Gentle leads.. advice needed.

[MyIrishWolfie]

I took Stella for her first walk around the neighborhood early this morning.

She's a strong girl and took me for a walk instead.

She'll need leash training for sure.

Until I can get her registered in a class at Petsmart what are some things I can be doing at home that will help walks become a little easier for her and I?

Im a petite girl and she's a big girl... a strong girl at that... and will mow me over to get whatever catches her eye.. bird, another dog, etc... she wont hurt them... just very friendly and curious

I feel like I need something to catch her attention.. a quick tug and saying stooooooop does not help.. lol

Tonight, at Petsmart I looked at haltys, choke chains, harnesses, and even those spike choke chains :yikes:

I dont want to hurt her neck by getting the wrong type of lead but I want her to know that I am the one in control on walks.. not her.

What should I buy?

 

[Brattina88]

The St in Maddie's class wears a head halter, not sure which brand, but he does very well with it. It honestly looks like the owner is leading around a horse :lol-sign:
I usually recommend those for dogs who don't dash ahead so they don't hurt their neck. Either that or a gentle lead easy walk harness... if they make them that big

I've used prong collars before on some of my fosters, but not on a mild case like this, so I'll leave that advice to somebody else

 

[MyIrishWolfie]

I saw those head halters too... they look weird.. lol

 

[Gempress]

Go for the gentle harness, not a head halter. If Stella pulls so hard, she could hurt her neck and spine on accidnet.

Or, a prong collar would work as well. When I take Zeus and Voodoo on a walk with their best doggie-friend Jake (neighbor's akita), I put prong collars on all three of them as a precaution. There's no other way I can safely maintain control of nearly 300 lbs of dog if they see a rabbit or squirrel. :yikes:

 

[MK&C]

Where the spike choke chains prong collars?? Prong collars actually work really well, from what I've heard...most trainers I've known say prong collars work extremely well and are not harmless at all when used the CORRECT way...just thought I'd let you know

Charlie also has an easy-walk, we bought him a new one yesterday ( he grew to be a bit larger than expected ) and it works very well for him, but I don't know if it has the same effectiveness on larger dogs...I doubt it, but it might!

Seems we posted at the same time Gempress... :lol-sign:

 

[MyIrishWolfie]

Where the spike choke chains prong collars??

Yes, it was the prong collar.

If they work, and dont hurt the neck, then I will buy one of those. They look awefull though...

Not that she would do anything.. but I'd rather be save then sorry. Makes me feel better I guess.

 

[MK&C]

I agree that they LOOK aweful, but they are really harmless and not cruel. Now that I think about it, every trainer I've spoken to has mentioned that. lol

I suggest you look into that if the Easy Walk doesn't work out for you, or the other way around.

 

[dr2little]

Very large breeds do wonderfully well with the front clip no pull harnesses...and they don't cause any pain. They allow much more control while you teach her leash manners and do not have the same risk of negative association that head collars, choke chains and prong collars do. Below is the Gentle Leader brand but Halti also carries one that is very good too.
http://www.petexpertise.com/item--Easy-Walk-No-Pull-Harness--easy_walk_harness.html

 

[Saintgirl]

I highly recommend the prong collar. It is the most inhumane looking device, but used properly it is one of the best training collars when dealing with big dogs. I use one on my big boy, and at 190lbs when he wants to go somewhere I have to be sure I am in control, for his saftey and mine!

 

[dignity]

For Denali (my female Pyr) I use a regular choke chain. She is considerably better than before!! I wouldn't say she's perfect because she gets a curious notion every now and again, but I think most dogs do... at least mine do .

I'm not a fan for head halters. They don't really teach the dog not to pull, but kinda makes it uncomfortable for them to pull - so it's hard to switch off of one. Also, some people don't know the difference between a muzzle and a head halter because they go around the nose so the dog will miss out on some socialization.

 

[Brattina88]

I'm not a fan for head halters. They don't really teach the dog not to pull, but kinda makes it uncomfortable for them to pull - so it's hard to switch off of one.

Of course they don't teach not to pull - that's our job Like all the other collars mentioned, they're a tool for teaching. The work on some dogs, and deffinetly shouldn't be tried on others. Depends on the dog. And the handler.



-- anyway, I agree with Doc

 

[elegy]

i'd really not put a head halter on a dog who bolts. too much risk of injury. either a front-clip harness or a prong would be a safer alternative.

