# Gentle Leader- too tight



## perlita (Jan 6, 2012)

I bought the GL for Perlita because she's a jumper. She doesn't pull when we walk, she's quite good at walking next to me. But when she sees someone new she'll jump on them and I have tried everything to make it stop. Everything. So I bought the GL because they say it's good for jumping.

I've only used it twice but it seems to be working! When she jumps I'll pull her down, put her in sit and then she'll stay! Before (with a choke collar), she would jump and jump and jump and jump... you get the point.

I don't plan on using it forever, just until she learns she's not allowed to jump. But, it seems very tight. I know they say tight is good, but when she breathes it sort of sounds like she's snorting. It's like a labored breath. I loosened up the neck part, but then it started moving around like they say is bad.

Suggestions?


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## BernerMax (Mar 15, 2013)

A picture would be good-- we had Boxers on it and it used to ride up into their cheeks plus they were fairly broad faced as well....So didnt like it tight as it really cut into them.... They do snort they have something on their faces, I do not let it dig in though... You can clip the dangly part to the collar ( I think thats what we did its been Awhile) as backup and as the dog learns not to be so wild and walk nicely the snorting should stop.... Love it , it was like power steering for our rambunctious dogs...


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## perlita (Jan 6, 2012)

Took a few minutes to get these uploaded, but here they are. This is how I fit the GL.


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## HollowHeaven (Feb 5, 2012)

You're jerking your dog's head down like a horse?

Why not just teach her not to jump? There are plenty of other ways.


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## BernerMax (Mar 15, 2013)

On a quick break from work-- it's too far back under her eyes, I would loosen it - it doesnt look comfortable.... more later!


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## Miss Bugs (Jul 4, 2011)

I don't know a lot about GL as I prefered halti brand, but I was always under the impression that the nose part should be more around the nose and the leash clips under the chin, you seem to have it under the eyes and clipping at the neck. I would def. loosen it a bit. *I could be wrong though, like I said, I know little about the GL!


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## perlita (Jan 6, 2012)

HollowHeaven said:


> You're jerking your dog's head down like a horse?
> 
> Why not just teach her not to jump? There are plenty of other ways.


Please enlighten me. I have: told her no, kneed in the stomach, put her in sit, kept her on leash, ignored her, turned my back, got to her level to greet, only pat and say hello when she's not jumping... I am consistent. And yet, after 1.5 years she is STILL JUMPING. Please, PLEASE if you have some magic way to make her stop, please tell me.

--

To everyone else, thanks, I'll loosen it up and try it out today!


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## BernerMax (Mar 15, 2013)

Yeah let us know-- move the whole ensemble forward abit, looser-- it was a godsend to us-- our poor dog was released forever from a prong with the gentle leader and it allowed me to walk two rambunctious boxers with ease for years and years (they really didnt mind it after a bit)....


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## HollowHeaven (Feb 5, 2012)

Lol, I just don't think jerking a dog down by its head is particularly safe or effective. But if you're fine with it -shrug-


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## BernerMax (Mar 15, 2013)

HollowHeaven said:


> Lol, I just don't think jerking a dog down by its head is particularly safe or effective. But if you're fine with it -shrug-


Once her dog realizes she cant get away with that anymore-- she will stop and walk nicely loose lead .. I used to say I could walk my two dogs with 2 pinky fingers they were so nice on the GL.....


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## NicoleIsStoked (Aug 31, 2012)

You kneed your dog in the stomach?


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## HollowHeaven (Feb 5, 2012)

BernerMax said:


> Once her dog realizes she cant get away with that anymore-- she will stop and walk nicely loose lead .. I used to say I could walk my two dogs with 2 pinky fingers they were so nice on the GL.....


"Gentle" Leaders are dangerous in several ways. They put unnecessary pressure on the muzzle and the eyes (I've seen quite a few dogs with worn places across their face from wearing them so much) and the pose a risk of the dog were to jerk it's head around to try to run. They can cause damage to the spine, to the throat, even break a dog's neck.
I'm pretty sure a no-pull harness would get the job done just as effectively and more safely.

But OP is jerking the dog back to the ground for jumping. Not cool.


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## Tylerthegiant (Apr 5, 2013)

This Kikopup video is great for teaching not jumping, and I've seen it work with some pretty tough cases, so I'd invite you to try this method, because it sounds like you've haven't tried this one yet.

http://youtu.be/lC_OKgQFgzw

You do have to be careful with GL, the pressure should be slow and steady, and applied by the dog, not the handler. JJ had a gentle leader and it worked very well for her, because the way she moved on a walk (pulling) allowed slow and steady pressure she applied. Lucas was a wild man, and a no pull harness was safer for him. If she's not trying to get it off, there's no reason it has to be _super_ tight, as long as it can't come off (because once they figure there are ways to get it off other than their human taking it off they'll never leave it alone).


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## perlita (Jan 6, 2012)

Thanks for the suggestions and the link! I didn't get a chance to use the GL today, we were so busy with other things. But I'll make sure to loosen it up a bit.

The issue with the jumping is she only jumps when she's excited or sees someone new. Just around the house she won't jump. When I get home from work she'll jump a few times and then she'll calm down and just go to sleep or something. Once I'm home from work and leave to do laundry or something short term, she won't jump when I get back. With new people she can't calm down and jumps and jumps and jumps. I'm not sure how to recreate that environment without involving other people and their time!


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## Tylerthegiant (Apr 5, 2013)

I don't think there is a way to do it without involving volunteers. Sometimes you'd be surprised at how obliging others are to help in training (at least I've found-unless it involves a possible bite, understandable), even perfect strangers on a walk. Even when you get home from work, those few times jumping, if you can reward the absence of jumping, it puts in her head that _not jumping_ is what gets rewards and will be more likely to carry over in other areas and make training in other situations easier, that's an opportunity, no risk of the dog getting hurt accidentally. It's like training anything, start small and then slowly raise the criteria always works best in the long run if you can create that control in the environment, and with a little creativity you usually can.


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