i really like that you had a dog who actually struggled to learn. One thing that separates this video from other youtube videos is they dont show a dog struggling to learn and that's what happens in reality.
Just tried a Gentle Leader for the first time with my 5-month-old sheltie. I realized right away I needed some help making her comfortable and I knew I could count on McCann Dog Training to show the way. Thanks Instructor Steve!
I really like this because things go wrong at first just like with my own dog, and then he shows how to right the situation. He’s not using a dog that’s already trained perfectly. Thank you, this is the video I was looking for.😊
Thank you so much for your videos. I bought a Gentle Leader a couple of weeks ago (after the McCann recommendation) for my rescue dog and walks have become pleasurable for the first time! She is now listening and focused without the constant pulling and darting that were constant before. I have had dogs all my life but this dog was really beyond my ability until your help.
Wow. I am in the same situation, not knowing if I can get my Doberman rescue under control. I will order one tonight. You give me hope. I’m at my wits end at the moment.
I have found a correlation between the amount of resistance the dog shows toward the Gentle Leader and the amount of resistance the dog has toward losing control. Dogs inherently don’t want to be controlled-they want to maintain that control! They seem to understand immediately that the Gentle Leader takes away control. This actually is a good thing in that the handler can see how much resistance they are dealing with.
I had one of these for my really big, overly protective Lab/Ridgeback mix and yes, he hated it at first. But it was honestly the best thing for walking him to avoid the pulling. I’ve always recommended this collar to others because it worked so well for us.
Thanks for the great tutorial. I appreciate the realistic demonstration and your patience. I’m watching more and more of your videos. I respect your style.
For my dog, it took a little over a week for her to used to the gentle leader before we even attempted a walk. I still use treats when I put it on her. She doesn't mind it now because she knows that putting the gentle leader on means a walk. So far, it's been a great tool for me to communicate with my dog and help her understand how to walk on a loose leash.
@@donnadovico8619 My dog isn't food motivated either. I just use the food to get the leader on her. Once it's on, we're good to go. And two years later, she is actually walking pretty nicely on a leash.
@@mellyme1978 I still use the head collar and probably always will. I find I have much better control than with just a flat collar and leash. But that's just me and my dog. Other people might have different experiences.
This is the best video I've seen on desensitizing your dog to a head collar. So many of the other videos contain videos of dogs that are already used to wearing a head collar. Thanks for sharing.
I just bought one of these for my beagle. Yours were the first videos that popped up and i remembered watching the puppy ones from you guys when she was little❤.
This was reassuring. My dog took it so readily that I thought we were ready for a walk. We weren’t but this video helped me see that I just need to back up to his comfort level and build slowly.
Excellent video. First time i have found a video that they use an untrained dog!! And any bad parts are not cut out. Thank you! I look forward to watching more videos from this guy.
This is so helpful and timely! Sherlock doesn't seem to mind the gentle leader while we are walking, but any time we'd stop for any length of time, he'd paw at it. I think we'll give it another try after this video.
my dog was the exact same way when I first put it on, and she’s so smart on how to take it off LOL! but after rewarding her with treats she didn’t mind it and it was literally the best thing ever!!!
I really appreciated this video. I have a 6 month old lab pup that is really easily distracted. It is almost to the point of it being dangerous for me to walk him because is very big and strong. Walks are stressful for both of us. We tried the gentle leader, but he pawed at it so hard that it left marks on his muzzle so we stopped using it. This gives me the guidance that I need to hopefully be successful with it.
Call me twisted, but watching dogs learn the gentle leader is so amusing! The whole gamut of emotions are on display: naivety, anticipation, suspicion, panic, resourcefulness, persistence, conflicting desires, realization, acceptance. You can really imagine yourself in your dog's head the whole time they're working it out. 😂
On the opposite end of the spectrum I have a fluffy, stubborn small breed puppy. You can't see what she's doing half the time (chewing glass on the sidewalk?). Since she won't look at me this type of control is important.
My older aunt had unfortunately been pulled / dragged by her rescue, and was facing the heartbreaking decision of finding the dog a new home; a gentle lead literally solved all her issues, and both her and the dog couldn't be happier.
Thanks for this video! I had been looking for some resources on this as my dog is really resistant to the gentle leader. Using "leave it" when he tries to take it off with his paws has been extra helpful for me as well.
I have a 11 month old GSMD (a breed bred to pull heavy carts) and she's already 110lbs, having her pull me is dangerous not only for me but if she got out there is a lot of untrained aggressive dogs and I don't want her to get hurt. I use a Halti head leader for her and she behaves like a saint, she is easily distracted and this helps her focus and it's a life saver!
this helped tremendously! the first time i tried putting it on our dog, he freaked out pretty bad. he wanted no part of it, so i put it away. then i started buttering him up as shown in this and the difference was amazing.
Our GSD isn't fond of it, but wow! it has transformed our walks. Thanks for all the information about how to use it. The Gentle Leader is more versatile than I realized. 👍
It worked right away on the first time for my dog but I used a lot of treats to distract him from pawing his face😊 it’s so worth it though, now he doesn’t pull anymore 😊
I have to see this, I'm planning to buy one This young dog My dog bite the Leash and collar yes I know I must under control that I'm glad I watch this video to learn more Thank you so much ❤️
I tried the gentle leader for my Doberman puppy for about a month and a half bc her trainer insisted it’s the best for pulling put she never stopped pawing at it. Whether we were walking, she was eating, playing with other dogs she’d always stop to paw at it. I finally just stopped using. Still searching for an alternative!!!
