I currently walk my 9 month old GR on a harness, she will heal beautifully 80% of the time, however as soon as we see another dog etc, she really pulls and the harness seems to help! I often have a pushchair at the same time and she has on a couple of occasions almost had us over. I have purchased s halti to try, but am reluctant to do so. What are peoples views on these?

Headcollars work great once the dog has got used to it -it will take a bit of practice at first, plenty of rewards etc as their initial reaction is to try to remove it.

not sure what halti's are like theses days but i prefer the gencon headcollar (own personal choice) might i suggest though if you are happy that you use a double ended lead and clip one end to the halti and the other end to the harness - that way the halti only comes into play when the dog pulls (JMO)

I love the halti, we have used it on all of our dogs as I like to walk 2 at a time and being strong I wanted that extra control as all the ladies and well as the men have to walk the dogs in our house. They don't need it for general walking as they are like yours great but its for that odd occasion when something really exciting passes us like a bird or a cat, and I want to be in control 100% of the time.

Yes they do take time to get used to for the dog but you have to be persistent with it, we have used chest harnesses as well but with a front heavy breed they just dropped their shoulders and plowed on LOL so didn't work for us. The only down side iv found is that it does pull up wrinkles sometimes but that's a bit more breed specific problem.

I use a Halti in conjunction with a collar. I have a seperate lead on the halti - a thin, light-weight one - so it's only 'in use' when needed ie, on the rare occasion Buster will still get OTT excited with other dogs, so I can use the halti to help stop him squashing small dogs or pulling me over!
I found the Halti (I've only ever used the Halti, so I can't compare it to other styles of headcollar) a godsend as a training aid for Buster and it has saved me from being pulled over several times!

When I fisrt got it I put it on Buster and he hated it! So I just kept it in sight (on the kitchen counter) for a few days and would handle it when he was eating (his favorite thing to do!),
then I progressed to showing it to him & giving him a treat,
then to putting it on him without fastening it fo a few moments & giving a treat,
then to putting it on him for a little longer etc...
then to put it on him and fastening it & giving a treat etc...
untill he was completely comfortabel with it on - only then did he wear it on a walk.

> we have used chest harnesses as well but with a front heavy breed they just dropped their shoulders and plowed on LOL so didn't work for us.

Buster also has a chest harness, but it is only used for his 'free time' when he's out on his long-line, it is no good atall for controlling a pulling strong dog, is it! They can really put some force into the pull with a chest-harness but that does come in handy for getting them to pull you us steep, slippery hills :)

I use a head collar for my gsd which is brilliant.  My preference is the dogmatic which fits him better 

If its right it won't slip and slide around the face, nor ride up into their eyes.
I started with the halti, now that is great for some breeds, but not for mine, I use a leather Dogmatic for mine.

A friend has a GSD, she uses a Halti and tbh it doesn't fit his muzzle at all and therefore looses a lot of control from it, so that is paramount that it fits right.

You may have to go through various brands and types before you find the right now, also bearing in mind the need to buy new ones as they grow out of them.

Well that was a success! We just did the school run walk wearing the halti. We did the 1st half with it on, but lead attached to her harness as she kept pulling at it, had lots of treats and she gradually accepted it, then I attached the lead to the halti and after a few attempts at going backwards and trying to get it off, by using lots if treats and praise she gave up and walked beautifully! It really did work when she saw a dog on the other side of the road, which normally she would try to pull me too, but with the halti on I felt completely in control. She is such a good girl, so accepting. Got so much fuss and praise!!

That's great news bracey! I don't know if others have found the same, but for me, the only dogs of mine that have been pulling have been young large dogs, and to save time and effort I have used head collars. Everyone of them have then by the time they get to around 2 or so been able to stop using the headcollar and walk on a normal collar and they haven't pulled again. I have 5 dogs at the moment that USED to wear headcollars but don't need them now.

I am really pleased with her! I am hoping that with age and experience she will calm down! As I said she is perfect 80% of the time, and walks to heal and knows the command as she will come and walk to heal off lead, it is just when things get so exciting for her she forgets it all!! She's still young and like you said hopefully in time she will walk in normal collar which has always been my aim. Thanks again for all the good advice.

It is important though to still be attached to the dogs normal collar as sometimes they can get out of the head collar.

The halti comes with a link and I attach it to the top of the lead clip where it joins the webbing/rope part.

The Gentle Leader fits most dogs better than the Halti as it is less inclined to rise up over the eyes. Better still is the Dogalter as it incorporates Velcro so once adjusted, it stays adjusted. Think of the draught breeds,: Sibes, Mals, Bernese, Newfoundlands, Rotts.etc. Put a harness on them and they are charged up to pull. That's what a harness is designed for.

> Put a harness on them and they are charged up to pull. That's what a harness is designed for.

It does depend on the harness though. With those that you attach the lead to a clip between the shoulders I agree, they will lead to a dog pulling. But the ones that attach to a clip on the chest don't. If the dog pulls it is turned sideways into the handler. IMO these are much more successful at teaching a dog not to pull.

The harnesses I dislike are the ones that tighten under the armpits, these can ruin a dogs front.