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Topic Dog Boards / Behaviour / Jack RussellxBorder Collie advice on halt head collar
- By Pan European [gb] Date 01.11.14 20:22 UTC
Hello everyone ,
My sister is having a problem when walking her dog maisie even though she has an anti pull harness on ..
It is a bigger problem when another dog is in sight when she pulls and continues to bark ..
when a halti head collar was put on Maisie scratched like mad and drew blood on her nose trying to get it off .
I am wondering whether to try again to introduce the halti ?
Any advice that i could pass on would be appreciated ..
- By furriefriends Date 01.11.14 22:23 UTC
Not all dogs accept head collars and personally I have not found a dig who the halti one comfortably fits. Yes by all mean try again but probably a different make.I like the dogmatic or martingale head collar .they are fleece lined and made to measure. Before even starting to walk the dig try lots of treats as she puts the collar on and keep practising until the dog is comfortable wearing it. Otherwise its teaching the dog to focus on your sister again with treats or a toy when walking. I like the mekuti double ring harness or similar to help
- By Pan European [gb] Date 01.11.14 23:14 UTC
Thank you for your reply :) I will look at the two you have suggested and as you say its rewarding with treats . I myself am very lucky to have a very laid back Rough collie who is a pleasure to walk .
- By furriefriends Date 02.11.14 08:24 UTC
I think the two important things are a comfortable fit that doesn't ride up into the eyes and getting comfortable wearing it at hime,loads of treats. I have one Gsd who inspire of loafs of training needs a headcillar and will reluctantly accept it and a flatcoat who walks on a mekutu harness but still likes to speak to others rather than listen to me.
- By Nikita [gb] Date 02.11.14 08:43 UTC
The headcollar needs to be introduced gradually, not just put on for walks - the sort of reaction she's seen is common in that situation.  It is a totally unnatural thing for dogs to wear, so it has to be made into a really good thing for them.

That has to start at home - reward the dog just for looking at the headcollar, or touching it.  Then holding it up, reward the dog through the nose loop.  Then draw back a little, so she has to poke her nose in a little to get the treat.  Then further back so her whole nose is in.  Then rest it on the bridge of her muzzle for just a split second before rewarding.  Then a second, then two, so on and so forth, building up the time.  When she's happy with it resting there, do the buckle up for a second, undo, remove, reward.  And then build the time up with it buckled.

Every step above has to be done repeatedly until the dog is totally comfortable with it.  Once she's happy with wearing it like that, it can be left on for increasing amounts of time indoors, to coincide with good events - pop it on before her meals, or before a play in the garden.  When she's happy wearing it for all that, she can go for a short walk with it on - ideally without the lead clipped on to start with, so she's not getting the tension on it to begin with.

It's all about patience - she's really not happy with it now so it's going to take a while and I would change type, too.  Haltis are IMO the worst headcollars out there - they ride up, they are not comfortable.  Gentle Leaders are better, Dogmatics are ok depending on the dog (lot of webbing under the jaw which some find uncomfortable).  My personal favourites are these from Houndstuff:

http://www.houndstuff.co.uk/headcollars.html

Bit of a fiddle to get on but they are the best I've tried and I've seen both the best response for training and the best reaction just to wearing them of the ones I've tried (the above types and canny collar also).
- By Jeangenie [gb] Date 02.11.14 08:55 UTC
Excellent advice on introducing a headcollar, Nikita. As you say, too many people just put it on the dog and expect easy walks immediately. Instead they teach the dog to resist it - the very opposite of what they want!

Introduced slowly and properly the dog won't even notice it's wearing one, and yet it won't pull.
- By Pan European [gb] Date 02.11.14 09:29 UTC
Thank you :)
I will pass the excellent advice on to my sister .
As you say it will take time to introduce before using one on our walks .

Thank you Nikita for the link to look up .
- By furriefriends Date 02.11.14 11:05 UTC Edited 02.11.14 11:08 UTC
thanks nikita much better explained than my bad attempts as usual :) but your explanation was what I was trying to explain  I must say I find canny a pain to get on and off but do like the martingale fleece lined ones they seem to suit my dog better. I agree you have to work through different ones to find one that suits.
Like the look of the headcollar very similar to mine and a good price.
- By Nikita [gb] Date 02.11.14 20:45 UTC
The canny is an absolute PITA to get on, and most dogs I've seen trying it figure out how to get it off too quickly - took Soli less then a minute!
- By Hethspaw [gb] Date 14.11.14 21:33 UTC
when a halti head collar was put on Maisie scratched like mad and drew blood on her nose trying to get it off .
I am wondering whether to try again to introduce the halti ?
Any advice that i could pass on would be appreciated ..


Hi Pan Europe
Sounds quite normal for these head cage contraptions to be honest, below are some old head cage users links which were put on here often enough, maybe read them & make your mind up! bleeding behind the eye dont sound to healthy to me

Face Bleed -
http://www.champdogsforum.co.uk/cgi-bin/board/topic_show.pl?pid=480657;hlm=and;hl=halti%20face%20bleed#480657

Haltie bleeding behind the eye. Master Plus mentioned
carene 20.04.05 13:42
http://www.champdogsforum.co.uk/cgi-bin/board/topic_show.pl?tid=67379

1. - Halti hell
http://www.champdogsforum.co.uk/board/topic/37442.html

2. - Halti Pain Lab
http://www.champdogsforum.co.uk/cgi-bin/board/topic_show.pl?tid=61921

Cut across nose
http://www.dogpages.org.uk/forums/index.php?showtopic=162283&st=30

Haltie Nose Bleed
http://www.champdogsforum.co.uk/board/topic/31788.html

Doom and Gloom pulling on halti
http://www.champdogsforum.co.uk/board/topic/15434.html

.
- By Pan European [gb] Date 15.11.14 20:44 UTC Edited 15.11.14 20:48 UTC
Hello :):)
Thankyou for the links .I will have a read .
Rough collies are my favourite breed and my boy is super sweet natured ( not when doing claws though )
- By MamaBas [gb] Date 16.11.14 09:04 UTC
I don't remember whether I contributed to these threads before, but when we were having trouble controlling our Whippet who is inclined to be skittish and who I didn't like 'controlling' via a neck collar,  on recommendation of another, I bought a Canny Collar.   I have to say it sorted her out big time - she was a different animal once I had control of her head although I was concerned that it did tend to run up towards her eye.    We only had to use it for a short time before she settled down and is now on a wide martingale (wide as in like a traditional Whippet collar) which works well with her too.
Topic Dog Boards / Behaviour / Jack RussellxBorder Collie advice on halt head collar

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