Posted: Wed Oct 13, 2010 11:41 am Post subject: Gentle Leader Head Collar...
Anyone had any success with this and how does it compare to the Canny Collar?
Storm, who is 13 months old and who we got from a shelter about 8 weeks ago, pulled constantly, no matter what we did and despite trying numerous different 'Ant-Pull' harnesses (last one being the Mekuti), nothing worked. He also lunges at other dogs (not aggressively, just wants to meet them), chases cats and stands up on his back legs when he sees birds fly over, as he wants to chase them...When we are walking him down the road!
Anyway, we got the Gentle Leader yesterday and he's been out twice with it on and it's made quite a difference. He hates wearing it though and often tries to pull it off by rubbing his face on the ground and I don't really like him wearing it. But, if it trains him out of pulling (as it's supposed to do), then hopefully he'll be able to stop wearing it one day. Though I know it will not stop him trying to chase birds, or cats!!
i hated the gentle leader and threw mine in the drawer of things i`ll never touch again! mine used to bat it with their paws and do the rubbing of the head against everything, it also has a tendency to rub up against their eyes. i`ll admit it does prevent pulling.....but it only prevents pulling whilst the dog is wearing it and once you take it off they tend to go back to their old ways. i`ve spoken to trainers, staff where i volunteer dog walk and others who have used it and they`ve said the canny collar or dogmatic is a much better option.
eta - jake has a tendency to react the same around other dogs and strangers, seems to think everyone is there to play with him. i`ve started carrying a tube of primula cheese or some chopped up hotdogs and just distracting him with that as we walk past. he`s not 100% on it but it does seem to be working and i think it`s a much better way than using a head collar as they won`t solve the jumping up problem.
Oscar has one and i wouldn't be without it, he pulled so much and i was getting quite stressed on walks. He too rubs on the ground to try and get it off but this lessened as time went on during walks and its once in a blue moon he does it now out on walks. He does do it after we get in from walks and after getting in the car but again not as much as before. He know walks beautifully next to me with no pulling and when he sees other dogs/people i can control the jumping so much better. Training class is a breeze now as before i was in tears after his pulling and not being able to join in. i would thoroughly recommend sticking with it as its been great using it.
i`ll admit it does prevent pulling.....but it only prevents pulling whilst the dog is wearing it and once you take it off they tend to go back to their old ways. .
It's a shame that it did'nt work for you Oscar walks much better now when he isn't wearing it. Being a small lady i need all the help that i can get when walking Oscar and having tried various harnesses and a Halti and PAH head collar the Gentle Leader is definately the best.
I prefer the GL to the canny collar. Jed had a Canny Collar - first I lost the little fiddly clip in the long grass, then the next one landed in a pile of poo. Got new clips. He could easily get it off his nose with one swipe simply because it could not be adjusted to a decent tension. Then there is all the fiddling to take it off the nose and secure the ends before the dog can run free.
GL - if it is adjusted to the right tension does not cut into them and does not swivel round. Easily released either by simply unclipping the lead or by unclipping the neck part and sliding off.
I use if when we walk onto the beach sometimes as manners go out of the window with all of them in the rush to get to the sand. Road walking - he has a mikki harness and walks well on that (he is deaf, so a gentle tug tells him to stop pulling as I cannot tell him verbally). If he continues to pull the GL is waved at him and he walks well. Rarely he continues to pull, in which case it gets put on.
I have tried Haltis etc as well - found the GL once adjusted correctly did not lead to the nose rubbing etc because no straps near the eyes, and it was behind the whiskers.
I haven't tried it but I use a Dogmatic on Molly on days when she is hyper . It's brilliant and as it doesn't tighten anywhere when Molly pulls - it simply makes Molly turn her head towards me and so she can't pull.
None of these collars will teach a dog to walk nicely though, but they can be a good stop gap whilst working on training to walk to heel. Having said that Molly is still hopeless at walking to heel 6 months after getting the Dogmatic. She will only walk nicely as long as I hold a smelly treat in my hand...but that's a different post altogether
I have a friend who recently got a Dogmatic for her dog following advice from someone who's advice I absolutely trust.
However, that person did make it clear that while a headcollar can be great to assist with the problem, and more importantly in an emergency (to prevent a lunge or example), it should only ever be an aid to training and not a solution. She said that ultimately you have to make yourself the most exciting thing in the world to the dog, over and above all other possible distractions (sounds so easy eh )
She also recommended very little bursts of using it at first, and that it must be a fun thing so lots of treats and fun stuff while it's being worn.
After a couple of weeks my friend has now started using it out and about and it's transformed the way her dog walks on a lead, his behaviour is immaculate.
ETA: It's also the only one she recommends, and after seeing it in action I can see why. Watching the dog it's like seeing a horse being led. It's very kind on the dog - there's no riding up of the nose strap and no cutting into the flesh like with a Halti for example.
I haven't tried it but I use a Dogmatic on Molly on days when she is hyper . It's brilliant and as it doesn't tighten anywhere when Molly pulls - it simply makes Molly turn her head towards me and so she can't pull.
None of these collars will teach a dog to walk nicely though, but they can be a good stop gap whilst working on training to walk to heel. Having said that Molly is still hopeless at walking to heel 6 months after getting the Dogmatic. She will only walk nicely as long as I hold a smelly treat in my hand...but that's a different post altogether
I have exactly the same thing.
I only use them when I take four of mine together. Aggi and Hattie never pull, but Georgie and Milo don't pull but if another dog comes, they do. This stops that, even though they absolutely hate the collar. It doesn't tighten, as said, it just is the same as a horse collar.
They both hate it and even though they only have it on for about five minutes- I let them off at the walk, they always look depressed and claw at it.
When my husband is with me, we never use them.
I don't like the tightening ones as I think they work as in the 'Monty Roberts' horse head collar. It is a pain, release idea.. The animal feels pain when it pulls, no pain when it releases.. Unless you have a really good handler who understands the concept, it can cause more problems.
i have a horse trained in this way by a really good horsewoman. She knew how to reward and reprimand. I can now walk this horse on a thread and she is really content. You get someone who doesn't understand it and you can have them ruined so easily.
Most training aids are only good if in the hands of people who know how to use them..
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But, if it trains him out of pulling (as it's supposed to do), then hopefully he'll be able to stop wearing it one day. Though I know it will not stop him trying to chase birds, or cats!! 
. It's brilliant and as it doesn't tighten anywhere when Molly pulls - it simply makes Molly turn her head towards me and so she can't pull.
