By Daniel Stevens and Martin Olliver

The Gentle Leader® is a dog collar that looks and works differently than a traditional dog collar that goes around the neck. It is a “head harness” that consists of a nylon nose strap and neck strap. The lead is attached to a ring at the end of short strap that extends under the chin. Based on the premise of a horse’s bridle, The Gentle Leader® allows owners to control the head of the dog, and by doing so they can easily control the movement of the animal.

The straps are each designed to have a specific function: the nose loop is said to mimic the practice of demonstrating pack dominance between two animals by firmly taking a dog’s muzzle in their own; the neck strap is intended to calm the dog by mimicking the practice of a mother grasping her pups by the back of the neck.

Dogs tend to respond to an applied force by exerting an opposing force, which is why they often respond to a backwards pull of lead with more pulling. The Gentle Leader® is designed to reverse this behavior, and arrest forward movement when force is exerted on the neck.

Here are some common criticisms of the Gentle Leader® and our response to them:

• The science is suspect. Some have questioned the concept behind the Gentle Leader®, specifically whether or not the individual straps actually accomplish what they are said to. We are slightly sympathetic to this view, in that the explanation of the lead’s mechanics can sound over-determined. But regardless of whether these straps are actually mimicking pack behaviors, there is not doubt that the lead effectively controls the dog’s head. When you’ve used it and seen it work, it doesn’t need to be any more complicated than that.
• It looks like a muzzle. It’s not a muzzle. A dog on a Gentle Leader® can vocalize, eat, drink, and smile.
• Dogs hate wearing it. Many dogs will make a tremendous fuss about wearing it at first. Some will act like it’s intolerable, and try to paw at it or rub their face on the ground. This display is temporary, and it’s important to realize that they are not responding to pain but rather to a form of discipline.

Also, it’s likely that people are so used to seeing dogs pulling on their lead and gasping for breath they no longer see THIS method of dog control as inhumane. As more people become educated about alternatives to conventional collars and leads, the more they will accept them.

The same goes for their dogs. In any case, they’ll get used to it, and fairly quickly too. We start many dogs on the Gentle Leader® collar and eventually move off it to a regular neck collar, once the unwanted behaviors have disappeared. Some owners (such as those in more rural areas) find that they don’t need a lead at all.

(Note: Like any piece of equipment, the Gentle Leader® must be used safely and properly. NEVER yank the Gentle Leader® lead).

• In one case we’ve found that the dog’s skin showed over-sensitivity to the nylon on its snout. We refitted the collar (both straps are adjustable), but that didn’t work. The irritation remained, so we just stopped using it.

Our opinion of the product differs from trainers who see it only as a restraining mechanism, rather than a more versatile training tool. We found the product effective in correcting pulling, lunging, and jumping, and had marked success in using it to help owners facilitate basic training commands such as “sit” and “down.” The product information notes that the collar will stop unwanted barking, but we found the lead less effective in this regard.

As its name implies, we do find the Gentle Leader® more gentle and more humane than a lead that “teaches” by reminding the animal that you can stop their breathing. The only qualification would be a potentially difficult introduction period of the lead.

For this reason, and as with any training tool, the Gentle Leader Training should be introduced gradually and with positive association and reinforcement. If they come to suspect or even fear the lead, you will have a challenge on your hands.

So lead gently. They will follow.

About The Authors

Daniel Stevens is the renowned dog trainer and author of Secrets to Dog Training: STOP Dog Behavior Problems!, one of the leading dog training guides on the market today selling over 25,743 copies (and counting). He currently heads the Kingdom of Pets dog training team.

Martin Olliver has over 12 years experience in dog training and is a proud member of the Kingdom of Pets team. He is the author of the newly released Ultimate Guide to House Training.

Got Dog Obedience Training or Problem Behavior Issues?

Is your dog trying your patience on a daily basis? Are you constantly faced with a dog that displays one of the following issues? To find the solution to your problem click on it.. you’ll discover the answers to it and other common dog problems you may be facing.

• Aggression
• Barking
• Biting
• Chewing
• Digging
• Flatulence
• House Training
• Jumping
• Whining

This is the most comprehensive book on dog training and behavior problems around.

