# halti dilemma



## lily74 (Jan 13, 2012)

Hi,

My nan and grandad have a JR terrier and he is a great puller, they have tried a non pull harness, and evrything but to no avail.

Since my grandad had a stroke he is weaker on one side and their JR has a tendancy to leap after cats etc and a non pull harness isn't working.

Is a halti a cruel way to stop him pulling or could be an effective method? as I wouldn't want to see my grandad pulled over now he is weaker, I can go and help train him with treats etc as I am alot stronger and able but I can't do it everyday, so in the meantime what can we try?



Thanks


----------



## lucylastic (Apr 9, 2011)

Haltis and other headcollars are not ideal but your grandad's safety is top priority here. Properly used it will do no harm and will mean that your Grandad can still walk the dog comfortably and safely. It certainly isn't cruel. So buy one, take some time getting the dog used to it, then let Grandad take over once the dog is walking nicely with it.


----------



## TabithaJ (Apr 18, 2010)

There is nothing 'cruel' about a properly fitting headcollar 

I recommend either a padded Halti OR a Dogmatic.

It it means that your Grandad can enjoy safe, relaxing walks with the dog, then that is what counts. It's also safer FOR the dog as it means he won't be able to pull the leash out of your Grandad's hands.

Do remind your Grandad NEVER to jerk on the lead when using a headcollar. Also NEVER ever use a headcollar with any type of extending/retractable/flexi lead - it's very dangerous for the dog.

If you go onto youtube, there are quite a few videos demonstrating various headcollars, maybe your Grandad would like to see them?




LUCYLASTIC:


Actually, for some of us, headcollars *are* 'ideal


----------



## Cleo38 (Jan 22, 2010)

You may find this thread helpful ......

http://www.petforums.co.uk/dog-training-behaviour/216961-how-introduce-habituate-fit-headcollar.html


----------



## Doberma'am (Apr 18, 2010)

I don't like halti's on small dogs, because it pulls their head up and to the side...

It's fine on larger dogs, because your hands aren't too far above the dogs head. My hands are level with my Dobies shoulders when I'm walking normally, so when she pulls on the halti, he head is pulled to the side, not snapped up.

Can I recommend a canny collar, instead? They're similar, but will jsut pull a little dog up, instead of sideways, because of where the lead attaches...If I'm making sense! 

You probably already know this, but I want to remind you that a head collar isn't a training device. It's just so you (or your grandparents in this case) can manage the pulling. Head collars shouldn't be used as a way of training, just a way to handle it until the dog can be trained out of pulling. 

Gentle leader.








Halti








Canny Collar


----------



## TabithaJ (Apr 18, 2010)

*RE CANNY COLLAR:*

This is just my experience and others may well disagree, but I found my dog could still pull with it on. Unlike the Halti, Dogmatic, Gentle Leader etc, the Canny Collar secures at the *back* of the dog's head, so I found my dog learned to pull against it, a lot.

There is an anti pull harness called the *WALKEZEE;* I've not tried it but have read really good things about it. Maybe that would be an option?


----------



## lily74 (Jan 13, 2012)

Thanks everyone, yes I will make sure my grandad doesn't use a flexi lead with the head collar and I have already said that he needs to be lead gently on it and not jerked.

I used a halti, a dogmatic and a canny collar to see what one was best! on my large dog and it helped as he would pull me over at the time, I gradually weaned him off it and now he walks by my side just on the collar and lead so in my case it worked well to teach him to walk by my side but we were proberbly very lucky.

I see what you mean about the dog being shorter, so extra care will be taken when leading, personally I was hoping the non pull harness we bought would work but he just reared up and still pulled zig zagging everywhere!


----------



## lily74 (Jan 13, 2012)

TabithaJ said:


> *RE CANNY COLLAR:*
> 
> This is just my experience and others may well disagree, but I found my dog could still pull with it on. Unlike the Halti, Dogmatic, Gentle Leader etc, the Canny Collar secures at the *back* of the dog's head, so I found my dog learned to pull against it, a lot.
> 
> There is an anti pull harness called the *WALKEZEE;* I've not tried it but have read really good things about it. Maybe that would be an option?


No I don't think they have tried the walkezee, might be worth a shot, it was an Ancol one they bought and it didn't work


----------



## smokeybear (Oct 19, 2011)

lily74 said:


> Hi,
> 
> My nan and grandad have a JR terrier and he is a great puller, they have tried a non pull harness, and evrything but to no avail.
> 
> ...


There are various designs of headcollars/halters on the market. All of which have their pros and cons and not all will suit all dogs, pockets or handlers. Unfortunately it is not until you buy one that you will know if it suits you and/or your dog there being no rental service available.

These can be useful for those dogs that have never been taught to walk on a collar and lead correctly or for those few dogs that have neck/trachea problems. They can have a calming effect on some dogs but they do not actually teach them to walk without pulling; however they mean that some dogs can be controlled with minimal strength. Correct fitting is required to prevent eye irritation or fur loss and to prevent stress. Jerks can result in neck injury so great care should be taken if used in conjunction with extending leads or long lines (not recommended). They can be made from leather, webbing or synthetic leather. They should always be removed when free running. The should be considered a management tool.

There is nothing wroing with using them and there are many designs as not all suit all dogs/handlers.

Black Dog Head Halter

Agility Warehouse | Dog Agility Equipment and Supplies | Black Dog Head Halter

The Canny Collar

The Canny Collar - The Best Collar to Stop Dogs Pulling on the Lead - Home

The Dogalter

3 in 1 Training and House Line

The DogMatic

Dogmatic Headcollar

Gentle Controller

GenCon All-in-1

The Gentle Leader

The Gentle Leader at Canine Concepts

The Halti

http://www.companyofanimals.co.uk/halti.php

The K9 Bridle

K9Bridle - The Worlds First Dog Bridle, Head Harness, Head Collar

The Newtrix Easy Way

Angela Stockdale, Dog Aggression Specialist - About Angela: an aggressive dog is an unhappy dog

The SWAG headcollar

The SWAG Head Collar

There is some advice about fitting one to a dog.

http://www.apbc.org.uk/system/files...aring_your_dog_for_a_muzzle_or_headcollar.pdf

How to walk a dog in one

http://www.deesdogs.com/documents/walkingyourdogwithheadhalter.pdf

Walking a small dogs in a head halter is no different to a large dog, you just have to ensure that your lead is long enough.


----------

