Would you stop someone from dragging, shocking, or choking a dog? Of course, you would. And that’s why you shouldn’t use a gentle leader as well.
Many may find it intimidating to tell other dog owners that they are harming their pets. But some use shocks and prongs using collars to stop their dogs from pulling when on a walk.
While not all collars may cause physical pain, they all inflict psychological pain for sure.
But before discussing further, let’s understand why dogs pull. We will also discuss what a gentle leader is and how it works.
Why Do Dogs Pull When on Walks?
If you are walking a dog in a park, you will be putting a collar and a leash on your dog. Although necessary, that’s not natural for them unless they are trained or used to it.
When exploring the outdoors, sensing, touching, and sniffing new things is natural for the canines. Since pets spend most time indoors, they get excited about seeing new things on a walk.
And if the dog hasn’t been leash-trained or walked with a leash, it’s used to moving on its rules.
Moreover, dogs usually walk faster than humans. And a leash tends to restrict their speed if you (the owner) are walking slower. That’s why dogs tend to pull on a leash during walks.
However, if you add a collar or harness like the gentle leader to stop pulling, it restricts them more. Alternatively, you can invest in proper training for your dog with professional trainers to improve their behavior.
What is a Gentle Leader?
A gentle leader is a leash or a headcollar and a training tool for dogs, especially those who pull on their leashes.
The headcollar redirects the dog’s attention away from the distraction that made it pull. It does so by moving the dog’s head and body towards you when he tries to pull.
Although touted as a training tool, it doesn’t train the dog for anything except stopping the pull. Instead, it serves as restraining the dog from pulling and that’s way different than training.
How Does a Gentle Leader Work?
The leash slides over the dog’s muzzle and head. It activates its function when the dog pulls on the leash. On experiencing a pull, the Gentle Leader exerts pressure on the dog’s neck from its back causing the dog to pull backward.
Thus, it controls the head of the dog. And the body goes where the head goes.
Are There Any Advantages of the Gentle Leader?
The only advantage to using a Gentle Leader is that it’s an inexpensive way to control your dog during walks. Dogs adapt to this collar pretty quickly and anyone can use it without professional knowledge.
However, the list of disadvantages is much longer. That’s why you shouldn’t use a gentle leader and use alternatives like professional dog training.
As already stated, the Gentle leader is more a restraining device and less a training tool. It’s only useful when walking a dog. And the canine can become collar smart which means you can’t walk a dog without the Gentle Leader.
Why You Shouldn’t Use a Gentle Leader?
The gentle leader isn’t the only head collar tool for dogs but enthusiasts treat it as a more humane device than others.
However, it’s not better in this regard than pinch collars, training collars, martingale collars, and similar tools. Instead, other tools do instill more obedience and behaviors than this head collar.
Moreover, PETA also stands against such head collars for dogs.
According to PETA, such collars make dogs go through the fear of pain. This leads them to displaced aggression, anxiety, and psychological stress at the least if not causing any physical harm.
Choke and prong collars do more harm in terms of spinal cord injuries like nerve damage or a crushed larynx.
Gentle leaders make dogs uncomfortable the way they wrap around the muzzle. The feeling is similar to the one a dog gets when another canine bites on its muzzle as a sign of warning.
And when a dog pulls on the leash, the Gentle Leader pulls its head downward and to the side. This action can lead to a potential neck injury if the dog moves quickly or pulls too hard.
Since the loyal creatures, dogs don’t deserve shocks, chokes, and drags, gentle leaders aren’t right for them.
Is a Gentle Leader Safe?
Some head collar enthusiasts claim gentle leaders to be safe as they don’t cause any physical harm. But what about the psychological harm.
Ask yourself this first. Is it okay to suppress dogs psychologically? And when this headcollar does the same thing,
How to Use a Gentle Leader?
However, you can use gentle leader safely if you are a professional trainer or working with one. Moreover, you must know your dog to be sure the collar doesn’t give it psychological shocks.
And even if you need to use it, do it temporarily with a plan to move back to normal.
Can a Gentle Leader Hurt a Dog?
That’s easy to answer. Yes, it can. When the dog pulls too hard, the backward pull a gentle leader causes can be harmful to the canine’s neck.
When not physically harmful, the head collar can cause mental harm. It can pose a negative impression on the dog’s psychology.
What are the Alternatives to Gentle Leader?
We already mentioned professional training as a wonderful alternative to any such tool. If you need a collar to control your dog, use the one that doesn’t force the neck or the muzzle.
PETA recommends Sense-ation Harness that has a ring around the chest. It’s a dog harness that controls the dog from pulling without choking, causing stress, or other damage.
Final Words on Why You Shouldn’t Use a Gentle Leader
By now, you must have enough reasons why you shouldn’t use a gentle leader. Although it offers an inexpensive way to control your dog, it does more harm than good.
The gentle leader, like other head collars, can cause physical damage to the neck when the dog pulls hard. In addition, it also impacts the dog’s psychology which can turn do the opposite and turn your dog more aggressive.