Gentle Leader - also way long!

["Deb & Boyd McFail" <bdmcfail@alaska.net>]

Gina writes:

> However I have noticed 
> many more of them around recently for training.  I don't think that a
> Haltie is a tool most use beyond beginner training and maybe with some of
> these head strong puppies it's not a bad idea to re think the use for some
> of us.

Gina, I wanted to add my comments on this if I could please. Linda and Gina
know of the trials and tribulations and struggles we've had with our middle
girl Sophie. While she was always willing to work, she also was stubborn as
an ox and as strong as one too. Sophie regularly pulled me off of my feet
and I am not a small person!

Controlling Sophie was a nightmare; controlling Sophie when she was
determined to eat another dog (yes, we have 'those' issues too with her)
went beyond nightmare into the realm of considering putting her down at
times. I refused to 'place' her in spite of the urging of her breeder. I
will not place a dog out of this household. Her breeder recently predicted I
would put her to sleep by August. Ha, I did not do that but I did work my
rear off to integrate Boomer into her life, lol.. another long story, sorry,
I'm digressing!

To this day we do not know if her temperament is genetic (the sire's owner
swears he is not at fault although a sibling of the sire is now throwing
temperament problems in his litters, sigh) or if she's wired wrong or if
it's a nurture versus nature question. I have finally given up after 3 1/2
years and just accept that while she is an ideal people dog and exemplifies
the wonderful golden temperament in every interaction with humans, she is
*not* an ideal dog to have in a group of dogs, even our little 'family pack'
here at home.

Remind me sometime to actually sit down and write about what this summer and
fall have "really" been like trying to adjust Sophie to the new baby Boomer,
lol. My newest gray hairs will also be dyed fake blonde on Monday (g)

I can honestly say that from the age of 6 months old I've tried every single
training method out there on Sophie with the exception of Kholer's
(stringing the dog up) to get a handle on her and to continue training for
proper behavior with other dogs and to continue on towards titles in the
performance arena. We left the show ring gladly when her hips came back from
OFA as moderately dysplastic.

Now, that's some background, and long winded I know, but it wasn't until my
trainer showed me the Gentle Leader and we put one on her, and my god yes,
she bucked like a green broke horse, that we found ANY workable method to
calm and control her *long enough* to begin to lay a decent foundation
underneath her for training!

I wholeheartedly agree with Ellen and Gina that the premise of this type of
head halter is to not be using it 'forever' but to use it long enough to
gain every inch of advantage it offers for control, and to establish exactly
WHO is really 'in charge' and it does work!

The Gentle Leader allowed us to complete one class of Beginning Obedience
(we got the certificate but it was a "mercy pass" lol), and to go on towards
her CGC in another class. We failed that 1st attempt, but by then we had
worked enough with the Gentle Leader to move her over to a regular training
collar and my gosh the difference was astounding! She no longer pulls on
walks and she has enough self control now to listen to me when training. I
have to lay this all on the doorstep of this wonderful tool, the Gentle
Leader head collar.

We passed our second class and our second attempt at the Canine Good Citizen
title and I have to say the whole class cheered for us, lol. Sophie has her
Tracking Dog title and we have one leg towards her CD (companion dog) title.
We'll be searching for the other 2 legs this spring and I have no doubt that
we'll achieve that as well. Anyhow... this is a long winded way of saying
that the Gentle Leader was the whole key to success with Sophie after years
of anguish and doubt about whether this little tank of a golden would ever
have a normal life.

Thanks for listening, lol, I know I sure do run on.
Debs