Gentle leader harness vs head collar?

I'm wondering what would work best on a pulling dog. I have a head collar for my dog Sig and i'm going to get something for my puppy Nova soon. I was wondering which is more effective cause I only have experience with the head collar.

Asked by Nova on Dec 4th 2010 Tagged headcollargentleleader in Collars & Leashes


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I personally think that the Gentle Leader is more comfortable for dogs and works better. This is just my opinion, however. You should get what is best for Nova.
I just don't like how the dog has to wear something around their nose, and some owners have had bad expiriences with the head collar.
It really, to be honest, depends on the dog. I suggest going to your petstore and ask a worker if you can test both the gentle leader and head collar. See how Nova reacts to them and whichever works best, I suggest getting it. I have had great results with the Gentle Leader and would reccomend it to anyone, but if you think Nova will do better on the head collar then get that one. Good luck and I hope you find the right choice!



I would go with any harness that snaps in the front. and I would go with that because your dog has a wide chest.
Once he stops growing there is also the sensation harness. google the name. we bought it for a 90 lb wide chested dog. It doesn't hurt the dog and it works very good. It snaps to the leash with a ring in the chest area. I would buy it if the dog is fully mature so you get the best fit.
I don't like the head collars, i don't dig anything being near my dogs eyes. And if any dog ever attacks while having it on, it could be ripped off and I just would never use one. But, I would use a harness for sure.



I've been doing a lot of research on both the harness and the head collar, and I have found that the Gentle Leader harness (or any other front-clip harness) is the better way to go. Although it depends on your dog, if s/he is prone to lunging, or running at full speed to the end of the leash, a head collar could cause serious injury.
Also, some dogs will not tolerate head collars.
