Hi and Welcome to our blog. If this is your first time visiting we are Matthew and Nissa Haight. We live in an RV and have 3 dogs……… yes, 3!  As you can imagine, we have done our fair share of research on no pull dog leashes.

First, a little background on us! Dogs have been in our lives since we were little. Between the two of us, we have owned a husky, border collies, a golden retriever, and some mixed breeds. Some were rescued and others were purchased from litters as small puppies. We certainly have some years of experience under our belts.

Even with our combined experience, dog training hasn’t always been a walk in the park. Training a pup is work, no matter what trick or behavior you are trying to teach. One of my main challenges has been getting my fur babies to walk easily on a leash, without pulling. Seems like an easy task to teach, right? For us, not so much! I taught Piper, my oldest, to play dead, crawl, roll over, sit, and some other cute tricks, however, walking easily on a leash? Nope, that seemed impossible.

Over the years of owning dogs, I have studied and tested so many different techniques in hopes of finding the one that would help me teach them to walk easily on a leash. Each new technique proved to be no match for my curious dogs. I would be jealous when I would see other dogs at parks walking perfectly next to their owners, no pulling or tugging, just walking right along. How do they do it?! What’s the trick?! I’m sure I’m not the only one who has experienced this dilemma.

If you’re here, chances are you have the same struggles I have had when walking my dogs.

To clarify, when I say I tried everything, I mean I literally tried every method out there. I watched countless videos, read countless blogs, and tested them out. Even spent hours after work walking them from the time they were puppies, all in hopes of teaching them to walk alongside me.

I carried treats with me, tried stopping and calling them back to sit before we started walking again (they call this “the tree method”), and even experimented with turning around and walking the other way. The amount of money spent on harnesses and leashes that promised but failed to deliver results was astounding. Oh, the frustration and the waste of money. My sweet dogs deserved to be walked multiple times a day, and enjoy the outdoors, but walking them always stressed me out!

When we would go on walks not only was the constant pulling frustrating, but when other dogs were near, or God forbid, a squirrel ran across the road, my dogs would bolt. It was so embarrassing to be in a crowded park with other dog owners and their behaving pups.

One time, Piper, my border collie/lab mix took off while my mother was holding her leash. She was knocked down and dragged before she let go of the leash! I was mortified. My mother ended up with a bruised wrist and a scraped-up knee. That is when I knew, I HAVE to find something that will work!

I searched and searched until I discovered this collar. It reminded me of the head harnesses that are placed on horses. So, originally I thought “here’s another device that works perfectly for other dogs, but I doubt it will work for mine.”   I still decided it was worth reading the reviews, I mean at this point I was desperate.

So, after learning more about it, I was hopeful that this could be the answer to our problem! I purchased the collar off Amazon. Honestly, a part of me was still skeptical, and I prepared myself to have to return it when it didn’t work.

A couple of days went by as I waited for the package to be delivered. During that time, I chose to take the dogs to a dog park instead of walking them on a leash. They needed some exercise, and I didn’t want to get frustrated with them. Then finally, I received the notification! They were here! I hoped the collars would live up to the reviews.

What did I buy?

Well, it is called The Gentle Leader! Like I said before, it is a similar concept to the harnesses that are used for horses. The reviews said it is a none painful collar (unlike the spiked prong collars) which provides more control for the owner and is way safer than a regular around the neck collar for the pups.

Heres how it works. When the dog pulls, instead of the collar choking them around the neck, the Gentle Leader simple stops them and gently pulls their entire head back towards the handler.

How do you use the Gentle Leader?
1. Fit the padded piece of collar that goes around the dog’s snout first and then lock it into place. The silver ring should be below the dogs head/snout.
2. Then, fit the collar that goes around the dog’s neck.
3. Attach the leash to the silver ring under the head/snout.

At this point, I’m sure you’re wondering, “did it work?” The simple answer is, yes it did! Now, after placing and adjusting it towards my girls faces it did take some time for them to get used to it. They tried to take it off with their paws, but just like a collar or harness, they became familiar with it. The results were pretty quick, and I finally had complete and total control! I also want to clarify that this is not a muzzle. The dogs can still eat, drink, pant, and give loving licks.

The Gentle Leader changed our walking experience. I love it! They love it! It is a Win, Win!

This simple invention has saved my dog’s lives as well as their throats. When they have the Gentle Leaders on, I even feel confident enough to hand their leashes to a child, knowing they won’t be pulling or tugging away. The Gentle Leader helps prevent unwanted behavior, provides peace of mind when going on walks, vet visits, and much more. It reduces dogs from jumping, bolting, or lunging toward anyone or any critter.

Don’t just take my word for it. Here are some snips of others who have tried and reviewed the Gentle Leaders.

So, if you’re like me and have tried everything to get your dog to walk easily on a leash but still nothing has worked, The Gentle Leader is truly the greatest thing ever!

You can purchase yours here. They even come in really great colors and patterns for you and your dog’s style. They provide sizes for all weight limits from dogs as little as 5lbs to dogs over 130lbs.

Let us know; What have you found to get your dogs to walk easily on a leash? Or what do you think about The Gentle Leader?

Leave a comment, follow us and don’t forget to show your dog some love!

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