[southerngirls]

First let me ask the question. now i went and bought Reese a gentle leader, which has helped a tiny bit. I wonder though if i have it on correctly-i followed the instructions and it doesnt slip off her nose. It also has enough for 1 finger to slip under the collar part (per instructions) BUT it just doesnt seem to be working or maybe i am not doing something right-though it seems pretty easy. Reese still pulls hard on the leash, the only difference is she isnt choking herself. When she pulls on it, her mouth shuts and she is forced to look in my direction. Which is great, but hasnt stopped the pulling. Maybe i am expecting to much to soon-we have only had it about two weeks. Thoughts??

Second here are some pics that we got when the girls were about to get their PB sandwich.

Old Lady Savannah

Looking at each other like "what is she waiting for"

"Hurry up mom!!"

Reese and her sandwich

Savannah and her sandwich

Our normal view of Reese when she gets her snack or chewie-Savannah cant get to her to steal the treats and such

 

[OdinsDad]

The collar part is supposed to rest at the base of the skull (or high-up on the neck) on the back of your boxer's head.  If he's wearing it like a collar, it won't work as well.

Not sure if this is your problem, but if everything else is right, then this is the only thing left to make sure the gentle leader works right... essentially, if the dog pulls (or you pull) on the leash, it closes his mouth, and puts pressure on the top of his mouth and back of his head.

Odin is really good on the leash now... he was choking himself silly on a regular collar and leash before we got the gentle leader... now he stopped pulling and behaves much better on the gentle leader.

 

[Mastray]

**Wow... I'm extremely annoyed. I had this long post typed out for you... almost done and Windows Vista decided to just restart for NO REASON!!!!

Anyway, I LOVE THE PICS!

Odin uses the gentle leader and when we got it... the amount of pulling he did decreased considerably. Don't get me wrong... I'm no where near loose leashing walking (though mostly my fault I think for not walking him with this MORE often) but I did notice a difference. I don't know if what you are asking for is too much too soon. I think it's fairly reasonable.

Hubby and I had a huge debate about how the gentle leader was suppose to fit... I like you did what the dvd instructions said... cuz' ours came with a dvd. Just to be sure I talked to the trainer at Petsmart and we took Odin over there for her to fit it on him "properly". She loosened it around the back... for more than one finger... she said that it was good like this. He did seem to be more comfortable though I did kind of wonder since the dvd said MORE THAN ONE FINGER was TOO LOOSE. She even walked him up and down...and UP AND DOWN isles for us since he was scratching at it on his face. It was so funny to see him sit and pout about it... but would soon get over it realizing if he walked well with her he'd continously get treats! LOL

I liked what I typed better earlier... but I don't remember it word for word... sorry. Don't know if I was any help but this has been my experince with it. I truly do think this is a great idea! It looks kind of bad to people who don't understand or know what it is... but it isn't restricting the dog badly or hurting it in any way. Maybe she just needs a little more work? Or something???

 

[OdinsDad]

Yeah... the DVD that came with the Gentle Leader was VERY SPECIFIC about only allowing one finger in the neck part, but the trainer at Petsmart was VERY SPECIFIC that it didn't need to be that tight.

Perhaps a little experimentation might be needed with your boxer.

When we had it as tight as the DVD said, Odin seemed to fight the gentle leader more... after we loosened it a bit around the neck and walked him a lot on it, he got more in a groove... he's not perfect on it, but he's a LOT better on the Gentle Leader then he was on a conventional leash and collar.

 

[southerngirls]

hmmm......maybe i will try loosen it up some. Let me clarify one thing, she isnt wearing it like a collar, it does sit higher up (closer to the ears then lower on the neck) i was just using that to make sure everyone knew what part i was talking about. ours came with the dvd as well, who new these things could be so tricky??  :lol:

 

[OdinsDad]

Do use a lot of treats with the Gentle Leader while walking your dog... praise your boxer and give them treats if they are doing well with the gentle leader.  Reinforce walking good with treats and do it often... your boxer will get the idea quick.

To help with this, we noticed our Petsmart Trainer had a bag FULL of treats on her belt... we noticed they sold these treat bags that clip onto your belt at Petsmart, so we picked one up for use with Odin on walks... it's great... a convienent place to keep a LOT of treats for Odin while we're out walking him.

I'm not sure the Gentle Leader would work as well without reinforcing with treats, but Odin has done very well with the combo (once he gets better with the gentle leader you can cut back on the treats if you want).

 

[samsonsmom]

ROTFLMAO  at those pictures...Savannah and her "grandma" look and Reese under the table...I loved it...I'm surprised that the Halti isn't working better..Always has for me...There are 2 rings on the under side of the Halti, are you using the lower one that is closest to where you attach it to her collar? I made the mistake and was using the upper,,didn't work as well....Just a thought..

 

[southerngirls]

I do give some treats, but typically only when they go to the bathroom, i will try and increase the treats for when she responds and such while using the gentle leader.

as for the ring to clip to, ours only has one clip under the chin, and that is the one we clip her leash to. Like i said it is helping some, and i could just be asking for too much too soon. we are starting our second week on it. Reese is very stubborn and likes doing the zig-zag when being walked so i am constantly tripping over her. this may also be part of the reason i am having issues. i cant get her to walk on one side!!

 

[tootsie]

Love the pics of the girls. They look great!  

 

[boxerlove]

Those pictures are too cute!  Our guys love peanut butter too!

 

[Flutterby]

Savannah looks hilarious!! Both of your girls are beauties though!

