Max the Moose
Sharon |
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| At the risk of sounding like one of your intrusive neighbors, I love the Gentle Leader. Fitted properly, it works like a charm. Chumley is well-behaved and walks with a slack leash. With a regular collar or the prong collar, she is a nightmare -- pulling, dragging, tugging, stopping -- totally uncontrolled. |
Thanks Valerie, no you aren't like my intrusive neighbors at all!! I actually tried the gentle leader a couple of months ago, and Max bucked and jumped and went wacko. I stuck with it for a whole week and finally stopped and am now using the sporn halter, which sometimes works. Obviously he pulls more depending on where we are. When we're at the park where people are doing a lot of activities, biking, playing basketball, kids running, it seems to make Max worse because he wants to play and gets very excited. He's just getting so much stronger now, and I'm getting a little tired!! Yesterday one of my daughters' friends asked me if I lift weights, I guess Max the Moose is giving me great arms!! (I only weight 110 lbs. so I was surprised that someone would think I lift weights) I guess Max is my workout session 
Sharon |
OH I WISH MY ARMS WOULD LOOK BETTER!  I have been using the prong collar with GG since puppy kindergarten! The trainers recommended it and I honestly felt like I had a new dog!  If you are taking Max to obedience, get them to help you fit it properly, I did and I'm glad because I didn't even know how to do it up!  I believe it is supposed to be fitted so it's not super loose but not super snug either. You should take a couple of prongs out, even though Max is a moose, I think the xtra large might be a wee big for him! I know I had to remove 2 links after GG got his summer hair cut!  I think it's great that it can be adjusted back and forth! I've just got to remember where I put the links come the winter when the hair is growing back!
Also, I just had to add it, never leave the collar on Max unattended, which I'm sure you already know!
I hope this works for you! It really did for us!
Colleen and Gucci George=>Max, just do what your Mommy says, I swear you get more treats and belly rubs this way! |
personss wrote: Thanks Valerie, no you aren't like my intrusive neighbors at all!! I actually tried the gentle leader a couple of months ago, and Max bucked and jumped and went wacko. I stuck with it for a whole week and finally stopped and am now using the sporn halter, which sometimes works. Obviously he pulls more depending on where we are. When we're at the park where people are doing a lot of activities, biking, playing basketball, kids running, it seems to make Max worse because he wants to play and gets very excited. He's just getting so much stronger now, and I'm getting a little tired!! Yesterday one of my daughters' friends asked me if I lift weights, I guess Max the Moose is giving me great arms!! (I only weight 110 lbs. so I was surprised that someone would think I lift weights) I guess Max is my workout session
Sharon Did you watch the DVD re fitting the gentle leader? CHumley would buck under two circumstances -- nose was too loose or if I was pulling on the leash. It is critical that you get the dog next to you on a loose lead right from the start and never pull. A slight tug to let her know it is time to move on is all I do. Otherwise, the leash is totally slack. If you try to pull them, they go completely nuts. Anyway, I hope you find something that works. The prong did nothing for Chum. |
| As already stated, the prong collar is adjustable by removing links. They are in there tight, but stick with it, they do come out. If you look carefully you'll notice the chain is what you hook onto. It is what pulls the prong collar tight, so you put it on him to where it is snug, not tight. You tighten it with a tug.
As to placement, I was putting it on too low. It should bo high on the neck, just behind the ears, not like a collar for the tags. Notice show dogs, where the collar is set on the neck........high, behind the ears. The prong was the only way we could handle Sam. I may have to use it on the big fluffernutter here, Jack. He knows his commands, he's just a bit slow sometimes. A session with the prong might speed him up. |
| Tuc was horrible on a lead. He would be going at a full run while i was walking holding him back the whole walk.
I found a thing from four paws called No-Pull Trainers. It was like I had a completely different dog the second i put it on him, now we take walks that are so nice and calm. Different things work for different people. You'll find what works for yours. |
I used the Gentle Leader with Merlin. He was fitted for it at dog school, he HATED it, it never stopped him from pulling, instead I looked like I was walking a kangaroo , then I tried something like the No-Pull trainer, it is called a Lupi, it basically fits like a halter type deal and it pulls the dogs front paws off the ground if the dog pulls. So now I looked like I was walking a bucking bronco  . Lately I tried the plain 'ol choke collar. Hmm never worked before but now works great with merlin. Avalon however is another matter altogether...Oh well one dog at a time!
I am re-enrolling Avalon in obedience in September...we had to quit in July because it was too much with 4 kids home all day for mom to go to school from 7-10pm at night! |
| I finally got Sam into puppy school 9she was over a year old by then). They suggested the prong collar for her as she always wanted to chase after bikes and cars. It was wonderful. After 4 months, I can now walk her around the neighborhood w/o the prong collar and she does okay. She still needs training and I am waiting to hear about the next class.
I always thought prong collars were cruel...but not when used correctly. |
| I don't know how old Max is or how big but Maggie is almost 5 months old and walks really well on the leash. I would stop moving every time she pulled on the leash. I mean dead stop and she would either sit down or turn around and as soon as the lead when loose I would move.
Some walks were painstakingly long, but I feel so good about what she has learned. She will still pull when we meet other dogs and people, but is starting to sit as soon as she sees someone coming..I guess she knows she's going to pull and I am going to stop. I have heard great things about the gentle lead, and has a friend who has had great sucess with a prong collar. Be patient...remember, dogs do what works. He will learn as long as you choose one method and stick with it. |
| Hi Sharon:
Oh - I wish there was a magic cure. It seems as though different tactics work with different dogs. If you decide on a prong collar - have someone that know how to use it (your trainer) show you how to fit it for Max and how to use it appropriately. For Baxter we used a choke collar - and lots and lots of training. I think for the first few months every walk took twice as long as it normally would have been because every time he pulled I made him go in a small circle or figure eight! (He would be in a "heel" position on my left and I would turn toward the left forcing him into the circle - once we circled, we would continue on the walk). By the way - the trainer tried the gentle leader on Baxter and decided against it. He turned into a mad dog trying to get rid of it. Cassiopia does well with both the sporn collar. We trained her on this for a few weeks and she now walks quietly by us (except when the red squirrels run right in front of her - but we consider that a major distraction). I guess what I'm trying to say is that if one method doesn't work, don't get discouraged. Just keep working with Max and your trainer until you find what works best for Max. Good Luck Jennifer, Baxter, Cassiopia and Sharkey |
| Thanks all for the great feedback, this is definitely been a challenge. Everything that I have tried so far, I have been very aggressive with trying to make it work!! The gentle leader was fitted by a trainer and I tried for a solid week to make it work but Max would not tolerate it at all!! He is now 7 mos. old and weighs about 65 lbs., he seems to be a very stubborn boy who wants to have his way!! So today I will start him on his prong collar and plan on his walks possibly being shortened depending on how he responds, you're right Gucci, Max the Moose definitely doesn't need the xlarge collar, I exchanged it for a large one and removed a few prongs because he also has a summer cut so we'll see how it goes today, sometimes I think a girl would've been easier, everyone I know with girl dogs seem to have calmer companions? Just a thought
Sharon  |
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