By Daniel Stevens and Martin Olliver

For parents, children are a small menace who can be difficult to predict and control. For dogs, children are a medium-sized menace who can be difficult to predict – but a menace they rely on parents to control.

In order to avoid your dogs aggression in the company of your children, there are several important rules to put down. Basically, owners need to train their kids on behalf of their dog.

• No tug of war or “contest” games. Certain play activities encourage an elevate dog aggression responses, as they trigger the “prey instincts” of dogs. It may look cute when puppies thrash a stuffed toy, jerking their head from side to side. But this is a hangover from when wolves had to snap the spine of their protesting prey. Tug of war, in particular, also encourages the dog to assert its strength and dominance by way of a contest. These games are a bad idea for kids.
• Don’t push a playful or jumping dog. Dogs respond to this force as a further engagement of play. They are hardwired to respond to this force with an equal and opposite force. Translation: they will push back. In situations where you want a dog to stop jumping, the child needs to make sure they are calm enough to avoid encouraging the behavior, which is where is gets tricky when the high-pitched giggling, squealing, or even crying kicks in. High-pitches are music to an excited dog’s oversensitive ears. You’ll need to work with the whole family on having commands to interrupt this behavior (such as “Down” or “Ouch” followed by ignoring or physically separating child from dog).
• Don’t touch tail or paws. Dogs can’t see what’s behind them. If something is pulling on their tail, even if it’s just a curious tug, they will respond quickly and firmly, often with their mouth open and primed. Kids don’t have tails. That’s why they’re curious about them. It’s up to you to make them cautious as well. The same goes for their paws. They are over-protective of their paws since back in their pack hunting days they were the means to their survival.
• Don’t have attack commands, even for fun. The command “Sick him” should not be part of your children’s vocabulary, whether it is directed at a squirrel or the bully down the road.

After you’re done with basic training for your children, there are a few tips you should give them when dealing with other people’s dogs, which after all is where a lot of dog aggression problems start:

• Always ask the owner first if you can say “hello” to their dog.
• When you do greet a new dog, it’s always best to pet “underhand” with your hand first making contact under the dog’s jaw. This is a non-threatening contact that allows the dog to see your hand (and what it’s doing) at every point.
• Never pet or even approach a dog tied up on its own, however nice it may appear. Dogs that are tied up can easily feel “cornered” by an approaching child or group of children, and will act defensively.
• Avoid head on, direct eye contact. For dogs this can be a sign of confrontation or challenge.

Kids love to teach other kids what they know. You’ll find that if you start with a few simple rules, the knowledge will spread and we’ll have a safer relationship with kids and canines.

By Daniel Stevens and Martin Olliver

Kimber is a Female Bull Terrier. Growing up, she was well-trained. She is an extremely social creature, who always embraces a philosophy of “the more the merrier.” Kimber belongs to a male owner. The owner adopted Kimber in his mid-20’s while renting a house with two other friends. When they would all hang out together in the lounge, Kimber would become excited and extra playful.

One her favorite habits became sprinting out of the room, then, with a running start, she would jump up on the chest and lap of any one of the guys on the couch and spring straight off, all the while without breaking stride. This stunt was so amusing the roommates even gave it a name. They called it a “drive-by” (as in drive-by shooting), an ironic reference to the somewhat unsafe neighborhood they lived. The behavior was funny, and very much encouraged.

The owner eventually moved out of the house and in with his girlfriend, but Kimber not surprisingly continued the drive-by’s whenever there were guests gathered in the house. This was causing problems. When I was emailed by the owner, he was convinced he had a difficult task ahead of him in getting Kimber to unlearn this behavior. I told him the opposite, that this case had a slam-dunk solution, provided the same thing that was causing the behavior was willing to help stop it: that cause being the social group.

First step is to identify the exact behaviors that lead up to Kimber’s overexcited stunt. The heavier panting and wagging tail (even though hers was docked you can still see that trademark wiggle) are typical signs indicating willingness to play. But the giveaway was that Kimber would always do a few excited circles before sprinting out of the room and back in a full speed.