I can't be of any help with the gentle leader.. I haven't started using it yet..Toby is good on leash, so I don't need it.. I just use the prong to "check" him incase he starts staring at something..

 

[lillyzmomma]

As a trainer, I don't recommend the Gentle Leader.  At least not unless you are willing to walk your dog on a Gentle Leader for the rest of his life.  All a G.L. does is control your dogs head (to an extent and if your Boxer is true to form, it won't even do that).  It doesn't solve the problem of pulling on lead.  Another problem I have found with Boxers (and other stout, muscular working dogs) and G.L.'S is that they are so strong that once they get up a good head of steam (momentum) all you can do is go along for the ride.  They just straighten the neck out and go.  Boxers are VERY stubbborn, but a blast to train.  They just need lots of fun during training or they get bored.

Could you post a pick of how the G.L. looks while on your dog?

BTW---Your babies are BEAUTIFUL!!!  My Silly Lilly does the same butt under the table thing too!!  She does it to keep the kids from distracting her from her Chicken Jerky!!  LOL!!!

Good luck with the G.L.  If you want some tips for teaching your dog to walk politely, proudly, and sedately on leash then hit us up.  My kids have thought up some great ideas for teaching it and they work!!!  Like the PB trick!!!   LOLOLOLOL!!!


Liz and Lilly

 

[OdinsDad]

As a trainer, I don't recommend the Gentle Leader.  At least not unless you are willing to walk your dog on a Gentle Leader for the rest of his life.  All a G.L. does is control your dogs head (to an extent and if your Boxer is true to form, it won't even do that).  It doesn't solve the problem of pulling on lead.

As a USER of the GL, I have to disagree... pulling and "going along for the ride" was all Odin was doing with a traditional collar and leash.  The minute we started using the GL, the pulling stopped... immediately.  Odin doesn't rush anymore with the GL, and doesn't attempt to run-off... he does stay mostly in-pace... the only issue we have now with Odin is the constant "side switching", which is what we're working on now... but the GL DEFINATELY ended the tugging and pulling issue.

I've been rewarding Odin with treats if he stays on one side... he's getting better at that aspect.

 

[lillyzmomma]

Something you can do for the witching sides thing...

Teach him to heel.  Once he gets that down really well.  Then teach him to switch during a heel (switch sides).  This way you can navigate tight spaces and my Boxer girls thinks this is the greatest game to play (espicailly in the grocery store).  LOL!!!

I'm glad that you have had suck luck with the G.L.  I work with a lot of rescues (of all breeds [especially pits for some reson]) that need solid lead training that were gievn up because even the G.L. didn't work.  Most of these cases are because the owner wasn't a good leader for the dog so the dog ran the show/walk/hike etc etc etc...

Even though I train, I am a firm believer in the don't fix it if it aint broke!!!  But if it aint working then you need to fix it.

I HAVE USED the G.L., but didn't like it.  If a client insists that they want to use it, I train them with it.  But, I won't use it on one of my own dogs.

Just offering advise.  I didn't realize it was going to offend someone.  To each his own...

Liz and Lilly

 

[Flutterby]

The training classes that my college is teaching recommends a Genter Leader and won't allow you to use anything else while you're training your classes under their coorporation... I used it for a bit on my american bulldog/pitbull mix who is 90lbs and when he got the idea that he can't go anywhere by pulling on it, then he stopped. I give the Gentle Leader two thumbs up..

 

[OdinsDad]

You didn't offend anyone... but you said that "as a trainer" the GL won't stop pulling issues.  I found that a rather cart blanche statement that simply wasn't always the case, and from personal experience (even if I'm just an owner), the GL immediately stopped Odin's pulling... and let me tell you... Odin would literally choke himself out on a traditional collar and leash, so for him to stop pulling the day we started using the GL, I wanted to make it clear that it does work... at least with a card-carrying "I'll pull you till I choke myself out" boxer such as Odin.

Opinions do vary on this forum... why not get-in on the hotly debated "Electric Fence" debate... opinions there tend to be a little more hotly taken then something as basic as a GL!  :lol:

Sheesh... I didn't even mention how well my boxer responds to the cattle-prod (okay... just joking... we don't use a cattle prod!).

 

[Flutterby]

LOL... I don't use the G.L. anymore.. I'm working with the prong so far.. I'd prefer not to use that with Mia if I don't have to and I'll use the GL as long as I can..

 

[lillyzmomma]

I've been training for 16 yrs and I feel that it is better to have a dog that can walk politely on a collar (of some kind) and a lead than a G.L. ...but to each his own...

Liz and Lilly

 

[lillyzmomma]

I also hate prongs...they hurt...but again, to each his own...

best of luck in your training...

Liz and Lilly

 

[OdinsDad]

I don't know why people hate the GL so much... I've seen a few people that act like we're torturing our dog by using the GL.

What was torture was seeing Odin with bloodshot eyes every day we took him out on a regular leash and collar... I personally considered that dog abuse over using the GL... which allows him to breath normal (unlike the leash and collar) and he doesn't exhaust himself from strangulation and tugging (unlike the leash and collar).

Odin would literally pass-out on walks with a traditional leash and collar because he wouldn't stop pulling and choking himself out.  To me, that is 100x worse then using a GL which doesn't choke and doesn't hurt him.  He enjoys his walks much more now, as do we.

We're using the GL as a training tool... I'm confident he'll learn proper leash behavior on the GL, and we'll be able to then switch to a leash and collar... but frankly, I was a little more worried about my dog's health by sticking with a traditional leash and collar... choking ones-self to passing out is NOT healthy... even if it makes others feel better about which leash and collar we are using on our dog.