premier easy walk or gentle leader?

[y0rkiesR0ck]

okay, so i have a problem with Kash pulling on the leash/harness when i try to take him on walks. i need to teach him not to do this... i'm having trouble deciding which no-pull harness to get - the easy walk or the gentle leader. one goes on the legs and the other on the head... i've read mixed reviews about both products. i guess i'll always get mixed reviews, but what do you all think?

[Erin]

I use both and I like the Easy Walk for daily walks and the Gentle Leader for "situations" like walking through a crowd. Loki needs to be managed since he will bark at other dogs, so the Gentle Leader helps with that. If you are only dealing with a puller and not a barker or a reactive dog, the Easy Walk would be my recommendation. It is simple to use and easy for the dog to adjust to and most important it is as comfortable as any other harness. The GL takes a period of adjustment - some dogs do well with them and others don't like them.

I have the full size range of Easy Walks on my website Barkaholics — Welcome and I have some size small Gentle Leaders that aren't on there, but PM me if you are interested. Let me know if I can answer any other questions!!!

[y0rkiesR0ck]

i bought the easy walk in the petite size and it was still way to big for Kash. i'm going to take it back and try the gentle leader... altough i'm afraid that will be too big as well. hmm...

[nikkinack]

I use the gentle leader on my big dog and love it

[y0rkiesR0ck]

the gentle leader works pretty well. at first kash didn't like it and would try to take it off by rubbing his paws on his face or rubbing his face on the ground... but after a few times of going out with it on, he walks fine. he still seems to walk really fast, but he's not pulling, and he's by my side instead of in front of me.

[Erin]

Originally Posted by y0rkiesR0ck

the gentle leader works pretty well. at first kash didn't like it and would try to take it off by rubbing his paws on his face or rubbing his face on the ground... but after a few times of going out with it on, he walks fine. he still seems to walk really fast, but he's not pulling, and he's by my side instead of in front of me.

That's great! When I walk mine, I do let them walk in front of me as long as they are not pulling on the leash. Also, I have found that if I just let them walk fast or run for the first house or two, they slow down and walk at a normal pace. They are just excited to be outside and they aren't so much pulling but they just want to walk FAST! Letting them go as fast as they want for 1/2 a block or so get it out of their system and they walk very nicely the rest of the way.

[xine]

The Easy Walk has worked out great for me and Stitch. He definitely is much better about keeping pace with it on.

However, we've gone through two of them already as the snap buckles seem to break off from wear and tear faster than the material. (But, as a disclaimer, we use it several times a day since he gets walked a lot.)

[morrislaz]

Can you tell me the difference between the gentle leader and easy walk. I didn't know they were different. I went on line and they look the same.
I used the the gentle leader (easy walk?) and the only problem was it kept falling off Lola's legs even though I bought the smallest one.

Has anyone else had this problem?
I can use any help as Lola is terrible on the leash.
morrislaz

[Erin]

How big is Lola?

The "Gentle Leader" and the "Gentle Leader Easy Walk Harness" are two different things made by the same company (Premier) under the same brand name. That might be where some of the confusion comes from.

The Gentle Leader is a head halter similar to what you would see on a horse. It goes around their muzzle (they can still eat and drink) and high up around their necks. You don't really put pressure on their necks because the whole point is to never need to use more than 1 finger to control the dog. This comes with a DVD. The GL is best for reactive dogs (dogs who bark at people, noises, other dogs) or bigger, harder to control dogs. I use the GL on Loki in specific situations where I need his attention and his best behavior. I don't typically use it on leisure walks.

The Easy Walk is a harness with 3 straps that goes around the belly and in front of the chest with the D-ring in the front. If your dog pulls, the harness will gently pull them to the side rather than letting them continue to pull forward. I used this to teach Loki to walk nicely and learn a "watch me" command. I still use it for him and I like it a lot.

Personally, I think the Petite size is really small. Sammy is 6lbs with a 13" chest and I put a "tweener" Petite/Small on her today and it fit better than the Petite. I had a hard time getting a good fit on her with the Petite. Her legs are shorter and I think that has something to do with it. Honestly any dog as small on her could probably learn not to pull just with technique rather than a special collar/harness. Loki is 12 pounds and he was really a puller so it worked well on him.

Here is a video of how the Gentle Leader head collar works.
Gentle Leader Demonstration Video - Premier Pet

I attached pictures of the Easy Walk harness. The secret reason I love it is that it sticks out the front of most hoodies so no need for a leash hole in back!

xine - I believe you can send a broken harness back to Premier and they will repair it for like $5. At least that used to be the case. I would keep that in mind next time. They are really nice!

[keokis mom]

I think the sensation harness is the BEST!!!! A trainer told me about it and the first time I walked Keoki with it he was like a new dog!!! You can order it online

[Boo2188]

I just got easy walk harness and after 3 days of training Boo has improved 100%. I get him to heel, no pulling when I very gently pull the leash to the side reminding him to stay with me. The trick is to try to keep the leash with no tension. Great harness. H is a 9.5 lb Yorkie and size small fits well.