I work with guide dog "puppies" in training. Although we use an infinity collar, it is a lot like the gentle leader. This is awesome and exactly how I introduced the infinity collar to my pup! This was perfectly done!
What if you live in a high population density (people and dogs) major metropolitan area, you don't own a car, and your puppy is destructive when off-leash in your big backyard and self-injures when tethered? Then your dog has to walk past humans and dogs daily for exercise and you don't have the choice to not walk them in distracting environments every day.
I have an 8 month old Australian Kelpie that I've owned for 2 months. At first he was doing okay on a flat collar and leash and would walk as I wanted 70% of the time. The other 30% became a nightmare of him suddenly failing to focus on me at all, no matter what. He'd also pull like crazy and try to stop and sniff every blade of grass. I'd been having a look at some dogs at an obedience class in my town. I saw quite a few dog wearing a head halter and nose band and it occurred to me they were nearly all high energy herding, pointing and retrieving breeds. I figured I would give one a try. Was a bit sceptical about how effective it would be, but from the moment I first put a leader on him, it transformed him into a completely different animal. Instantly stopped him from wanting to pull, and he now walks to heel on a loose leash. He now keeps his head up and looks at the world around him instead of having his nose glued to the ground. He was already good at ignoring most distractions, but this has made him even better. Has no trouble at all dealing with walks up to 5-6 mile while wearing it the entire time. I don't need to correct him at all, even when I let him have time to be a dog and to stop and sniff and then call on him to continue walking.
Actually the gentle leader and the halti are the same concept but the design is different. I use the petco brand because it doesnt go up by the eye as much it also wont allow you to use as a bite deterent or a bark stop. What I don't like about the halti is the full circle of fabric around the muzzle.
Thank you so much for this video! A question though...we have a 9 month old 70lb puppy who, while wearing this lead, decides he's going to lay down, and not move. Treats won't budge him, and there is no way to get him up. Any suggestions?
My part Malinois part Black Cur pup is not food motivated - which has been a problem since she is very energetic and “headstrong”,she freaks out when bicycles, cars and trucks, joggers and other dogs pass us.
Thanks McCann for your videos. I've been following your videos and dog training methods with my now 8month old Australian Cattle dog. I've recently tried a gentle leader with her but she hates it and would not even want to play or do anything with it on other than flop on the ground and sulk. How can I get her to like the gentle leader if so? Appreciate any advice - thank you!
My dog hides when he sees it! I've given him lots of treats but he just seems super sensitive to all collars and harnesses too, it took him 6 months to get the association of his harnesses means walks, but even with his "no pull harness " he pulls my wheelchair and me off the sidewalk! Not pleasant! So I need more control! Any ideas for a very sensitive dogs except more time and patience? I'd like to be able to walk him myself! I've been trying to get him used to it for 3 months now! And I don't take it off I keep giving treats
Hi - I have been using gentle leader with some success but have concerns that my 70 lb GSD mix isnt able to pant as effectively and will overheat once it gets warmer. I have had the fit checked and have it as loose as it will go. However, on walks in warmer weather without the GL, he fully hinges his mouth wide open to pant and with it, only opens his mouth maybe a third of the way. Thoughts?
We have one for my American Akita. She hated it. We have been using it for 4 months. She still hates it. The vet actually told us to stop using it as it was causing scarring on her muzzle.
My standard poodle walks great with the leader, but the minute he sees a squirrel he absolutely loses it and I’m afraid he’ll hurt himself. He’s very strong, too. Any suggestions? I don’t want to tug on the leader and hurt him.
I had gentle leaders for both my big dogs (black lab and black lab-english mastiff mix) a few years back. The difference between what I see here, and the soft leads I had is where the leash connects to the soft lead... the ring for connecting the leash was at the back of the neck, not in front. The soft lead around the mouth was pre-adjusted & never constricted with the leash. Walking my 100 + lb dogs was as easy as signaling a change of direction with my little finger. Prior to the soft leads I, i couldn't take my dogs for a walk without a huge struggle. The first day, with soft leads, was like a dog walking miracle. As with people, the body goes where the head goes. While these may be good for training, I don't like these because they are only good for training.
Hi, love your videos I think I've lost watched all of them. I have a question, where do you stand on a 'fresh patch'? A real piece of grass for puppy's/dogs when you live in an apartment. Love to hear your thoughts on this
I’ve tried this with my lab, but I need to keep trying because she starts freaking out and was bleeding from her face because she hates it! I feel like this is the only thing that works because she us so strong and can’t walk her without pulling me on a walk! Unless anyone else has any other ideas?!
My border collie is drooling wearing gentle leash, and he takes it off. It’s the same except I’m not sure how to make him feel comfortable with it even after this video. Probably I should take a week or so for him to like it slowly?! 😢
My reactive, unsocialized rescue Bichon is not at all food/treat motivated. Makes training really difficult. He does respond to verbal praise. Any suggestions?
You can actually replace treats with play. Instead of reinforcing by giving him a treat instead grab a tug toy, and when he completes something properly says yes! And give him 10-15 seconds of play
I have just gotten a gentle leader for my golden. She pulls and I’ve tried other methods and they don’t seem to work. My question is that if this works why do we have to wean them off of it eventually? Couldn’t I just always use it on our walks?
