deltoid Posted November 1, 2011 Share Posted November 1, 2011 Previously walking our youngest dog was a stressful, painful & slow experience. She's the type of dog which pulls so hard on the lead that her front feet never touch the ground. I did everything right, I practiced loose lead walking in the house, then the backyard. I never followed if she pulled. I rewarded her when she did the right thing and stood my ground when she did the wrong. She would just get so excited she'd loose her mind. Then we bought a Gentle Leader harness. The first walk with it was a big improvement but she was no where near perfect still. Fast forward one week and she is now a perfectly behaved dog on the lead. I took her for a long walk yesterday and am still impressed how well behaved she was. Basically the harness has the D ring at the front. So if the dog pulls you stop walking or give the lead a gentle tug. This in turn pulls the dog to he side slightly. The harder they pull the more to he side it directs them. So they get no benefit out of pulling. It is pretty cheap too. So if you are at your wits end with your pulling dog give the gwntle leader ago. Just remember it is a training tool, so if you have bad habits like not stopping when the dog pulls the dog isn't going to learn anything Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
raineth Posted November 1, 2011 Share Posted November 1, 2011 so glad this has worked for you! Must make a huge difference to both of you enjoying your walks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jakeyjangels Posted November 1, 2011 Share Posted November 1, 2011 Couldn't agree more deltoid ! Immediate success with my two boys. Love ours too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nekhbet Posted November 1, 2011 Share Posted November 1, 2011 how about consult a trainer who will help you overall with your skills. Usually ends up cheaper then the amount of equipment people end up with long term. A piece of equipment that works for you wont necessarily work for other people either. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wuffles Posted November 1, 2011 Share Posted November 1, 2011 I really liked the harness My girl did eventually learn to pull into it, and it also rubs under her arms on long walks, so it only comes out now if I have to walk both dogs together in a new environment. I am glad it has helped you Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snippet Posted November 2, 2011 Share Posted November 2, 2011 Great it worked for you but Nekhbet has a very good point. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest lavendergirl Posted November 2, 2011 Share Posted November 2, 2011 Great that it has worked for you. Not everyone has the hundreds of $ spare to hire a trainer so these things are well worth trying. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wuffles Posted November 2, 2011 Share Posted November 2, 2011 I am happy to admit that I used it because I was lazy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nekhbet Posted November 2, 2011 Share Posted November 2, 2011 and not every trainer costs that much. Plenty of good dog schools around that charge minimal fees too. Yes equipment is a start but it's not something to rely on. If it works and keeps working, great, but if walking is taking that muh effort a session with a trainer will pay off long term as you learn the skills to deal with any problems that may occur down the track. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sheena Posted November 2, 2011 Share Posted November 2, 2011 I've had two of the Gentle Leader Harnesses now & couldn't be happier, but unfortunately the puppy has chewed both up. OH's fault for leaving them in reach. I keep saying that I must order another one, but then I live in hope that with ongoing training, he wont need it for much longer. I just use a head halter now if I want to get somewhere without him pulling when highly excited. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frufru Posted November 2, 2011 Share Posted November 2, 2011 Thanks for sharing as not everyone lives near a behaviourist, trainer or even dog training group and as you pointed out in your post it is a training tool. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GoldenGirl85 Posted November 2, 2011 Share Posted November 2, 2011 Thanks for sharing as not everyone lives near a behaviourist, trainer or even dog training group and as you pointed out in your post it is a training tool. Steve at K9 Pro does distance learning packages, they're really good, I'm currently doing a loose lead walking course with Lexi, its been the best thing I've ever bought...and I've built up quite a collection of these nice little 'tools' in the short time I've had her Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deltoid Posted November 2, 2011 Author Share Posted November 2, 2011 I did consult a trainer. They told me to try the Gentle Leader harness Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cosmolo Posted November 2, 2011 Share Posted November 2, 2011 I recommend front attaching harnesses in conjunction with lots of other strategies regularly and find they really do help alot of dogs and owners. I think habits develop through reinforcement- problem is, when a dog is pulling all the time it can be difficult for an owner to deliver the reinforcement required. The harness helps in the short term to stop the pulling so that the owner has something to reinforce which in turn develops the loose lead walking habit. I personally prefer the Sensible harnesses because i don't like the martingale type attachment at the front of the gentle leader one. The other advantage of these is that if an owner makes a few unintentional mistakes while learning, the negative fallout is mild. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
corvus Posted November 2, 2011 Share Posted November 2, 2011 Glad you have found something that works. Some dogs can just be a real challenge, and I imagine it can be very stressful battling to make headway with them. I know dogs that have been on no-pull harnesses or head collars all their life. I don't think there's anything wrong with long-term/indefinite management of LLW if that suits the owner. Plenty of people just buy the one tool to manage them and it does the job for the dog's whole life. That's cheaper than a trainer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sheena Posted November 2, 2011 Share Posted November 2, 2011 I recommend front attaching harnesses in conjunction with lots of other strategies regularly and find they really do help alot of dogs and owners. I think habits develop through reinforcement- problem is, when a dog is pulling all the time it can be difficult for an owner to deliver the reinforcement required. The harness helps in the short term to stop the pulling so that the owner has something to reinforce which in turn develops the loose lead walking habit. I personally prefer the Sensible harnesses because i don't like the martingale type attachment at the front of the gentle leader one. The other advantage of these is that if an owner makes a few unintentional mistakes while learning, the negative fallout is mild. Does anyone know where to buy the Sensible Harness ?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cosmolo Posted November 2, 2011 Share Posted November 2, 2011 We import them and sell them through our website. There aren't many places to get them from here and you can't order direct from the US manufacturer unless you are a wholesaler. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sheena Posted November 2, 2011 Share Posted November 2, 2011 Thanks I am looking you up ;) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
charley101 Posted November 3, 2011 Share Posted November 3, 2011 you can get Sense-ible harness on ebay now as well :0) http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Sense-ible-Front-Connection-Dog-Harness-medium-large-large-sizes-FREE-POST-/270825269002?pt=AU_Pet_Supplies&hash=item3f0e71a70a Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sallyandtex Posted November 3, 2011 Share Posted November 3, 2011 i totally agree! Sally was fine with no distractions, but a nightmare with other dogs. I wouldn't have her any other way. Everyone says she is the friendliest dog they have ever met. But the gentle leader makes it so wonderful. Bliss and Happiness Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now