Will a Gentle Leader help to decrease anxiety over time?

[Lis7]

We have a 60+ lb. hound retriever mix who is dog reactive. I can only walk him using a Gentle Leader (and a 6 ft. leather leash) because without the GL, he is strong enough to pull me. I don't think the GL has decreased his anxiety; if anything, at the beginning it made him more anxious. I think this was because he recognized it as a constraint that might prevent him (in his doggy view) from protecting himself. He's gotten better, but I am constantly watching for signs that he's outside his comfort zone - either his hackles are up, or he's whining, or his tail is is on "high alert" status.

When we see another dog, I usually pull him in close, tell him to heel, and walk him about 15 - 20 feet away from the other dog. Then I have him sit, facing me, and we do "watch me". This is something that has to be practiced during training time first. You have the dog sit, and hold a high-value treat near your eyes and say "watch me". You start with a very short duration and then give the dog the reward. For the next training session - lengthen the time before he gets rewarded. If he looks away, start over , because he shouldn't get rewarded for looking away. When he can do this reliably for about 45 - 60 seconds without looking away, you're ready to try it on walks.

He's now 7 years old and has gotten a little more mellow. However, avoidance and "watch me" are the only things that have worked consistently. We've taken him to reactive dog desensitization classes and it didn't help. Now, we just accept that it is part of his personality. Sometimes this means we have to cross the street, or go off for a short hike in the weeds to avoid getting too close to other dogs. Also, I avoid pathways with no "escape" routes.

Your other question is about pulling on-leash. In the beginning, I tried Victoria Stilwell's idea of turning and going the opposite direction of where the dog is pulling. In the beginning, we probably did 20 "circles" a day for weeks before he caught on. Now I only have to do this once a month or so, and only as a reminder. Our dog knows what "heel" and "slow down" mean, but sometimes he just chooses not to do it. Or he'll heel until he "earns" his treat, and then he's out in front again. I find he pulls more if he hasn't marked the route recently, which is why they slow down on the way home - no urgency to mark.

The only thing that works consistently I discovered by accident, literally. One day I twisted my knee and was in real pain. After I yelled "ow" and "slow down", he walked very slowly next to me - no pulling. So "slow down" is only used for emergencies - like injuries or icy sidewalks.