At timestamp 6:20 he says "it gonna learn quickly that no tension means good things" I guess the gentle leader is used as a temporary tool for the dog to understand how its hooman needs it to behave, that's all
How can I make sure my 10 month old Aussie/Golden mix gets enough exercise while we are working through training with the gentle leader? I need him to get enough walking in, but I also don't want to "permit" him pulling at all. Thanks!
Walking isn't really that much exercise for a dog anyway. If I use walking as a main exercise outlet for my (relatively high energy greek shepherd mix) dog, then she'd be impossible to deal with. Do you have a park where he/she can tire out by playing with a friend? How about fetch? Frisbee? I try and meet up most days with one or more dogs for about an hour, plus a few short rounds of fetch and 2 good walks. This gives us a very chill dog at home and one that's quite rather responsive to our training sessions. Just my thoughts.
I tried the Gentle Leader for about 3 weeks. The first week, seemed good. The problem is she wont eat treats with it on, so i can't reward her. She had a choking episode during the first week, after a treat when she saw another dog, and that might have hurt her. I gave her a treat, she saw the dog and started barking/choking for a good minute or so. It seems like the clip underneath sits right on esophagus. She no longer takes treats, she rolls around in every patch of grass she sees, trying to get it off, and when she gets excited to see a dog or person, she lunges forward and it chokes her. I tried to stay with it, but ended up returning it. I felt like the choking and coughing was scary. I wanted it to work but things steadily got worse with it. There are so many good write ups about it, I don't understand why it made my dog choke.
You definitely put it on wrong the neck strap should be high up and not too tight but just tight enough that one finger fits, and the nose strap should be loose but not loose enough to slip off. It shouldn't be choking the dog, that means the neck strap is too low.
Put it on wrong adjustment wrong should not be putting any pressure on esophagus. It needs to be above the esophagus high on the head be clos4 to the ears then goes down ahead of the esophagus. Head collar needs to he tight with only enough room for two fingers flat under. Snug
My dog, an English Setter Brittany cross, likes wearing the gentle leader but I still can not get him to stop pulling. He barely reacts when I do the correction and just keeps walking with a tight leash.Any suggestions?
I'm no expert but it sounds like he still believes he is in charge of you. No tool will convince him to act differently until he believes you are in charge. He wants you to be in charge.
I need some advice on the E- collar. There is a trainer here who uses primarily e collars for training but I have never seen you use them on your channel. It seems to be a light pressure tool for other trainers but I am not clear on it.
Tom from Upstate Canine Academy on TH-cam uses the Dogtra collar [vibrate not shock] occasionally and has a looooot of videos about reactive/excitable/aggressive dogs if you want to check that out further.
We did all the getting my dog use to the holti and she was doing so well but now as soon as she sees the holti she runs and move the head around so we can't put it on her I don't no what to do to correct that
My Border Collie has trouble focusing on me when we’re at the dog park. She won’t listen or come to me. And she also pulls a lot when we go for walks. I’m having a hard time wanting to bring her on outings since she acts like this. Would the Gentle Leader be the solution to these problems?? (Also I like Steve’s shoes 😁)
A simple tool will never do the training/work for you. Any tool that claims to completely “fix” the problem for you, is lying. The tool won’t train the dog, it can at most be helpful in making training more manageable. A gentle leader might potentially be helpful, but it sounds like you need to work on quite some basic training (e.g. cues for the dog to pay attention to you) from the ground up and really take the training step by step from environments with little/no distractions, slowly building towards generalising the behaviour in increasingly distracting (and therefore increasingly challenging) environments. The park is a very distracting and stimulating place; jumping straight to the park with recall that’s only been trained in a calm and quiet environment, isn’t exactly gonna set you and your dog up for success. The dog park is just way too fun and exciting and interesting, if you haven’t sufficiently worked on generalising a behaviour, of course your dog is very likely to ignore you, because the park just seems like so much more fun than “whatever you have to say”. Make sure your dog understands very well that when you call them, coming back to you is gonna be so much fun because YOU are a VERY fun person and you are absolutely worth coming back to. :) I would also suggest exercising your dog a bit more, because it’s easier to get them to ignore distractions and pay attention when they’re less hyper. First burn off excess energy, then do some focused training (using lots of positive reinforcement, remember: training with you is FUN!) and your dog’s behaviour should be calmer and more manageable. Also, a little bit of training can be done at any time of day, you don’t really need to cut out huge blocks of time for everything, this will (mentally) tire your dog out quite a lot too, so lots of shorter training sessions throughout the day are definitely a better option for faster progress. Long message, sorry, but I hope it helps!
Chloé François Thanks for the advice! I just don’t have enough time to train her. I try to spend every minute I can with her. I will defiantly try those tips ASAP. I love my dog so much but I can’t be with her all the time. Thanks again!
Bandit will put his nose in no problem but he’s neck shy and when I try and do it up he freaks out, and I don’t have a spare hand to treat as well as put it on. I have the same issue with his muzzle and flat collar 😩
Such a helpful video! All your videos are. I’ve been binge watching your channel for days. I have a question that I can’t seem to find an answer for, which is how to socialize puppies before they’ve been fully vaccinated. I want to expose my young one to as much as possible as early as possible, but how can I do that if I can’t put her down on the ground safely? Do I carry her around in a sling all the time? Thanks! (And big shout out from Montréal - my partner is from Hamilton!)
