# gentle leader leash????



## jakeandrenee (Apr 30, 2010)

I posted something earlier about Jake biting leash and pulling at times....the thread is biting leash and pulling.

Can/should I use a gentle leader? It was suggested to me and makes sense, just want to be sure he isn't too young, but I also no he CAN NOT lead me.

He is 11 weeks, 26 pounds and growing everyday.


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## klgraf (May 2, 2010)

We use a gentle leader on our now 7 mo old GSD female. We got her from our local shelter where they use gentle leaders on all the dogs. She really is much better on this than a leash on collar. However, sometimes at the end of a walk, when she is tired, we practice heeling w/ just leash on collar. We also practice heeling off leash in our back yard carrying treats in our left hand. All of these strategies were suggested to us by a trainer who works at the shelter. All is working well!


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## LaRen616 (Mar 4, 2010)

"Canine Concepts Non-Pull Mesh Harness" Works amazingly for me. It has padding under the armpits so it doesn't rub them raw. My friend is buying her 2 Min Pin's that harness as well.

I bought it a Petco for $19.99


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## Cassidy's Mom (Mar 30, 2003)

What is the Gentle Leader leash? Do you mean the GL head collar or GL Easy Walk Harness? What methods have you tried to teach him not to pull? At only 11 weeks old I don't know that I'd be using special training equipment yet, I'd be working on teaching loose lease walking on a flat collar, and if that just wasn't enough, I'd go to either the Easy Walk or Sense-ation harness, which both have the leash attachment at the front of the chest rather than on the back, like traditional harnesses.


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## jakeandrenee (Apr 30, 2010)

I have used a traditional harness and currently trying a flat collar. I will try the easy walk, any suggestions on size? He is 26 pounds and growing....


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## JKlatsky (Apr 21, 2007)

Personally, I wouldn't use a gentle leader on such a small puppy. I would look to training first. 

We have a 13 week old puppy at our house right now. If he tries to bite the leash it's usually because it's swinging in front of him and he wants to chase it and play. ALL my dogs have done this at one point or another and if it's not reinforced it has always gone away. If I pick up the slack in the lead so that it's tight, the takes away the swinging and my problem is usually solved. You also need to walk faster than your puppy. If they're focused on keeping up with you, they have less time to try and play. It also helps if you play a little before the walk to get that initial burst of energy out.

As far as the pulling, there is no way that a 11 week old puppy is pulling hard enough that you need a special head collar to control him. Gentle Leaders and Specialized harnesses to me are management tools. I would teach your puppy to follow. Give small tugs on the leash and walk backwards to your puppy. as he follows you in response to the leash reward him with something tasty, toys, praise, mix it up. Eventually start to turn your body and use your left hand as the target/reward location. I don't think it's really enough to stop the behavior, you have to teach them the right thing as well.


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## jakeandrenee (Apr 30, 2010)

Thank you so much for the input....I just get in tears because he is either tugging leash or biting the snot out of my legs or with stick in mouth pulling.....I am praising him for good behavior( treat bag attached to my hip at all times...) 

How far in front of me walking is acceptable? If I go too fast he sees it as a game and he nips my legs and tugs at pants! I stand there and ignore him, when he stops we continue and this goes on and on......the nipping and pulling are my primary concerns....I know he will grow out of biting the leash....


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## dianefbarfield (Apr 12, 2010)

I went to the gentle leader because a local trainer suggested it. I did all of the things mentioned above and Lizzie still wanted to "be out front". I am small and I as she grew I had to find a way to manage. I did not use it on her when she was small, did the walking, changing directions, praise, treats. She responded to most other commands immediately and without treats. Has always done come, sit, down, stay, wait very well. But the leash thing just kind of defeated me (yep, I admit it) and the collar did not give me the control. the gentle leader head harness is approved by the trainer and by my vet. It gives her total freedom to open her mouth yet gives me easy control. She is now learning to walk beside me and I am moving away from it as she improves. The trainer is showing me how to use the regular collar and leash and just use the gentle leader as a reminder. Soon we can do without it.
Oh yeah....one reason I felt I needed it was not because of my dog but because of all the other dogs in the city that run out at us as we walk. It took us a while to get her to ignore them and during that time the gentle leader really helped turn her head away and focus on me. I tried the "halty" but it didn't fit as well and came off (even says so on the package).


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## JKlatsky (Apr 21, 2007)

Does he like toys? I got my ankle biter to carry a tennis ball everywhere.


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## Bama4us (Oct 24, 2009)

I too think he's too young for anything but a flat collar right now. If he pulls on his leash, stop, don't say a word, don't pull, nothing. As soon as he moves and there's slack in the leash mark it with the clicker, or praise, and then continue. At HOTC, they had us remove the leash and slip a finger in the collar and pull it to you slightly, when they move closer, mark it! It should help them learn to not put pressure on their collar, while on leash or not.


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## jakeandrenee (Apr 30, 2010)

I feel he maybe young, but considering an easy walk harness WITH OUT a leader.

Can't get him to walk with a ball but he will go forever with a stick...that's when he pulls way too much. 

He will be over !00 pounds grown....I am a tiny petite female.LOL


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## Cassidy's Mom (Mar 30, 2003)

Hopefully he won't be that large, that's way over the standard for a male GSD! But in any case, he will be a big dog and with you being a petite female, now is the time to start working on teaching him leash skills, so that by the time he's big and strong he has learned to walk politely and not pull. If you only rely on equipment to manage him, without putting in the training time too, he's not really learning anything. 

