Hi just a quick question, when people use Haltis and similar products are they used to get the dog into a routine of walking nicely in the hope of going back to a traditional collar?
What I'm reallly asking is do they train a dog to walk nicely through getting used to not pulling or is a dog likely to revert to pulling as soon as a traditional collar is tried again. ( sorry if that makes no sense at all )

Steve

I used a halti on my old lab when my son was small (I didn't want the pushchair to turn into a chariot!) and she walked really nicely. We stopped using it after about a year and went back to a normal leather collar, and she didn't revert to pulling. Though she did walk closer to heel off the lead than on! :rolleyes:

I don't know about other dogs, but my Aussie will walk beautifully to heel when wearing her Kumfi headcollar or without a lead at all :) - but as soon as she has a normal collar on (hubby insists on taking her out at night in the field on a flexi :( ) she pulls like a steam train :D

Daisy

Dont know what other people do, but i use a halti & a gentle leader when the dogs are in town,they dont pull with them on but would if i took them off.
i do obedience comps & my dogs do either competiton style heelwork or pull(without H.collar)
i dont mind if they pull because i want there to be a distinctint differance so they know when they are working or not.& dont want to nag them all the time.
when we are in town i obvisley cant have them pulling like trains,so use the headcollars for xtra control.
but no, in my experince they do not train a dog to walk nicely off the collar. although as there are plenty of occassions when i do let my dogs pull i wouldnt really expect them to!

I look at them as a stop gap measure for when you can't train and are trying to get grom A to B with minimum hassle and discomfort.  Of course the dog may get used to being by your side and walking at your speed in the process, but the only way to endusre it is to train it dot to pull, change of direction, stopping dead each and every time dog pulls ahead, and only moving once dog is in correct position etc.

The Headcollars are also a Godsend to anyone who is arthritica or not strong enough to cope with the dogs pulling.

i use a halti as my boy pulled my back out one day he still pulls mind you but i would never go back to a normal coller when he pulls on that he pulls till he is sick he gets very very exited going to the field every day my hubbie said he would get used to it 15 months ago but he is still the same he loves seeing his dog friends he does pull if you go anywhere else just to the field

i have spent months everyday doing that training as you surgested i have even tryed going to the field via diffrent routes he reads my mind somhow and just knows that were going to his mates i have even just turned around and gone home more than once as to  say well mate dont do it properly dont go but he is like ok whatever for two weeks he was being brought home instead in the morning walk ( as i go else where in the afternoon ) like i say its no harm for me with the halti he still pulls but not to the extent he hurts me it just makes it more annoying for him

Some people use the headcollars/harnesses all the time, some use it as a training aid. Its personal preference, although some less informed folks confuse the headcollars with muzzles.

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Some people use the headcollars/harnesses all the time, some use it as a training aid. Its personal preference, although some less informed folks confuse the headcollars with muzzles.>
Oh yes, the amount of people that have asked why Gemma wears a muzzle :(
She is a Rottie cross, and one guy even said "they have to where them by law dont they, because of the dangerous dogs act"  People are so misinformed it is unbelieveable!!!!!!!!!
Gemma wears a halti when I take her to pick up the kids, just in case some darling child decideds to do something, at least I have tortal control of her head.
But she deffinatly doesnt need a muzzle!!!!!
Lea :)

I use Gentle Controller collar/leads when I have all 4 aussies on the leads at one time - my shoulder can sometimes "go" (bit like Johnny Wilkinsons :D ) and it does make it easier to control them all as they get out of the car/van.    They then know that they have to walk beautifully for me - on ordinary collars, individually, they are quite good - but together EVERYONE wants to be in front!!!

Margot

Does anyone know why harnesses work? I walk a neighbours Border Collie and after weeks of my shoulder acheing like mad I tried a Lupi, I assumed he would still pull but not as hard but he doesn't pull at all in fact I can hold the lead with just my little finger, I just can't figure out why.

Steve
p.s its worked so well my elderly neighbor is even considering starting to walk him herself.

Don't know as I've never had/wanted to use one

Mind you Roger Mugford did try to use one of my collies to demonstrate one & my boy managed to get out of it, he didn't need one by the way as I've never had pulling problems as my dogs are taught heelwork off lead(harder work for me:( at the start)& so when I put a lead on they already walk close without pulling as they've had nothing to pull against

Hi Moonmaiden we will be forever greatfull that our dogs breeder told us to do exactly the same and work on his heelwork off lead as soon as we got him.
But I must say I am impressed with how well harnesses work as I was a bit of a sceptic, and if it enables our neighbour to walk her dog again after a year of not being able to i'll think their wonderfull, she's going to have a trial run today which i'll acompany her on so keep your fingers crossed.

Steve

Hello catsclaw, Just been reading this thread and thought i have the excat same problem. If we turn right from our house buster is a steam train as he knows the feild where we let him off to play ball is just around the corner. If we approach this feild from any direction he knows when we get to within 500yards as goes to steam train mode so i know how you feel. I now use a gentle controller and it does mimimise his pulling the halti just ran up in to his eyes and so he pulled but not as hard. But after speaking with a cruft judge i was advised to give 3 short pulls on the lead and a firm NO. If he didn't respond then stop then off we go when hes calmed down. With using the gentle controller on him and when he pulled this did work and now when we go to this feild he walks really nice. occaisonally he will forget himself but the first pull reminds him that i won't tolerate it. I don't want to use head collers but untill he grows up (hes 3 in july :D ) i will.