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So after reading a lot, I was going to get a gentle leader for my younger Boston. She listens very well, sits when I tell her, stops when I tell her, and responds to her name, etc. The only downside is when we are walking she pulls all the time. My other older one walks with her every time on a double leash thing and he doesn't pull and if he does it's not hard at all and goes un noticed.
Have any of you had any experience with a gentle leader on a Boston or dog with their face smushed like them? Her 'snout' if that's what you'd want to call it isn't very big and there isn't a lot of room on her nose area before her eyes start.
Head halters like the Gentle Leader fit best on long snouted breeds. I am not a fan of head halters for dogs in general, but certainly I would never recommend putting one on a brachycephalic breed like a Pug or a Boston.
Try a front hook harness like this: SENSE-ation® Harness or this Freedom No Pull Harness These are really effective in preventing pulling on leash and completely comfortable for any breed of dog.
Our current harnesses are ones that are very similar to those. It connects the leash on the back of the dog.
When the leash is attached to the back / top of a harness it gives the dog tremendous pulling power. Attaching the leash to the front / chest makes pulling quite awkward for the dog. A front hooking harness is basically the same idea as a head halter, but much more comfortable for the dog (and safer). Picture the leash attached to the back - the dog can get low and pull forward HARD. Now picture the leash attached to the center of the upper chest - if the dog tries to pull forward he will end up sideways or turned around!
Dogs naturally resist pressure. They have what is called an opposition reflex. Front hook harnesses remove this effect. When we walk behind a dog with the leash attached to the back, we are essentially pulling the dog backwards which creates a strong opposition reflex. The dog resists that pressure by pulling in the opposite direction - forward. This does not happen when the leash attaches to the front of the dog.
Do you carry your dog's favorite treat when you walk? Here are some ways to use food rewards combined with handling techniques to improve leash walking:
Here is my guide for training polite leash walking:
Dogs pull on-leash because there’s a payoff – it gets them where they want to go faster! If pulling stops working for your dogs, they will stop pulling. Recondition your dog: pulling no longer pays! In the exercise below, pulling actually gets the dog the opposite of what he wants…
Remember: Dogs go against resistance! This means that when we keep a tight, restraining leash, a dog’s instinct is to pull against that. The goal is to get your dog(s) accustomed to the feel of a loose leash, with no straining on either end.
The #1 Rule for teaching polite leash walking is… NEVER FOLLOW A DOG THAT IS PULLING!
When walking your dog, you must REACT each and every time he pulls. You have two options:
1) “Come back to move forward”: Dog pulls, you let out all tension in your leash and STOP moving. You do not continue walking until the dog comes back to your side. (You can call the dog’s name, pat your leg, take a couple steps backward as you bend down, etc. to coax the dog back to your side). Once the dog has returned to you, proceed with your walk!
2) “The Turn Around”: Dog pulls, you let out all tension in your leash and do a quick U-Turn, continuing to walk in the other direction.
Your walking pace should be brisk – 4 legs are faster than our 2!
Practice Leash Walking every day! Keep in mind: if pulling has always worked for your dogs in the past, they will persist in trying that trusty old behavior. Changing the way your dog walks on-leash is a process; it will not happen in one training session. Consistency is key here! It is sometimes necessary to start by practicing in a low distraction area such as in the house, yard, or driveway. Once the dog has some success in the low distraction area we can transition to practicing on walks. When you are leash training, don’t worry about the distance you cover during your walks, just decide how long you’re going to work and adhere to the rules.
Heel
To teach your dog to walk right at your side, let your dog get a whiff of a particularly tempting treat, then draw the treat up toward your chest / eye as you walk forward. Reward your dog for taking a couple steps in the correct position. Give frequent treats at first, then gradually require more steps in Heel position before rewarding. Carefully time your rewards and you will have a heeling dog who is a pleasure to walk.
Thank you for the advice! I didn't even notice that those harnesses attach at the front. I'll have to get one like that and give it a shot. We most definitely will get a lot of practice walking in. We go for walks 3+ times a day as we live in NYC and there isn't a thing as a back yard here! haha
That's the easiest front hook harness to find in pet stores. I agree they are great, but they do have a slight design flaw in front - the Easy Walk tends to slip down too low in the front on narrow / delicate breeds like Italian Greyhounds, Min Pins, etc. An Easy Walk harness should work just fine for the OP's Boston though. If anyone does have this issue with the Easy Walk slipping down too low in front, an easy fix is to clip the leash onto both the harness ring and the collar ring so that the front of the harness stays up high where it won't restrict front leg movement.
I have cavaliers, also a short nosed breed, and have used the front clip harness as well. I can't remember what brand they are- I haven't needed them in years. They definitely work!
Great advice and links by k9coach. I have three Bostons and a French Bulldog. Front hook harnesses are absolutely the best.
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