G
Guest
·Hiya.
Oscar is now just cmming up to 10 months old, and the bigger and stronger he gets the harder he pulls on his lead.
We used to be able to manage him on a harness (that fitted on his body), but as he is now enormous and very strong, even this doesn't hold him back.
He used to walk really well to heel when he was younger, but the older he has got and the more confident he is.. the more he is desperate to see and smell everything and the more he completely ignores anything we say or do.
We have therefore decided to really concentrate on training him to walk nicely.
Over the last week, we've been concentrating on teaching him the walking words we want him to respond to (which he now responds to'sometimes') and today we introduced a gentle leader for the first time (inside the house at first).
Although he's still a happy chappy with it on, and fine if he is distracted, he keeps rubbing at it with his paws - which I presume he will stop doing as he gets used to it.
The problem I have, is that my husband has always really had a problem with head collars (which is why it has taken this long for me to be able to persuade him to let us try one.)
I think for starters he thinks it makes Oscar look like he is mussled and therefore gives a bad impression to other people, but also that Oscar is too big and heavy to be controlled safely by his head.
Please can someone reassure me that it won't do a big labrador any harm to be controlled by the head?
From the small experience we have of it today, I'd imagine he just won't pull as much, so it won't be the great pressure on his head - but can we really control him with a gentle leader and not risk harming his neck?
Any advice would be very greatfully received.
Sarah x
ps. sorry for such a long first post!!
Oscar is now just cmming up to 10 months old, and the bigger and stronger he gets the harder he pulls on his lead.
We used to be able to manage him on a harness (that fitted on his body), but as he is now enormous and very strong, even this doesn't hold him back.
He used to walk really well to heel when he was younger, but the older he has got and the more confident he is.. the more he is desperate to see and smell everything and the more he completely ignores anything we say or do.
We have therefore decided to really concentrate on training him to walk nicely.
Over the last week, we've been concentrating on teaching him the walking words we want him to respond to (which he now responds to'sometimes') and today we introduced a gentle leader for the first time (inside the house at first).
Although he's still a happy chappy with it on, and fine if he is distracted, he keeps rubbing at it with his paws - which I presume he will stop doing as he gets used to it.
The problem I have, is that my husband has always really had a problem with head collars (which is why it has taken this long for me to be able to persuade him to let us try one.)
I think for starters he thinks it makes Oscar look like he is mussled and therefore gives a bad impression to other people, but also that Oscar is too big and heavy to be controlled safely by his head.
Please can someone reassure me that it won't do a big labrador any harm to be controlled by the head?
From the small experience we have of it today, I'd imagine he just won't pull as much, so it won't be the great pressure on his head - but can we really control him with a gentle leader and not risk harming his neck?
Any advice would be very greatfully received.
Sarah x
ps. sorry for such a long first post!!