I socialized my puppy when he was approximately 3months old with other puppies who were slightly older and had already had all their shots and I trusted the owners as good pet owners.
We have a 6 mos old puppy whom we rescued when she was 8 weeks. She is a Cattle Dog/Shepherd mix - very sweet and very smart. Some days she does better than others, but still pulls on her leash. We have tried the Perfect Trainer leash which is supposed to be the best for pulling and she has broken 2 of them. I am concerned that she might back out of the Gentle Leader and run across the street and get away. Has anyone had that experience? A big part of the problem is we are limited to how much time we can walk her since we do this after work with our 2 other dogs. I have rescued and successfully trained 6 other puppies (always have 3 dogs at a time) in the last 25 years, but this last pup has been the toughest. Any suggestions will be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance.
I would love to buy a large flat adjustable collar from you but at over £50 pounds for shipping a £7 collar it’s simply not affordable. Let me know if you have a UK distributor.
Question, my dog is a yr. old and so far I have not been able to get him to walk without pulling. We have been using a martingale for a couple months, but it's still a miserable experience. I have decided to try this type of gentle lead. Should I only work with my dog training using this and not walk for long periods of time using his old collar until he builds up to walking without pulling? My husband feels we should still walk using the old collar until he gets better at using the gentle lead. I feel that will defeat trying to get him to use the adhere to the gentle lead by going back/forth.
For dogs that pull i personally prefer a harness while walking as collar can really hurt their necks then I would transition to a gentle leader and then back to a harness once the pulling has stopped.
Definitely! The gentle leader is great to teaching corrections- go ahead and give a light tug to correct that behavior. DO NOT TUG HARD im sure you know this but it can definitely be ouchy as it pulls there jaw shut and definitely dont hold it tight for long periods of time.
Pulling, I have a corgi that is 2 years old and I’ve tried everything to get him to stop pulling on walks but he just won’t stop. The gentle leader will interrupt the dogs instinct to pull against any force by redirecting their head backwards.
Awesome! No, it is just resting on the face there is not pinching or scratching or you have put it on wrong. Check out this video: th-cam.com/video/JW_KVUgIozY/w-d-xo.html Happy Training! ~ Dan
Hi there, Teresa! Your Gentle Leader isn’t fitted correctly or you are allowing your dog to spend too much time pulling on it. This will help: Tried A Gentle Leader To Stop My Dog From Pulling On The Leash th-cam.com/video/Ii8E-PwFz7A/w-d-xo.html Happy Training!
i really like that you had a dog who actually struggled to learn. One thing that separates this video from other youtube videos is they dont show a dog struggling to learn and that's what happens in reality.
I like your approach to dog training. "I'm not mad at him, he isnt a bad dog, I just need to help him" 🐕🦺❤
@@StaticResurreXion clearly u dont have a dog
@@kweenjade01yup
That's how I felt, he's still a puppy and just excited to play....can't drag me down the street though 😂
Great video. Good to see a dog that wasn't already used to it. This is exactly how my dog is.
Just tried a Gentle Leader for the first time with my 5-month-old sheltie. I realized right away I needed some help making her comfortable and I knew I could count on McCann Dog Training to show the way. Thanks Instructor Steve!
I followed what you have done on this video and I can see a lot more of improvement only in one try. Thank you so much.
I really like this because things go wrong at first just like with my own dog, and then he shows how to right the situation. He’s not using a dog that’s already trained perfectly. Thank you, this is the video I was looking for.😊
Thank you. I appreciate that you chose a dog that struggled with the gentle leader. Well done!
Thank you so much for your videos. I bought a Gentle Leader a couple of weeks ago (after the McCann recommendation) for my rescue dog and walks have become pleasurable for the first time! She is now listening and focused without the constant pulling and darting that were constant before. I have had dogs all my life but this dog was really beyond my ability until your help.
Wow. I am in the same situation, not knowing if I can get my Doberman rescue under control. I will order one tonight. You give me hope. I’m at my wits end at the moment.
@@peachpiano , you will make it. Be kind to yourself and try and keep your sense of humour. My pup was a real problem but it has worked out.
I have found a correlation between the amount of resistance the dog shows toward the Gentle Leader and the amount of resistance the dog has toward losing control. Dogs inherently don’t want to be controlled-they want to maintain that control! They seem to understand immediately that the Gentle Leader takes away control. This actually is a good thing in that the handler can see how much resistance they are dealing with.
Totally agree
I had one of these for my really big, overly protective Lab/Ridgeback mix and yes, he hated it at first. But it was honestly the best thing for walking him to avoid the pulling. I’ve always recommended this collar to others because it worked so well for us.
Thanks for the great tutorial. I appreciate the realistic demonstration and your patience. I’m watching more and more of your videos. I respect your style.
For my dog, it took a little over a week for her to used to the gentle leader before we even attempted a walk. I still use treats when I put it on her. She doesn't mind it now because she knows that putting the gentle leader on means a walk. So far, it's been a great tool for me to communicate with my dog and help her understand how to walk on a loose leash.
My dog is not food movated
@@donnadovico8619 My dog isn't food motivated either. I just use the food to get the leader on her. Once it's on, we're good to go. And two years later, she is actually walking pretty nicely on a leash.
