When she sees other dogs...

[curb_pks]

Krikkit,

Have you heard from people that the gentle leader also stopped the dog from pulling like crazy to get to other dogs with hurting them? I am using it with one leash attached, not two and just wanted to make sure that is ok.

Thanks!

~Kevin

 

[C Prawetz]

Max does the same when seeing another dog. He loves to play but unfortunately most dogs and owners do not appreciate his kind of playing(only on a leash he is much better at the dog park off leash) I use the gentle leader on him all the time when I walk him and it does help, he cannot pull as hard. We also had a bad time at obedience school. He was much more into the other dogs than learning. He would do everything good as home work but in class was another story. We finally left class because he was such a distraction. I agree about trying to find a trainer that will work with you, ours was not. As far as liking the gentle leader its been about 1 1/2 years and he still runs when he sees it but we do get it on him and use it.

 

[curb_pks]

When you have the GL on and he sees another dog, does it prevent him from pulling?

 

[C Prawetz]

It doesn't stop pulling but they can't pull as hard and its easier to control the pulling.

 

[binky]

Originally posted by curb_pks
When you have the GL on and he sees another dog, does it prevent him from pulling?

The theory behind the Gentle Leader:

When using a typical collar or even a harness, when a dog pulls, the pressure is at the front of the collar and/or harness. A dog will naturally pull towards the pressure in a attempt to make the pressure stop or to get away from it.

When using a GL, pressure is applied at the back of the head, so the dog more or less pushes back against the GL instead of pulling forward. (Some pressure is also applied to the top of the nose/muzzle which is also good for dominant dogs).

Now I realize this isn't what happens 100% of the time when using a GL, but you will definitely notice the majority of dogs wearing GL's aren't pulling.

The more dominant your dog is, the more they will initially resist the GL. Some get so used to GL's they could care less. With others, the best you get is tolerance of the GL. But they do work wonders, especially for women/children, etc. who may have a harder time controlling our powerful boxer babies.

 

[BeckyNC]

My experience has been similar with Tae. She goes nuts at obedience (and when she sees other dogs on walks) and I am crossing my fingers that she won't tonight (this will be her third class). She barks and strains to play with the other dogs and then they start barking. It's actually quite funny to me.

At the dog park, Tae is very nonchalant, the total opposite of when she's on a leash. I guess that's because she can visit with whomever she wants at the dog park.

I will say that last week in obedience we started working on loose leash walking and it's helped a lot! I bought a gentle leader, but have yet to use it. I am hoping to resolve the problem without it...

The funniest thing is I had a Husky growing up and she never pulled like this. Huskies, of course, are bred to pull sleds and she did pull, but our 45 lb Husky didn't pull as hard as my 37 lb Boxer girl!

 

[Claudia807]

The original poster seemed to be describing what I would interpret as leash frustration. I wanted to put in a plug for a good book on this topic called Feisty Fido by Patricia McConnell and Karen London. It's a quick read and a helpful reference. A lot of dogs have this problem, where they are fine with other dogs in general but have a hard time relating to other dogs while on leash.

Claudia
Green Acres Boxer Rescue of WI

 

[pricerj7]

I'm not sure if I went about it the correct way, BUT I tend to use those experiences as time for a training lesson. My Isis, who is 5 months old goes crazy when she sees other dogs and people. What I do is put her training collar on and put her in various positions. Using the distraction to my advantage while training. For example, while in the neighborhood walking if cars pass by, people are walking their dogs, etc. I put her in her sit of down position. Amazingly enough, she stays. Now when I am able to do it with a regular leash on, I'll be quite happy. In short, use the distraction to your advantage. Not only does it teach your boxer manners, but it teaches them to obey commands.