Quote Originally Posted by farrellcollie
I rollerblade with my dogs (except the one who hates it) and I use a "gentle leader" head halter - no dog liked it at first - but they got used to it and they LOVE running so they get all excited when I get the gentle leaders out now. They can open their mouths, drink, bite, etc - but I can control them on rollerblades without fear of getting hurt. ALso - all have gone to training classes with me.
I used a gentle leader on my Boxer years ago, and it is an amazing tool! In about 15 minutes, he went from being headstrong and impossible to control to easily controlled by even a four year old. It was quite a sight to see him try to get it off those first few minutes, but once he adjusted, he was very easy to coax into following my lead. We had some issues, since gentle leaders aren't really designed for Boxer heads. The "nose strap" was pretty close to his eyes, and sometimes that would bother him if we were out for a long time (kind of like a not quite perfect bike seat!)

I don't have one for Khan and don't know why. I think I did have, but it's been missing for a very long time. He probably hid it and knows where it is. What has worked best for him is a very short leash while he gets the initial excitement of being out together worked out of his system. You would think that by six and a half, he would have settled down some, but noooooooooo, he still gets mighty excited when something he likes happens or is about to happen. After a half mile or so, he settles down and I can let him have his head a bit. It's also helpful if I behave unpredictably for a bit, since it gets his attention when I do things like walk around in a tight circle, turn and go back the way I came, etc. He's not sure what to expect, so he pays better attention to what I'm doing than if I just take off and walk in a long straight line. If we go long enough, he comes up with this brilliant idea that I should carry him home. I've never given into that, but I do check his paws for thorns or abrasions when he begs for up, just in case.

Despite having been neutered when he was about five months old, he likes to mark things as we go, and I do put up with a little of that, since he seems to think it's fun. His walks should be fun for him too, right? But, yeah, Cheri, I know just what you're talking about: drunken sailor walk is pretty accurate if I'm not a very firm mom-dog!

Karen in Boise