How long did it take to transition from the head collar to a flat one while maintaining loose leash walking?
@@mellyme1978 I still use the head collar and probably always will. I find I have much better control than with just a flat collar and leash. But that's just me and my dog. Other people might have different experiences.
My 5 month old shih tzu...trying to decide. Is this a good idea for him or not?
The gentle leader has changed the walks with my dog thanks to your videos. Thank you!!!
This is the best video I've seen on desensitizing your dog to a head collar. So many of the other videos contain videos of dogs that are already used to wearing a head collar. Thanks for sharing.
I just bought one of these for my beagle. Yours were the first videos that popped up and i remembered watching the puppy ones from you guys when she was little❤.
Thank you for making this video with a driven dog! These gentle leaders are life changing.
This was reassuring. My dog took it so readily that I thought we were ready for a walk. We weren’t but this video helped me see that I just need to back up to his comfort level and build slowly.
Excellent video. First time i have found a video that they use an untrained dog!! And any bad parts are not cut out. Thank you! I look forward to watching more videos from this guy.
This is so helpful and timely! Sherlock doesn't seem to mind the gentle leader while we are walking, but any time we'd stop for any length of time, he'd paw at it. I think we'll give it another try after this video.
my dog was the exact same way when I first put it on, and she’s so smart on how to take it off LOL! but after rewarding her with treats she didn’t mind it and it was literally the best thing ever!!!
I really appreciated this video. I have a 6 month old lab pup that is really easily distracted. It is almost to the point of it being dangerous for me to walk him because is very big and strong. Walks are stressful for both of us. We tried the gentle leader, but he pawed at it so hard that it left marks on his muzzle so we stopped using it. This gives me the guidance that I need to hopefully be successful with it.
Call me twisted, but watching dogs learn the gentle leader is so amusing! The whole gamut of emotions are on display: naivety, anticipation, suspicion, panic, resourcefulness, persistence, conflicting desires, realization, acceptance. You can really imagine yourself in your dog's head the whole time they're working it out. 😂
i just got the gentle leader and omg im finally not getting pulled down to the ground with a 90 pound 11 month old
OMG same!
O goodness LOL I want one I’m tired of being pulled around too
Yes me too. It saved my life
❤️❤️❤️
On the opposite end of the spectrum I have a fluffy, stubborn small breed puppy. You can't see what she's doing half the time (chewing glass on the sidewalk?). Since she won't look at me this type of control is important.
My older aunt had unfortunately been pulled / dragged by her rescue, and was facing the heartbreaking decision of finding the dog a new home; a gentle lead literally solved all her issues, and both her and the dog couldn't be happier.
Thanks for this video! I had been looking for some resources on this as my dog is really resistant to the gentle leader. Using "leave it" when he tries to take it off with his paws has been extra helpful for me as well.
Just tried one on my rescue this week. She hates it. I don't care....it has immediately helped wirh her aggression towards strangers.
I have a 11 month old GSMD (a breed bred to pull heavy carts) and she's already 110lbs, having her pull me is dangerous not only for me but if she got out there is a lot of untrained aggressive dogs and I don't want her to get hurt. I use a Halti head leader for her and she behaves like a saint, she is easily distracted and this helps her focus and it's a life saver!
Thanks!
this helped tremendously! the first time i tried putting it on our dog, he freaked out pretty bad. he wanted no part of it, so i put it away. then i started buttering him up as shown in this and the difference was amazing.
You are awesome Steve!
You got that right!
Happy Training!
~ Dan
These are great tips! I’ve been doing it with my dog but she’s not every food motivated
Our GSD isn't fond of it, but wow! it has transformed our walks. Thanks for all the information about how to use it. The Gentle Leader is more versatile than I realized. 👍
It worked right away on the first time for my dog but I used a lot of treats to distract him from pawing his face😊 it’s so worth it though, now he doesn’t pull anymore 😊
Thanks for making this video!
Great video with great advice. I’ve been having trouble getting my pup used to a gentle leader, these tips will definitely help us.
I have to see this, I'm planning to buy one
This young dog
My dog bite the Leash and collar yes I know I must under control that
I'm glad I watch this video to learn more
Thank you so much ❤️
I tried the gentle leader for my Doberman puppy for about a month and a half bc her trainer insisted it’s the best for pulling put she never stopped pawing at it. Whether we were walking, she was eating, playing with other dogs she’d always stop to paw at it. I finally just stopped using. Still searching for an alternative!!!
Thanks will try this on my 8 month Rottweiler wish myself a good luck😀
I work with guide dog "puppies" in training. Although we use an infinity collar, it is a lot like the gentle leader. This is awesome and exactly how I introduced the infinity collar to my pup! This was perfectly done!
Good to hear your input
Aww
gave me good info. my dog does not seem happy with the gentle leader on...I will practice more.
Why?
@@StaticResurreXion what do you suggest?
@@StaticResurreXion prong collar?
@@StaticResurreXion it works well and my dog doesnt mind it. each to their own tho lol
What if you live in a high population density (people and dogs) major metropolitan area, you don't own a car, and your puppy is destructive when off-leash in your big backyard and self-injures when tethered? Then your dog has to walk past humans and dogs daily for exercise and you don't have the choice to not walk them in distracting environments every day.