Been there, done that, and I can say from personal experience that it's MUCH easier to start leash training when they're young, and then continue to train diligently as they grow. Halo will be a year and a half old next week, and although not huge at just under 60 pounds, she is strong and athletic. But she walks very nicely on leash with me, even on a plain flat collar because I've spent tons and tons of time working on it.


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## jakeandrenee (Apr 30, 2010)

I can handle stopping when he pulls and waiting for slack, marking it and continuing, however what do I do when he won't move and is behind me refusing to walk? Of course we may cover these skills in basic puppy class in the next two months but I see training needs to start NOW every day....so please help....


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## Cassidy's Mom (Mar 30, 2003)

When Dena was little and just getting used to the leash she would plant herself and refuse to move. I wasn't sure what to do either, but someone suggested having someone else walk backwards in front of us with a toy as a lure, and we tried that. It helped at LOT! You can also toss treats on the ground in front of him to keep him moving forward.


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## jakeandrenee (Apr 30, 2010)

I will try it, thanks for the suggestion....I need to get him walking some to burn off the energy spurts.....the BITING is awful. I wasn't prepared for this aspect of a GSD puppy. I at times don't want to go near him he bites sooooooo much! I have bones, frozen apples, kongs...the works so getting him going on a leash w/ me will be great.
Thanks for the advice!


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## onyx'girl (May 18, 2007)

this video YouTube - RoniTristar's Channel is great for creating focus and I would utilize the technique til you can get into classes. Notice the placeboards and how the pup goes into position with luring. The more you work his mind, the less he'll be trying to chew you up!
Did you get him before he was 8 weeks old?


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## Tihannah (Dec 27, 2009)

jakeandrenee said:


> I will try it, thanks for the suggestion....I need to get him walking some to burn off the energy spurts.....the BITING is awful. I wasn't prepared for this aspect of a GSD puppy. I at times don't want to go near him he bites sooooooo much! I have bones, frozen apples, kongs...the works so getting him going on a leash w/ me will be great.
> Thanks for the advice!


The leg and ankle biting are quite normal. He's a baby and its fun for him. Its the same like an infant that tries to put everything in its mouth, although it can be a bit painful. :crazy: Kaiya used to eat my legs up! lol. But I would give her a firm verbal correction every time. I use Aaah!! I swear its worked better than anything I've tried~not sure what it is about that sound. After a few weeks, she just quit doing it. She still mouths every now and then at 7.5 months but is rarely rough. Your pup will grow out of these things.


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## Tihannah (Dec 27, 2009)

JKlatsky said:


> Does he like toys? I got my ankle biter to carry a tennis ball everywhere.


OMG!! These pics are TOO cute!! :wub:


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## jakeandrenee (Apr 30, 2010)

I got him at 9 weeks......


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## StellaSquash (Apr 22, 2010)

We just had our first night of puppy kindergarten last night (owners only, puppies come next week) and they highly recommend the Gentle Leader collar. The class is recommended for puppies 8-14 weeks. 

My puppy is 10 weeks.


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## jakeandrenee (Apr 30, 2010)

A gentle leader OR easy walk harness?????


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## StellaSquash (Apr 22, 2010)

just wanted to revisit this..

we tried the gentle leader. we both hated it. so I switched to the easy walk. LOVE IT. she doesn't even flinch when I put it on and walking her is soooo easy now. (oops pun there). 

she doesn't pull at all with it on.


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## jakeandrenee (Apr 30, 2010)

leader didn't bode well for us...I think he is too young. My new trainer has really helped me with leash work and we are using a flat collar ONLY and the progress has been amazing, he started to catch on in one day. Don't get me wrong the first 10 minutes are crazy but after a bit he gets the hang of it. We are using the pivot technique. I am on a very short leash and the moment there's tension on it I change directions....it really does work! I am glad the harness is giving you help...it's so hard when you can't walk them!


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## doggiedad (Dec 2, 2007)

start training your pup to walk
without going for the leash.

when you teach your dog to heel
on and off leash that should take care
of any pulling.


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## Cassidy's Mom (Mar 30, 2003)

StellaSquash said:


> We just had our first night of puppy kindergarten last night (owners only, puppies come next week) and they highly recommend the Gentle Leader collar. The class is recommended for puppies 8-14 weeks.
> 
> My puppy is 10 weeks.


I just don't get that at all. I think it's a fine tool for some circumstances, but at that age it's the perfect time to work on leash skills with a flat collar, while the puppy isn't so big and strong that more control might be needed. If you're starting to work on polite leash walking with a 6 month old and they're dragging you all over the place I could see it, but not 8-14 week old puppies - it's just not necessary. 

The GL Easy Walk harness or Sense-ation (which I have), both hook in front, so if the dog pulls it will turn him back towards you a bit, similar to the way a GL head collar does, but with no possibility of damage to the neck. It's very easy to get a dog to accept and not fight the harness, another problem with head collars, which often require desensitization. 

But even the front hook harnesses I wouldn't necessarily jump to immediately with a brand new puppy. And like any other training tool, you should be using it as needed to get rewardable behavior which will facilitate learning. Otherwise it will become a crutch that you'll never be able to ween the dog off of. 

With Dena I got NO rewardable behavior the moment we stepped out the front door. She'd be perfect on and off leash in the house, but I ceased to exist for her in the face of that level of distraction. The Sense-ation harness worked very well to keep her more aware of me at the other end of the leash, and to get behavior that I could mark and reward.


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## jakeandrenee (Apr 30, 2010)

I agree now that I am learning the correct way to train him the leash. I feel so confident I returned harness and leader, figure if I need one later I can always purchase again. Jake is now 15 weeks.


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