incorrigible.

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This is so how it is at our house. DH doesn't want to deal with the training, but complains that she doesn't walk well. Grrrrr. Of course if he's walking her it's because I'm not there and he also has our two little human boys with him too.

I ended up ordering the Walk Your Dog With Love harness which is the same concept as the Easy Walk, but looks a but easier to adjust and fit. I can't wait to try it out.

Thanks for everyone for your advice.

I just bought the easy walk harness for Bella. She has been using a No-Pull Collar I got at Wal-Mart when I brought her home. She is about ready to outgrow it so I got her the Easy Walk. She never has been much of a puller and I prefer to walk off-leash with her in the country anyway.