"It was so frustrating to walk my big puppy. Despite her having learned how to heel and most of the time walking nicely next to me, she would always start to pull with all her might as soon as she saw another dog or a cat or a bird.... And there are a lot of dogs, cats and birds around!!! I tried different collars, leashes, harnesses... Hopeless. I was at my wit's end, until someone suggested we try the Gentle Leader harness. OMG!!! The change was instant!!! I don't understand how exactly this works, but it really works! My hyper pup was suddenly walking calmly either next to me or just a step ahead. Only one time she tried to pull again, and the "sommersault" that followed caught us both off guard (neither she nor I was hurt, just startled). She never tried again :-)
The package says that this should be used with a regular leash and not the retractable one. I've tried it with both types and can confirm that yes - it works great with the 4-6 feet long leash, and it does not work with a retractable leash. Super-long leash defeats the purpose of this type of harness!!
I've been using the Easy Walk Harness for about 4 months now. My dog has learned to step right into it when it's time for a walk. She is comfortable wearing it, and I haven't had an achy arm or a pulled muscle since day one."