I have an 8 month old Australian Kelpie that I've owned for 2 months. At first he was doing okay on a flat collar and leash and would walk as I wanted 70% of the time. The other 30% became a nightmare of him suddenly failing to focus on me at all, no matter what. He'd also pull like crazy and try to stop and sniff every blade of grass.
I'd been having a look at some dogs at an obedience class in my town. I saw quite a few dog wearing a head halter and nose band and it occurred to me they were nearly all high energy herding, pointing and retrieving breeds.
I figured I would give one a try. Was a bit sceptical about how effective it would be, but from the moment I first put a leader on him, it transformed him into a completely different animal. Instantly stopped him from wanting to pull, and he now walks to heel on a loose leash. He now keeps his head up and looks at the world around him instead of having his nose glued to the ground. He was already good at ignoring most distractions, but this has made him even better. Has no trouble at all dealing with walks up to 5-6 mile while wearing it the entire time. I don't need to correct him at all, even when I let him have time to be a dog and to stop and sniff and then call on him to continue walking.
Gentle Leader was a miracle worker with our Golden Retriever. Now trying it with a GSD puppy.
I only use the gentle leader when my service dog is working I tried the halti brand she hated it I got the one you used and she doesn’t mind it much
The captions are blocking the view of what your doing how it's on the nose and how it goes from there.
Gentle leader or Halti? Both are pretty look the same, differences are only the brand? Or there is something else??
Actually the gentle leader and the halti are the same concept but the design is different. I use the petco brand because it doesnt go up by the eye as much it also wont allow you to use as a bite deterent or a bark stop. What I don't like about the halti is the full circle of fabric around the muzzle.
@@caringheartsforhorsesoutre8516 thank you for your response! We have only used halti and it works great!
Thank you so much for this video! A question though...we have a 9 month old 70lb puppy who, while wearing this lead, decides he's going to lay down, and not move. Treats won't budge him, and there is no way to get him up. Any suggestions?
Great video. I have issues with getting my dog wear gentle leader,because she is not treat or toy motivated dog! What to do???
My part Malinois part Black Cur pup is not food motivated - which has been a problem since she is very energetic and “headstrong”,she freaks out when bicycles, cars and trucks, joggers and other dogs pass us.
Yes 🥰
Thank you!
Thanks McCann for your videos. I've been following your videos and dog training methods with my now 8month old Australian Cattle dog. I've recently tried a gentle leader with her but she hates it and would not even want to play or do anything with it on other than flop on the ground and sulk. How can I get her to like the gentle leader if so? Appreciate any advice - thank you!
My dog hides when he sees it! I've given him lots of treats but he just seems super sensitive to all collars and harnesses too, it took him 6 months to get the association of his harnesses means walks, but even with his "no pull harness " he pulls my wheelchair and me off the sidewalk! Not pleasant! So I need more control! Any ideas for a very sensitive dogs except more time and patience? I'd like to be able to walk him myself! I've been trying to get him used to it for 3 months now! And I don't take it off I keep giving treats
Hi - I have been using gentle leader with some success but have concerns that my 70 lb GSD mix isnt able to pant as effectively and will overheat once it gets warmer. I have had the fit checked and have it as loose as it will go. However, on walks in warmer weather without the GL, he fully hinges his mouth wide open to pant and with it, only opens his mouth maybe a third of the way. Thoughts?
Make sure the loop is wide enough to allow for a full pant!
We have one for my American Akita. She hated it. We have been using it for 4 months. She still hates it. The vet actually told us to stop using it as it was causing scarring on her muzzle.
Does the GL now have a clip device to attach it to the regular collar?
Just ordered this for my 9 month old pup . I really hope it works
Did it work?
@@jeffg4479 absoulutely . I would definitely recommend
@@AlexisTyonne Thanks for the recommendation. Got one and walks are much more enjoyable now!
Thank you this is so helpful
My standard poodle walks great with the leader, but the minute he sees a squirrel he absolutely loses it and I’m afraid he’ll hurt himself. He’s very strong, too. Any suggestions? I don’t want to tug on the leader and hurt him.
Wonderful Steve! Thank you, loved this instruction & visual!👍🐾
Is using the gentle leader an alternative to trying to teach them to heel, a tool toward that path, or does it depend on the dog? Thanks.
that's a good question.
A Gentle Leader is another tool to help TEACH your dog to walk nicely. There are no quick fixes just tools to aid in the process.
Love the video! Thank you!! Why did you name him Final?
I had gentle leaders for both my big dogs (black lab and black lab-english mastiff mix) a few years back. The difference between what I see here, and the soft leads I had is where the leash connects to the soft lead... the ring for connecting the leash was at the back of the neck, not in front. The soft lead around the mouth was pre-adjusted & never constricted with the leash. Walking my 100 + lb dogs was as easy as signaling a change of direction with my little finger. Prior to the soft leads I, i couldn't take my dogs for a walk without a huge struggle. The first day, with soft leads, was like a dog walking miracle. As with people, the body goes where the head goes.
While these may be good for training, I don't like these because they are only good for training.
May I ask what brand of head harness you used? With the ring on the back of the head instead of under? Thank you
Hi, love your videos I think I've lost watched all of them. I have a question, where do you stand on a 'fresh patch'? A real piece of grass for puppy's/dogs when you live in an apartment. Love to hear your thoughts on this
I’ve tried this with my lab, but I need to keep trying because she starts freaking out and was bleeding from her face because she hates it! I feel like this is the only thing that works because she us so strong and can’t walk her without pulling me on a walk! Unless anyone else has any other ideas?!
