I Finally Like to Walk My Dog & Gentle Leader Review

Our dog Jenna is just about the most perfect dog any family could ask for. I’m not saying that because she’s a senior dog and I’m counting every day that she’s still with us a blessing at this point, I’m saying it because it’s the truth. She’s always been the most gentle, loving, and loyal pet, while putting up with a lot from children and other pets we’ve brought into her household. She still has a pep in her step that I’m often in awe of, and hope that I can possess when I reach her age equivalent in human years. Several years ago we made the possibly crazy decision to bring a puppy into our home. Let’s just say, it wasn’t necessarily something that I supported, but once he was here, he was here. He was certainly an adorable puppy with white that crept up his legs just a little bit, leading Nick to choose his name, Socks. During his seven years, I’ve often done what any decent parent should never do and I’ve compared him to Jenna. She’s very gentle, he often marches around like a bull in a china shop. Jenna prances along on walks with true femininity, while Socks barrels down the street like someone is walking in front of him dangling a raw piece of meat just out of his reach. It got to the point that I had to take them out separately because I simply couldn’t handle Socks while trying to be careful of Jenna and her slowed pace. If there was a person walking nearby, or worse yet, someone with another dog, Socks was a nightmare. It would take every bit of muscle that I had to control him long enough for the other animal to fade out of sight. Needless to say, rather than enjoying long summer walks with my dog, it was something I dreaded. It got to the point I was just taking him out in our yard and walking a few laps around the lawn for him to relieve himself so we could get back inside as quickly as possible. This wasn’t enjoyable for either of us. We both crave and need our exercise.

Gentle Leader Collar Review

Finally, after a little research, I decided to purchase the Gentle Leader Headcollar from Premier. It came with step-by-step instructions with a training DVD. Simply put, this collar was a game changer. Just like the name implies, it’s gentle. It’s not one of those choking collars and it’s not a muzzle, either. You basically make the size adjustment according to your dog’s head and the strap goes up around his muzzle area and clips at the base of his skull. He’s never in any pain, even if he starts to tug while on a walk. Oh, that’s the best part. I no longer require lots of muscle while out with Socks because he walks right beside me rather than several feet in front of me. As a matter of fact, I now take he and Jenna out at the same time for their business without the stress and anxiety that I used to feel, wondering what me might face around every street corner. My only regret is that we didn’t make this purchase much, much sooner. It’s such a joy to finally feel like Socks is a true companion instead of a pain in my wrist, and back, and…..to think a simple collar could change our lives so drastically. I never would have believed it had I not experienced it for myself.