Gentle Leader

I have tried to train my dog how to appropriately walk on his leash without pulling. I have tried several things that have been suggested to me by dog trainers. No matter what I tried, he would drag me to every single fire hydrant, electric pole, tree and bush that he saw to pee on it. I tried these methods for 4 months before I got frustrated and talked to another dog trainer. She suggested I buy a Gentle Leader collar. I would post a link, but I'm not sure if that's allowed here? This collar goes around the dogs neck. Then it has another loop which loops over the dogs nose. The collar has a metal ring on the back of the neck part to attach the leash. The trainer explained that the nose piece works the same way it would with a horse. When the dog pulls, it pushes on the nose a bit and they don't like it so they stop. It does not hurt them.

The trainer told me to use treats as I am putting this on him for the first few times. She said to put the treat by the nose loop so he would stick his nose in there on his own. This helps the dog feel like they are in control of the situation and makes it easier for him to get used to it. She warned me that he may not like it the first few times we use it. She was right. He kept trying to rub his nose on the ground and batting at it with his paw to get it off. After he got used to it, walks with him were so nice. He rarely ever tries to pull anymore. It was the best $20 I have spent on anything for him so far. Anyone here use a Gentle Leader? Do you have any positive stories like this to share?

I am familiar with the Gentle Leader. My friend uses them with her Bassets and they are very effective for novice dog owners and pullers.

There's actually two types of Gentle Leader, the harness and the collar. I like the harness for bigger dogs because once they start pulling, the clip on halts them from going forward by having their chest turn towards the owner's direction thereby discouraging the pulling behavior.

I'm glad that you're now enjoying walks with your dog.