 

[Leslie + Chessies]

Yes, it was the prong collar.

If they work, and dont hurt the neck, then I will buy one of those. They look awefull though...

This company- http://catalog.4dogs.us/viewProduct.cfm?item_id=683815 -has the most beautiful prongs I've come across. Jasmine wants one for X-mas.

 

[Adrienne]

This company- http://catalog.4dogs.us/viewProduct.cfm?item_id=683815 -has the most beautiful prongs I've come across. Jasmine wants one for X-mas.

Those are lovely, I will have to show them to my mom for her CO Katya!

 

[dr2little]

Honestly curious...why would anyone want to use a prong when there is a pain free and effective alternative?

 

[Leslie + Chessies]

Honestly curious...why would anyone want to use a prong when there is a pain free and effective alternative?

Because when I have 200lbs of high-prey-drive dog at the end of my leash after the neighbors cat, a "watch me" command or a cookie in my pocket is not going to stop them. They will drag me flat on my face down the street. They are well behaved in every other situation, so the constant correction of the prong is not necessary, but it is there just in case.
So basically I can choose among letting go of the leashes, road rash on my face, the self correction of a prong. For me, it's a no brainer.

 

[Adrienne]

Honestly curious...why would anyone want to use a prong when there is a pain free and effective alternative?

I understand where you are coming from. You have all the tools necessary to teach a dog to behave well without corrections and that is great. Most people do not have the time or knowledge to work with their dogs on that level.

To answer your questions honestly, we use a prong on Katya because of what type of dog she is and the way she was raised. She is not a novice owner animal but she was bought by a novice owner. For everyones safety Katya wears a prong. Without it she would pull my mom down the street and maul whomever she perceived as a threat.

Now if you could take a trek up to Minnesota and help my mom out with this dog it would be great. Sadly no trainers in our area are expert enough to tackle a dog like Katya, she is truley a perfect example of the Caucasian breed. She will take you down if she thinks that you are a threat and anybody is a threat in her mind. When my mom has friends over I have to go there to introduce Katya to the new person.

My mom should have never gotten a dog like Katya but she did and she would never rehome her or put her down because she does her job. So instead we use safety measures like the prong.

 

[dr2little]

Because when I have 200lbs of high-prey-drive dog at the end of my leash after the neighbors cat, a "watch me" command or a cookie in my pocket is not going to stop them. They will drag me flat on my face down the street. They are well behaved in every other situation, so the constant correction of the prong is not necessary, but it is there just in case.
So basically I can choose among letting go of the leashes, road rash on my face, the self correction of a prong. For me, it's a no brainer.

I asked about the choice between a prong and front clip harness which by the way works on dogs bigger than the one you described, not between the prong and a cookie??
I understand the need for control just not the choice of one versus the other.

 

[Adrienne]

There's no way my mom could hold Katya back with a front clip harness, it just wouldn't happen...I can see it now, mom slidding on her butt down the street

 

[dr2little]

I understand where you are coming from. You have all the tools necessary to teach a dog to behave well without corrections and that is great. Most people do not have the time or knowledge to work with their dogs on that level.

To answer your questions honestly, we use a prong on Katya because of what type of dog she is and the way she was raised. She is not a novice owner animal but she was bought by a novice owner. For everyones safety Katya wears a prong. Without it she would pull my mom down the street and maul whomever she perceived as a threat.

Now if you could take a trek up to Minnesota and help my mom out with this dog it would be great. Sadly no trainers in our area are expert enough to tackle a dog like Katya, she is truley a perfect example of the Caucasian breed. She will take you down if she thinks that you are a threat and anybody is a threat in her mind. When my mom has friends over I have to go there to introduce Katya to the new person.

My mom should have never gotten a dog like Katya but she did and she would never rehome her or put her down because she does her job. So instead we use safety measures like the prong.

I do understand, and a number of powerful dogs come to me already using the prong because it's all the owners can do until training kicks in. My point is that Stella is not using a prong and all that is required is control while training progresses. I'd just hate to see a big sweet girl getting self corrected for no reason and end up with issues.

You're right, the Caucasian is no joke and I'm sure your mom is doing all she can to control such a capable dog. How old is Katya and how much does she weigh...just curious. I've only met a handful of Caucasians in my many years.