Walking Your Dog is a Breeze with a Gentle Leader

I used to walk my dog by attaching a leash to a collar. Looking back at those walking experiences, I can't believe it took me so long to learn about using a Gentle Leader. The leash-attached-to-collar scenario started with my Chow-Shepherd, Remo. I walked her when she was a fuzzy little pup, and it worked fine. However, as she grew to be bigger and more stubborn, using just a collar and leash didn't work so well, as she would pull or not go in the direction I wanted. She would end up choking herself, which would make me give in and go the direction she wanted to go. This did not make taking a walk very pleasant for either of us! I did some research and discovered an interesting dog trait: when a dog feels pressure around his neck, such as a pull from a leash connected to a collar, the dog will instinctively move against the pressure, even if moving against the pressure causes him to cough and choke. So, you try pulling your dog to the left, your dog will try to go more to the right to counter-act your request. Obviously, this doesn't work very well when you are trying to go in a certain direction or get your dog out of the way of on-coming cars. Enter the Gentle Leader Head Harness!

The Gentle Leader Headcollar consists of two soft, nylon straps that both hook over the muzzle and clasp closed behind the head. It fits above the windpipe and behind the corners of your dog's mouth. Your leash attaches underneath your dog's snout, which is attached to the part that goes over your dog's nose. The idea is to communicate with your dog in a way he instinctively understands. The loop over your dog's muzzle applies pressure in the same way a lead dog would communicate with a dog lower in rank. The pressure applied at the upper neck is similar to what a mother dog would do to her pup. When these pressures are applied, you are in control of where your dog's head looks. If you steer his nose, then his body will follow suit. Your dog can do everything he would normally do, except pull in a direction you don't want him to go.

After my walking experiences with Remo, I swear by the Gentle Leader Headcollar. I use it on every dog I walk, whether the dog is mine or not. I even walk my three big pups all at once with one hand, when they are each wearing their Gentle Leaders. People are typically surprised to see me coming down the street walking three 50 - 60 lb dogs by myself, but I do it with ease. Not only does the Gentle Leader help people of any size, age, or gender walk dogs, it is also great for people with arthritis or fibromyalgia. The Gentle Leader Headcollar takes away a lot of the strain and pulling associated with walking your dog. It has provided me, a fibro sufferer, with a lot more freedom to enjoy walks with my dog when I might not otherwise be able to control him if a situation came up. By using the Gentle Leader, you can take walks with your dog without fear of pulling or choking. Strap one on, and head out for an enjoyable walk today!