by Sarah Remington

Created on: May 06, 2008   Last Updated: January 18, 2010

A sure sign of spring is seeing people walking with their dogs and enjoying the mild weather. Unfortunately, all too often people's dreams of quiet companionable walks are interrupted by their dog's enthusiasm for racing about and insensibly towing their human behind. Dreams of quiet walks turn into nightmarish battles of wills. Fortunately this problem can be solved by using the correct collar.

If you want your dog to pull, use a body harness. These harnesses distribute pressure over the dog's entire body allowing them to pull harder. Use a body harness to teach and encourage your dog to pull, not to stop pulling. Pulling can be good. Sled dogs use body harnesses.

If you want to let your dog pull a little, but need help overpowering them, then use a pronged collar or choke collar. They work by causing progressively more discomfort until the dog stops what it is doing. Of course pain can cause adrenalin and a dog might find such collars exciting and pull harder.

The "Gentle Leader" no-pull dog collar does not rely on pain, nor does it rely on reducing the strength of the dog's pull. Rather, it uses leverage to turn the dog around to face you. The message the dog gets is that if they pull hard, they lose sight of their quarry and turn and see their human.

The "Gentle Leader" could be mistaken for a muzzle, but it does not restrict the dog's ability to open his mouth, pant, bark, or even bite. The nose strap fits snugly at the back of the dog's mouth, just below the dog's eyes and will only minimally restrict the dog's mouth.

Dogs will instinctively try to rub the collar off the nose, but if they are distracted, by going for a walk, they quickly get used to the collar. Combine one of these new collars with the habit of stopping or slowing down whenever a dog pulls and dogs quickly learn it is not in their best interest to pull.

The fit of the collar is important. The "Gentle Leader" brand collar comes in various sizes and can be adjusted. The strap around the muzzle should be positioned just below the eyes and be snug, but not tight. The strap around the head should ride high, just below the ears, and again, be snug but not tight. Normal, acceptable pulling should not cause the collar to slide on the muzzle. The leash connecting ring should always remain centered below the jaw.

Like a leash, these collars are designed only for use on a walk. Do not leave them on 24/7.

So now, in the dog world, that old adage "you can't build a better mousetrap" has been disproved. There is a better collar. Don't believe the old saw "You can't teach an old dog new tricks." Dogs are smart and you can put a Gentle Leader-type collar on an old dog and be out walking peacefully in no time. If walking your dog is an exciting chase, try these new collars. Come spring you too can go for quiet walks with your dog.

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