This is the vital moment that we had the owner intervene, and momentarily calm her down. Timing is everything. “Down Kimber.” “Settle.” As soon as Kimber tones it down even slightly, the owner was told take her outside (the basement was the winter alternative as they lived in a cold climate) and ask the others to accompany him for five or 10 minutes while Kimber burned off some of her social energy.

The important part is asking others to join you. Some of these guests were dog people, some weren’t. The ones who were not didn’t need to participate in the play session at all. What matters is that they indulge the dog, because she is reacting to the excitement of a sudden swell in pack numbers. That’s really all the time it takes to wind a jumping dog down. (It is always a good idea to exercise a dog such as this before taking them into a social setting, but in this case Kimber acted up with guests even after an exercise session right beforehand).

This way, instead of keeping Kimber separate from the social pack, which is really the last thing in the world she wants, she was able to join the group and lay down calmly on the floor. The indoor jumping problem was solved, and Kimber’s drive-by’s became a thing of the past.

What It Means and How To Cope

By Daniel Stevens and Martin Olliver

There are guaranteed to be some occasions when your dog’s barking is going to be inconvenient, but this doesn’t mean that you have to view your dog’s vocalization as an intolerable irritation. You could choose to look at it more constructively: your dog is trying to communicate with you. In order to cope with and control excessive barking, you need to understand what the reason is – and then take steps to remove the stimulus.

Different Barks & Their Circumstances

If you can spend some time watching your dog, you’ll find there’s a fair bit to be learned about the different barks he uses and why he’s using them. If you can learn to recognize these and then pair them with the circumstances in which they typically occur, so much the better.

• Boredom. This is a major problem for a lot of dogs. Some can handle being by themselves for long periods of time (for example, the average working day), but the truth is that it’s really hard on most dogs. Barking is something your dog can do to relieve the boredom, and to give himself something to do. A dog barking out of boredom or loneliness will usually do so repetitively and with little alteration in frequency, tone, or volume.
• Toilet-call. Most dogs will show their need to go outside by pacing, circling, sniffing the ground, and whining; a lot will sit by the door or pace restlessly back and forth. The type of bark that accompanies this behavior is usually a single short, sharp imperative (repeated if you don’t take action the first time round).
• Dinner-time: this is similar to the toilet-call bark (the motive is similar: your dog thinks that you need to be made aware of something). He will probably be racing around energetically, interspersing the barks with little pleading whines and jumps.
• Excited barking is an expression of joy: your dog’s happy about something and needs to let the world know. You should be able to tell by the circumstances and his body language (tail waving, mouth open and panting, front elbows touching the ground, rear end up in the air), but happy-barking is also higher-pitched than usual.
• Warning barking is almost always a husky baying noise – your dog is trying to make himself sound bigger and meaner than he actually might be. Even the smaller breeds, which are physically incapable of producing anything more menacing than shrill yapping, will lower their tone as much as possible. This is usually accompanied with raised hackles, and a tense “I-dare-you” posture: leaning forward, tail stiff and twitching, ears pointing forward or back.

Coping With Excessive Barking

Sufficient exercise and companionship take care of about 95% of irritating-barking cases. If your dog’s still barking after you’ve ruled out the obvious, you’ll need to employ some tried-and-true tactics for controlling this habit.

Tips for Curbing Barking:

• Never reward barking. You need to teach him that barking is no longer an effective communication tool. If you dog is barking, he must get no attention – period – until he stops. Don’t touch him, talk to him, feed him, or look at him.
• Teach the “enough” command. When your dog starts to bark, break his attention quickly: call him to you, and say firmly “Quiet”. The moment he stops barking, treat him profusely.
• Remember to allow him to vent: you can’t expect your dog to stop barking altogether. You need to be realistic and allow him the chance to get a few good barks out before you quiet him.
• You need to redirect his energy into a different channel. Tell him to “quiet”, and then get him to sit or lie down. It’s important that you give him something else to do. Treat him when he obeys you.
• If your dog barks “at you” immediately after you’ve given him a command, then you have some dominance training to do. Read up on canine communication and the concept of alpha status.