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Liquorish asked in PetsDogs · 1 decade ago

Gentle Leader or Easy Walk Harness?

My 6month old puppy is a puller but we are working on the heel command.I want an aid to help me in the training because she tends to pull against her collar and choke herself when Im out walking . She also gets distracted and wants to sniff things out of our path of walking. I heard people talk about Gentle Leaders but I dont think my dog would like having something wrapped around her face. Ive also heard about harnesses and that they cause the dog to pull even more. However, the Primier easy walk harness hooks from the front to guide the dog. I was just wondering if anyone has any experience with these articles and which one they preferred . Are they both effective? Thanks.

10 Answers

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  • 1 decade ago
    Favorite Answer

    Gentle leader also makes a harness that does not go around the nose,it fastens in front and prevents pulling.Sounds like it may be the same as the primier.The harness got my rowdy one thru her CGC test.

  • Anonymous
    4 years ago

    1

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  • 1 decade ago

    Question #1: Any of the head halter type devices work off of leverage. This is fine for horses, but not for dogs. Dogs do not outweigh their human counterparts tenfold as horses do, which results in them being whipped around by their head and neck.

    Head halters are touted as being the "humane" alternative to choke and pinch collars. In reality, it is just a marketing ploy. The most common injury from these devices is Vestibular syndrome, which is a very serious neurological injury.

    Even if you are willing to compromise your dog's health to train it, keep in mind that these training aids only work when they're on the dog. Take it off and your dog won't stay at heel.

    Question #2: Harnesses are useless for teaching a dog to walk at heel. They are used for pulling - see sled dogs, weight pulling, tracking etc. - and would only encourage your dog to do so more.

    My advice is to learn how to use a choke collar properly. There is a right way and a wrong way to put them on! If you put it on backwards, the collar will stay tight and the dog will choke constantly. Used properly, it is tight when the dog pulls and loose when the dog is at heel.

    Professional dog trainers do not need head halters or no-pull harnesses to control a dog. You should take your dog to a professional dog trainer and use the same equipment a professional would. They are immune to the quick-fix marketing strategies and tend to go with what works.

    Source(s): Vestibular syndrome from head halters: http://www.pawmark.com/ccoc/pdf/halti-caution.pdf ~~ I have trained all three of my current dogs without the use of any training aids. They all obtained their CGC on nothing more than a buckle collar and a loose leash.
  • Anonymous
    5 years ago

    With the headcollar, you should not attach a leash to it for at least a week. Put it on, feed him dinner with it on, or play a fun game, or give him a treat. Then take it off. Make sure every experience with it on not only takes his attention off on it, but is a fun and exciting experience. The easy-walk harness is a good tool, but I personally prefer the gentle leader for my own dog. I do recommend the easy-walk if people are unwilling to work with the gentle leader, but I think the gentle leader works better. It gives you more control over the dog.

  • Anonymous
    1 decade ago

    I have the Easy Walk harnesses for my three dogs. They are two toned in color so you can distinguish which strap goes around the belly. Mine is made by "Gentle Leader" but it is not the device that goes around the mouth at all.

    The only difficulty I had with it was getting used to the feel of it and making sure it was adjusted properly so the dog can't pull out of it when first introducing it to the dog.

    I give it five paws up!

  • 1 decade ago

    At my shelter, we use a gentle leader on all of the dogs that go through our doggy boot camp. They fight it the first few times it is put on and then settle down nicely. They know they have to pay attention and get down to business when they have them on. The breeds of dogs have varied from jack russells to st. bernards. I myself use a premiere easy walk harness for my french bulldog. She is a tank and a constant puller when we go for walks.She does not have enough muzzle to use a gentle leader. I have better control over her with this harness than I do others. I believe you can also use the Easy Walk Harness in tandem with a martingale collar. I believe Premeire also makes them.

  • 1 decade ago

    I think the theory behind the Gentle Leader is that supposedly in the wild a dominate dog puts his mouth over the muzzle of another dog as a way of correcting his behavior. It may be annoying to your dog at first but she may need something other than you telling her to slow down and smell the roses! It doesn't hurt them, it just sends a message not to pull. They really can be very effective. Try one out for a week and see how it goes.

  • ?
    Lv 7
    1 decade ago

    I have used a Gentle Leader and a Halti head harness on several dogs with great success. I recommend them both. I find the Halti head halter easier to use.

  • 1 decade ago

    I have an Easy Walk harness on my 2 year old Golden Retriever/GSD mix and it works quite well. You might want to consider obedience classes as well to teach your dog to walk on a loose leash. In a nutshell, whenever the leash goes taut, you stop and call her back. It takes a while, but they get it.

  • 1 decade ago

    i hava a pitbill and use to use a choker hated it. I tried the harness didnt like it then i found the gentle lead i put it on her and it was an instant transformation. She is easy to walk and it doesnt choke her to death

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