Taming the Wild Hound Dog: Using the Gentle Leader

My husband and I rescued two male hound/lab mix puppies the previous summer (littermates).  We immediately enrolled them in a puppy training class to teach them basic commands such as sit, down, come, and stay.  We wanted to make sure that they were well trained dogs that listened and could be respectable members of the dog/human community.  Especially with big dogs, I knew it was important to make sure they had manners and knew how to listen.

For the most part, they absolutely are well behaved.  They politely sit before they can eat from their bowls or go out. After this snowy winter they will each lift all four paws to have them wiped with a towel upon coming in. They know not to enter the kitchen in the area between the island and the stove.  They live in harmony (mostly) with our two cats.  They don't steal food from the table.

The one training piece that continued to be difficult (for me, anyway) is walking the larger of the two dogs.  When I walk him, if he wanted to, he could easily pull me over. This winter in particular was tricky due to the large amount of snow and ice, that made it more difficult than usual to keep my balance on dog walks.  I was frustrated with walking him because even though he did not usually pull me over, the constant pulling was irritating my back and neck muscles. I continued to work on training him to walk nicely, but when he saw something he wanted to go after, there was a good chance I was going with him, whether I liked it or not.

I knew that I had to come up with a new solution for walking him that would make it a more enjoyable experience. I had grown up using choke chains for obedience training methods, but since my dogs would not be show dogs, I didn't want to go this route. I looked around for other ideas and came across what would soon be my perfect solution: The Gentle Leader.

The gentle leader is a a thin strap that loops around the dogs muzzle and behind their head. The idea is that the pressure on the dog's muzzle when he pulls forward pushes his nose down and makes him lose his momentum from pulling.  The website claims that the dog will actually turn around, but I found more that it just slows their momentum and makes the dog stop wanting to pull forward. It definitely does direct their attention to you, and make them think they should stop running forward.

The Gentle Leader has been a life saver when it comes to walking my dog. He is about 65 pounds (still growing!) and an 11 month old hound dog mix, so if he wants to run forward, he definitely can.  This THIN strap stops him in his tracks, but not in a way that I feel like he is being hurt.  It is a thin strap of material, but just because of the pressure on his muzzle, he is stopped.  I feel bad for dogs that are wearing big, thick choke collars now, because I know there is a much simpler method.  I can walk him with one hand and feel completely in control.

I was worried at first that he would not want to go on walks with the strap on his muzzle, but when he sees me take it out he comes running, because he knows he is going on a walk.  While I wouldn't say he LOVES having it on, he does understand that it serves as part of his walking paraphernalia. It is  more enjoyable for both of us, as I am not constantly pulling on him and yelling, and we can both enjoy the walk.

I have suggested the Gentle Leader to my parents and friends that have big dogs that sometimes pull.  Obviously, training the dog to always walk obediently is the better strategy, but at least for now, the Gentle Walker provides a perfect solution for our dog walks.  We can both now enjoy the experience without injuries or stress.