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Post by Jen Wren on Jan 22, 2009 10:55:35 GMT -5
OK I have finally admitted defeat - yep it's taken ages - and decided to use a halti for Fella. I wanted to teach him to walk with his collar but the success was intermittent and he is just so stubborn. Apart from the fact that he hates wearing it (despite trying to introduce it gradually) I walked him on it today and there has been a marked improvement. He does occasionally try to get round it by stopping the walks, getting tangled in the lead etc but still soooo much better. But quite frankly I hate the damn things. They are a pain to take off/put back on when he goes off lead. I have to take it off otherwise he'll figure out how to get it off. They also spoil his boyish good looks ;D My question to you is, will getting him to walk nicely with a halti effect how he walks with just his collar? I suspect not. The problem is he can be quite reactionary on the lead to other dogs and the occasional person and I often re-enforce the leave it command with a tug on his collar which works. I can't do this with the halti so was hoping I could get him to walk nicely and go back to just using his collar. Or if you have any other suggestions other then chopping his legs off  |
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Post by francesd on Jan 22, 2009 11:55:03 GMT -5
From my experience Jen the Halti doesn't teach the dog to walk to heel, so when you revert back to using just a collar and lead the problem of a dog pulling will still be there.
If a dog pulls wearing a Halti their head is turned to the side and so the dog can't see where it is going. As the dog will want to look forward it stops pulling so its head can be facing forward.
We started using a halti with Tyke years ago and still use it now when road walking. I started using it because he was pulling and scavenged everything off the pavements, chewing gum etc and mainly because I had a lot of shoulder and neck probs and didn't want to make them worse. It has been brilliant he's fine with it and it doesn't seem a bother taking it on and off.
You could use the Halti with Fella if he'll tolerate it and train him at the same time to walk to heel, with treats etc, getting him to 'look' at you and work on distractions. That's what we've done with Tyke.
Fran
x
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Post by lurcherlot on Jan 22, 2009 12:19:37 GMT -5
I don't really like them  the halti pulls their head round towards you, risking possible neck damage (to the dog, not you ) Have you tried a harness? |
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Post by sharron on Jan 22, 2009 12:37:07 GMT -5
I dont use them (unless I'm at work) i used a harness with Zeb then later moved on to a half check, which i use some of the time other then that i use and train people the start, stop, change durations method. It can take time, but works well.
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Post by Jen Wren on Jan 22, 2009 13:12:49 GMT -5
Thanks guys ;D I tried 2 harnesses, one that tightened up around his chest when he pulled which did work but he chewed through a couple of these (the straps were really thin). I hadn't realised until I was out walking once when it snapped and he broke free by a road  Luckily he came straight back when I called, he is a good boy sometimes. The second was a normal padded one with much thicker straps (he chewed a hole in this). It was more secure but didn't stop him pulling and I felt like I had less control of him. I have tried the change direction method with him and when we do the exercise he does it perfectly, but when it comes down to proper walking he just reverts back. I have even tried changing directions with him when we're on the pavement but it just doesn't seem to work. Trust me to get the worlds most stubborn dog |
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Post by lurcherlot on Jan 22, 2009 13:35:19 GMT -5
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Post by Jen Wren on Jan 22, 2009 13:51:12 GMT -5
Ta Liz I'll take a look ;D
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Post by Letty's Mum on Jan 22, 2009 14:25:57 GMT -5
Try the canny collar - www.cannyco.co.ukI personally think they are more effective than haltis, don't pull the head to one side and don't slip across the eyes when the dog is pulling towards something... Helen x |
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Post by hippyhounds on Jan 22, 2009 16:56:54 GMT -5
i swap between a halti and an anti pull harness with scoots.i find the halti works best but he doesnt like it hence i swap about every 2 weeks.
i dont know if its the staffy in them but i dont seem to be able to cure scoots of the pulling when we first go out,he calms it down once hes had a run.
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Post by tesse0barney on Jan 26, 2009 8:35:35 GMT -5
I used a halti on Tesse now and then... works a treat and her behaviour on her normal collar/lead combo improved greatly for a little while after. edit: i tried it on Larry as he can be a pleb on the lead but it waqs hard work with him wearing the halti. Was easier dealing with him being a pleb |
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Post by Nettie on Jan 27, 2009 10:46:00 GMT -5
I tried a halti with Rio, she just did somersaults up the road trying to take it off, absolutely hated it. I think the walkezee harness is the best I've tried for dogs that pull.
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Amber
Ironing Piling Up
Posts: 238
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Post by Amber on Jan 27, 2009 13:25:01 GMT -5
Not mad keen on headcollars, but occasionally use mine when taking my more reactive (grumpy old sod) dog to the greyhound group walk; just use it for the intros (as he gets excitable in the first few minutes).
I use it with a harness and double ended lead, so one end of lead clipped to headcollar and the other heavier clip end clipped to the (normal - not anti-pull) harness. The two points of contact make it more difficult for the dog to pull, as there is not one fixed point to pull into, I find it better than just having it attached by one point anyway.
For the lunging etc. I tend to find that if the dog wants to lunge, it will lunge, regardless of equipment and this causes a negative effect when on a halti or even a normal collar (e.g. choking on a collar; tightness round the face on the h/c)...depends on how bad the lunging is though.
With my boy, I abandoned the use of all collars and headcollars when he was lunging badly and just used a normal harness. It wasn't so I could 'control' him better (like I said the equipment doesn't really make that much difference) but because he choked himself on a flat collar or martingale and thrashed about like a loon on a headcollar and this was obviously making him feel even worse about the target (other dogs). At least on the harness he couldn't cause himself a negative effect. Plus, it does give you something solid to grab hold of in dire emergency!
You'd be better off working him so that he doesn't feel the need to lunge/get the opportunity to do so. e.g. make sure he's at a distance where he will behave more calmly. Then you can reward him lots for being calm.
Easier said than done though I KNOW!
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