My border collie is drooling wearing gentle leash, and he takes it off. It’s the same except I’m not sure how to make him feel comfortable with it even after this video. Probably I should take a week or so for him to like it slowly?! 😢
My reactive, unsocialized rescue Bichon is not at all food/treat motivated. Makes training really difficult. He does respond to verbal praise. Any suggestions?
You can actually replace treats with play. Instead of reinforcing by giving him a treat instead grab a tug toy, and when he completes something properly says yes! And give him 10-15 seconds of play
did this collar help with your dog? my dog is also reactive and unsocialized and i was wondering if this is worth the buy
I have just gotten a gentle leader for my golden. She pulls and I’ve tried other methods and they don’t seem to work. My question is that if this works why do we have to wean them off of it eventually? Couldn’t I just always use it on our walks?
At timestamp 6:20 he says "it gonna learn quickly that no tension means good things"
I guess the gentle leader is used as a temporary tool for the dog to understand how its hooman needs it to behave, that's all
Great video! Hopefully my 8month old pup will adjust to the gentle leader with these tips 🤞 How old is Final?
How can I make sure my 10 month old Aussie/Golden mix gets enough exercise while we are working through training with the gentle leader? I need him to get enough walking in, but I also don't want to "permit" him pulling at all. Thanks!
Walking isn't really that much exercise for a dog anyway. If I use walking as a main exercise outlet for my (relatively high energy greek shepherd mix) dog, then she'd be impossible to deal with. Do you have a park where he/she can tire out by playing with a friend? How about fetch? Frisbee? I try and meet up most days with one or more dogs for about an hour, plus a few short rounds of fetch and 2 good walks. This gives us a very chill dog at home and one that's quite rather responsive to our training sessions. Just my thoughts.
Very helpful! Thank you!
Can the gentle leader be used on 5 mounts old collie? Is there recommended age to start from?
My puppy paws the nose part right off. Do you think is not tight enough ?
I tried the Gentle Leader for about 3 weeks. The first week, seemed good. The problem is she wont eat treats with it on, so i can't reward her. She had a choking episode during the first week, after a treat when she saw another dog, and that might have hurt her. I gave her a treat, she saw the dog and started barking/choking for a good minute or so. It seems like the clip underneath sits right on esophagus. She no longer takes treats, she rolls around in every patch of grass she sees, trying to get it off, and when she gets excited to see a dog or person, she lunges forward and it chokes her. I tried to stay with it, but ended up returning it. I felt like the choking and coughing was scary. I wanted it to work but things steadily got worse with it. There are so many good write ups about it, I don't understand why it made my dog choke.
You definitely put it on wrong the neck strap should be high up and not too tight but just tight enough that one finger fits, and the nose strap should be loose but not loose enough to slip off. It shouldn't be choking the dog, that means the neck strap is too low.
Put it on wrong adjustment wrong should not be putting any pressure on esophagus. It needs to be above the esophagus high on the head be clos4 to the ears then goes down ahead of the esophagus. Head collar needs to he tight with only enough room for two fingers flat under. Snug
My dog, an English Setter Brittany cross, likes wearing the gentle leader but I still can not get him to stop pulling. He barely reacts when I do the correction and just keeps walking with a tight leash.Any suggestions?
I'm no expert but it sounds like he still believes he is in charge of you. No tool will convince him to act differently until he believes you are in charge. He wants you to be in charge.
What breed is Final? I have the same one, but can’t figure if she’s a heeler or something else
I need some advice on the E- collar. There is a trainer here who uses primarily e collars for training but I have never seen you use them on your channel. It seems to be a light pressure tool for other trainers but I am not clear on it.
Tom from Upstate Canine Academy on TH-cam uses the Dogtra collar [vibrate not shock] occasionally and has a looooot of videos about reactive/excitable/aggressive dogs if you want to check that out further.
We did all the getting my dog use to the holti and she was doing so well but now as soon as she sees the holti she runs and move the head around so we can't put it on her I don't no what to do to correct that
My Border Collie has trouble focusing on me when we’re at the dog park. She won’t listen or come to me. And she also pulls a lot when we go for walks. I’m having a hard time wanting to bring her on outings since she acts like this. Would the Gentle Leader be the solution to these problems?? (Also I like Steve’s shoes 😁)
A simple tool will never do the training/work for you. Any tool that claims to completely “fix” the problem for you, is lying. The tool won’t train the dog, it can at most be helpful in making training more manageable. A gentle leader might potentially be helpful, but it sounds like you need to work on quite some basic training (e.g. cues for the dog to pay attention to you) from the ground up and really take the training step by step from environments with little/no distractions, slowly building towards generalising the behaviour in increasingly distracting (and therefore increasingly challenging) environments.
