Who's Walking Whom?
A very wise board certified animal behaviorist once said to me, “Every labrador puppy should come out of the womb wearing a gentle leader.” What I’ve come to learn is that most breeds (and owners) could benefit from this playfully unorthodox way of thinking.
Gentle Leader 101:
1. IT’s NOT A MUZZLE. Anything your dog can do without a gentle leader (GL), your dog can do with one. Meaning, he can eat, drink, catch a ball, chase a tail… you get the picture.
2. A GL is a head collar for your dog. In short its a horse halter, doggie style.
3. Consistent with positive reinforcement training techniques, the GL offers a “gentle” approach to gain complete control of potentially rambunctious 4 legged friends. Provided that the head collar is fitted properly (which can be a little tricky) and proper usage techniques are being practiced, the collar can offer immediate relief to frustrated owners of pullers, squirrel chasers, collar escapees, and other dogs that seem to have a mind of their own!
4. As a training tool that promotes the human/animal bond, the GL plays a two-part role in the unique relationships that we share with our 4 legged family members. First role being that it almost immediately offers humans better control of their dogs, therefor allowing them to enjoy walks with their canine companions. Secondly, the dogs are never punished or encounter abrasive interactions from their humans, therefor making walks that much more exciting and rewarding for them.
5. Not only is the GL a great training tool, it is also great in giving owners who would otherwise be reluctant to walk their pets the confidence to enjoy walking them comfortably. The GL is great for individuals who suffer from joint ailments like knee or hip replacements, the elderly who are nervous about large dogs pulling them down, and children who may not otherwise have the strength to control an overly excitable puppy.
In short, I think the take home message here is that…. Gentle Leaders are AWESOME!!!
Read more about Gentle Leaders on the Premiere website. We carry this product in our hospital and are happy to help fit your dog’s Gentle Leader properly.
About the Contributor: Jen Krack is a Certified Animal Behavior Technologist earning her B.S. in Animal Behavior from Purdue University. She has been a part of the veterinary field for 10 years and is currently a technician at Daniel Island Animal Hospital.
Daniel Island Animal Hospital is a small animal veterinary clinic located in Charleston, SC on Daniel Island. They focus on general medicine and wellness including surgery, dentistry, radiology, and emergency care for dogs, cats, and small mammals. Teri Macklin, of Island Dog Cuts, provides grooming for dogs and cats in the facility. Their team is dedicated to personalized patient care and friendly client service.
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Comments
I have GLs for both my dogs (one big and one small) - while I do love the control they give, sometimes my dogs get frustrated and start scratching their faces until they pull them off. Does this mean they aren't fitted properly? I stopped using it for one of my dogs because he scratched himself near his eye trying to get it off. I would love to remedy the problem because I love how they work! any suggestions?
@Laura: I had the same problem with my dog. The head harness, while effective, drove him nuts! Every chance he'd get, he would roll in the grass, trying to get the thing off! The same company that makes the head harness also makes the Easy Walk harness, which is like a regular harness, but designed to keep the dog from pulling. I love it! It works very well (maybe not as well as the head harness, but much better than just a collar or regular harness), and my dog doesn't mind it at all (well he doesn't really like to sit down with it on, but that's ok). I still feel like I have control of him and I love that he can't choke himself (I also felt like the head harness did restrict his breathing, especially during our hot summers).
by Leah England | Wednesday, December 8th, 2010 at 2:14pm
Laura -- try giving your dog treats while he's wearing the gentle leader. He'll start to associate the leader with good things and he might stop trying to get it off. When I was training my Great Dane to wear it, I put it on her in the house and just went about doing normal things, and would give her treats from time to time. This made it much less of a "process" when we put it on for our walks.
We agree, Leah! Jen recommends associating treats with gentle leaders from the very beginning. Have your dog wear it only for a short period of time to begin with and increase slowly. Fit can also contribute to discomfort. It is easiest to show in person, but in short a gentle leader should be fitted by:
- Tightening the head piece snugly behind the ears. The halter is designed to lay on bone and should not restrict breathing.
- Fit the nose piece so that it is loose enough to reach the fleshy part of the nose, but not loose enough to slip off the end.
Introducing new items like a gentle leader using positive reinforcement takes time, patience and consistency but the end result is well-worth the effort! Good luck and let us know if we can help!