Gentle Leaders - a Rant

Question:
 I know that many PT'ers use Gentle Leaders for their pups. All my dogs, except Chloe, have needed the extra encouragement that a GL provides. My girlfriend was having problems with Chica dragging her all over the place and constant training wasn't helping much, so I gave her Charlie's old GL to see if it helped. It did, Chica doesn't pull half as much with it on. Of course, she turns into a major drama queen when she's wearing it; rolling on the ground, giving us "the look" or simply toppling over and laying there like she was dying.
ANyway, the "rant" portion of this has to do with all the ignorant people out there. Chica is probably about as close to 100% pit as a mix can get, and she looks it. She's the sweetest dog in the world. She lets the cats climb all over her, play with her tail and chew on her ears. But whenever we go out with her and she's wearing her leader, people give us such a wide berth. Parents snatch their children up, and we hear things like, "Ohhhh... what a scary dog!" or "Someone's obviously got an attitude problem!" It's pathetic! We have to explain over and over that it's a GL, a halter, and has nothing to do with muzzling. The fact that Chica can still open her mouth doesn't dawn on these people. Even while we explain it we get looks that cleary say that they don't believe a word of it. The worst was when we went into a local used book store. They allow pets on leashes and it's a great place to take a dog to socialise. The employees are always great, and never think twice about handing out ear scratches and treats. But one time we were there and some horrid woman looks at CHica, gasps and runs over to the nearest employee, freaking out about how having a muzzled dog around is just dangerous as the dog is obviously unpredictable and violent. My girl is never one to hold her tongue when it comes to animal injustice so she marches over there and tells the woman all about the GL etc etc etc. The woman asks what kind of dog Chica is and my girl tells her. Bad move! The woman panics and starts asking to speak to a manager. Meanwhile, I'm sitting on the floor with Chica and Chloe, where a hearing-impaired little girl is getting all sorts of sloppy kisses from both dogs. oooooohhhh... vicious!
Needless to say, the manager asked the woman to leave and stop causing problems. But her reaction is all too familiar. I wish there was a way to do a mass education of people. Not all pits are mean, most aren't. And wearing a GL or a Halti is NOT a muzzle.
Has anyone else had problems like this? What do you do? Is there anything TO do besides educate on a case by case basis?
It's so frustrating....
(a couple of pics with Chica and her "muzzle" )
oohhh... It's horrible! How will I ever go on!?
I love ya, mom! Now get this thing off of me!


Answer:
 What a ferocious dog.. . I get the same reactions around Roxy. (she doesn't wear a GL or anything) but she's a pit mix, and it obviously shows. I tell people she's a big baby, and that she just wants to give kisses.


Answer:
 Kai needed the Halti when he was a pup. I'd get people saying "How could the little Lassie need a muzzle?? He doesn't look very vicious!" Lassie!?!? MUZZLE?!?!?? Oyyy..
Not sure who's in the pic.. but I like your/your GF's shirt. It's cute!


Answer:
 i used one on my boy (a dane) when he was a pup and i got stupid commets too wherever we went "Why do you put a muzzle on your horse" .."look at the mean pit bull"... "stay away from that dog, he must bite"..im sorry but people are stupid... plain and simple
ETA: LOVE your hair by the way!!!!


Answer:
 The woman was ignorant, not because she thought it was a muzzle,
but a muzzle is safer because it prevents a dog from biting.
I have a GL for Rocky.
When he wears it People mistake it for a muzzle frequently too.
But in my case it doesn't bother me.


Answer:
 That's the only reason I would never use one, even with the way people who have them rave about them. It's unfortunate that people jump to conclussions.


Answer:
 Originally Posted by binka_nugget
Not sure who's in the pic.. but I like your/your GF's shirt. It's cute!
Actually... That's me. Taken up at Flagstaff Pride in June.


Answer:
 Originally Posted by Danegirl2208
i used one on my boy (a dane) when he was a pup and i got stupid commets too wherever we went "Why do you put a muzzle on your horse" .."look at the mean pit bull"... "stay away from that dog, he must bite"..im sorry but people are stupid... plain and simple
ETA: LOVE your hair by the way!!!!
Wow... people really ARE stupid... especially since Danes look NOTHING like pitties. That would be like someone looking at Chica and saying, Ohh! What a nice poodle!
Thanks, btw. (about the hair)


Answer:
 Originally Posted by heinz57_79
Wow... people really ARE stupid... especially since Danes look NOTHING like pitties. That would be like someone looking at Chica and saying, Ohh! What a nice poodle!
Thanks, btw. (about the hair)
lol, i know, a lot of people think he is, especially when he was a little pup..ive never seen a 33" pittie


Answer:
 I have had a few comments about Teddy's Halti. People always ask me if it is because he barks or because he bites and I say neither. it's because if he sees a squirrel I don't lose my arm when he tries to chase it. See he has full use of his mouth but I have control of his head.
OOOOOOh they say. lol


Answer:
 I used one with Niño for a while and people didn't even ask if it was a muzzle, just, "Why did you take your dog to the park if he needs to be muzzled?!" In snappy tones.


Answer:
 When we used a GL with Starr, I even had people think she had a muzzle on and she's a Golden Retriever. I had people ask me if she was friendly, and that they hadn't seen a mean golden before...


Answer:
 I used a GL with my rotti-mix, Rosie, only because trying to walk her was like trying to control a taank! she was the sweetest girl in the world, but people always asked if she was mean, and why I put a muzzle on her. Probably didn't help that she was one of those "big black dogs". People were afraid of her.


Answer:
 Ok so I know that this is an old thread but I had to say that you have to understand that people without dogs don't know what a Gentle Leader is or what it’s for. It looks like a muzzle to those that don't know. There have been many, many dogs that bit; no one wants to be bitten or to have one of their children bitten.
I had a Lab that we put a Gentle Leader on she was the sweetest dog; she just pulled on the leash. People would ask I would explain it and that was that. I don't think there’s anything to get upset or frustrated about.
Now having said that the lady in the book store was over the top. But in general who cares they don't know and we can educate them.


Answer:
 Stupid people!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Yes, you get that over here too with haltis and gentle leaders. Thick people think they are muzzles, lol. They are nothing to do with biting, they are to stop the dog from pulling. Gah, so many people were abscent when the brains were handed out.
I'd have said a few choice words to that stupid woman.