The park is a very distracting and stimulating place; jumping straight to the park with recall that’s only been trained in a calm and quiet environment, isn’t exactly gonna set you and your dog up for success. The dog park is just way too fun and exciting and interesting, if you haven’t sufficiently worked on generalising a behaviour, of course your dog is very likely to ignore you, because the park just seems like so much more fun than “whatever you have to say”. Make sure your dog understands very well that when you call them, coming back to you is gonna be so much fun because YOU are a VERY fun person and you are absolutely worth coming back to. :)
I would also suggest exercising your dog a bit more, because it’s easier to get them to ignore distractions and pay attention when they’re less hyper. First burn off excess energy, then do some focused training (using lots of positive reinforcement, remember: training with you is FUN!) and your dog’s behaviour should be calmer and more manageable. Also, a little bit of training can be done at any time of day, you don’t really need to cut out huge blocks of time for everything, this will (mentally) tire your dog out quite a lot too, so lots of shorter training sessions throughout the day are definitely a better option for faster progress.
Long message, sorry, but I hope it helps!
Chloé François Thanks for the advice! I just don’t have enough time to train her. I try to spend every minute I can with her. I will defiantly try those tips ASAP. I love my dog so much but I can’t be with her all the time. Thanks again!
melhead16 Yeah, I’ve had enough dogs to find that out. And I’ve loved every single one.
What type of dog is Final? He looks ever so much like my Collie x Staffy
Is this a good option for a 4 month old miniature schnauzer? She is only 7 lbs. but pulls terribly on a flat leash.
Bandit will put his nose in no problem but he’s neck shy and when I try and do it up he freaks out, and I don’t have a spare hand to treat as well as put it on. I have the same issue with his muzzle and flat collar 😩
Such a helpful video! All your videos are. I’ve been binge watching your channel for days. I have a question that I can’t seem to find an answer for, which is how to socialize puppies before they’ve been fully vaccinated. I want to expose my young one to as much as possible as early as possible, but how can I do that if I can’t put her down on the ground safely? Do I carry her around in a sling all the time? Thanks! (And big shout out from Montréal - my partner is from Hamilton!)
I socialized my puppy when he was approximately 3months old with other puppies who were slightly older and had already had all their shots and I trusted the owners as good pet owners.
What about the dog that doesn't take ANY treats?
Your Gentle Leaders look like they have the wider nose bands. Can you still buy those or are those the original ones made by premier?
We have a 6 mos old puppy whom we rescued when she was 8 weeks. She is a Cattle Dog/Shepherd mix - very sweet and very smart. Some days she does better than others, but still pulls on her leash. We have tried the Perfect Trainer leash which is supposed to be the best for pulling and she has broken 2 of them. I am concerned that she might back out of the Gentle Leader and run across the street and get away. Has anyone had that experience? A big part of the problem is we are limited to how much time we can walk her since we do this after work with our 2 other dogs. I have rescued and successfully trained 6 other puppies (always have 3 dogs at a time) in the last 25 years, but this last pup has been the toughest. Any suggestions will be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance.
They can’t back out of these. Just tried it with my 3 month old doodle. The difference is night and day.
I would love to buy a large flat adjustable collar from you but at over £50 pounds for shipping a £7 collar it’s simply not affordable. Let me know if you have a UK distributor.
I used a train a Belgium Shepard and had already if success using a gentle leader
Question, my dog is a yr. old and so far I have not been able to get him to walk without pulling. We have been using a martingale for a couple months, but it's still a miserable experience. I have decided to try this type of gentle lead. Should I only work with my dog training using this and not walk for long periods of time using his old collar until he builds up to walking without pulling? My husband feels we should still walk using the old collar until he gets better at using the gentle lead. I feel that will defeat trying to get him to use the adhere to the gentle lead by going back/forth.
For dogs that pull i personally prefer a harness while walking as collar can really hurt their necks then I would transition to a gentle leader and then back to a harness once the pulling has stopped.
So odd question. Would this help prevent my dog from eating other dogs poop?? I can’t figure out how to make him stop
Definitely! The gentle leader is great to teaching corrections- go ahead and give a light tug to correct that behavior. DO NOT TUG HARD im sure you know this but it can definitely be ouchy as it pulls there jaw shut and definitely dont hold it tight for long periods of time.
How can we reward without food?
What breed is that dog? A border collie?
What exactly is the gentle leader used for?sorry if you answered the question already
Pulling, I have a corgi that is 2 years old and I’ve tried everything to get him to stop pulling on walks but he just won’t stop. The gentle leader will interrupt the dogs instinct to pull against any force by redirecting their head backwards.
Just ordered one since my bc pulls the hell outta me. Will the gentle leader give my pup scars and rubbing sores?
Awesome! No, it is just resting on the face there is not pinching or scratching or you have put it on wrong. Check out this video:
th-cam.com/video/JW_KVUgIozY/w-d-xo.html
Happy Training!
~ Dan
My dog protest by lying down and not wanting to listen. What can I do
Does this work for lunging and reactivity
i have a new rescue pup that looks and acts exactly like this dog! Can you tell me what breed she is?
border collie i have one as well :)
My dog is able to get out of the gentle leader. Is there style of gentle leader that dogs can't get off their nose?
Hi there, Teresa! Your Gentle Leader isn’t fitted correctly or you are allowing your dog to spend too much time pulling on it. This will help: Tried A Gentle Leader To Stop My Dog From Pulling On The Leash
th-cam.com/video/Ii8E-PwFz7A/w-d-xo.html
Happy Training!
i have a german shepherd and she likes biting your hands, feet, and clothing. what should i do?
My dog had a full blown panic attack with the gentle leader. I was about ready to give up but he slowly adjusted after 10-15 minutes.