I am not doing too badly with the lead walking but wondered about getting a head collar for them.  Anyone know what is the nicest friendliest quality  head collars?  I was thinking of getting one for each of my dogs for  occasional use and long days out but want something that will not rub their faces and which looks nice .

With our last dogs we got all the 'does your dog bite' and so on so we want to keep our dogs nice and  friendly lookng .  

I guess if there isn't one I can always try making one using the fittings from an old halti and a  rogz for dogz lead.   Is anyone  eccentric enough to have already tried to do that...? 

There are loads of head halters on the market:

Halti
Gentle Controller
GenCon
Pullstoppa
Canny Collar
Dogmatic
Leadtrain
Dogalter

to name but a few.

They all work on the same principle but some appear to suit some breeds better than others and some dogs do not get on with any of them, either because they are poorly fitted or they are professional pullers (so to speak). 

Like food, everyone will have their preferences and swear by a particular make etc; sometimes you have to experiment but this is of course expensive, I have seen all of the above and do not think any one design is intrinsically better than any other but do think that some fit some head shapes better and suit the particular circumstances/environment/handler better.

Not sure if this is of any help whatsoever.........

Hi - I like the Gencon ones.  They come in different colours and look nothing like a muzzle.  The lead and the head collar part is all in one and because of this it's a one-size-fits all device and you don't have to worry about getting the right size.

Have a look: http://www.gencon-allin1.co.uk/

Forgot to say - they don't ride up into eyes or cut into noses - unlike the halti and Gentle leader on mine.

Just to let you know of my experience today....I popped along to the pet shop to buy a gentle leader as I'd been recommended by my vet and various other sources. We tried one on, and because I have a fab pet shop very near by, they let me take her out up the road to try it out. I have to say, my 16 week old golden hated it instantly. Even though it was the right size, it seemed to ride up into her eye but we only got a few steps up the road. We then tried on a harness and it's suits her down the the ground. She actually seemed a lot more confident on it, as she didn't strain at all - rather than her straining and then being 'pulled' (well, stopped when I stopped) back when she was straining. When she did strain, she actually 'checked' herself and sat! Anyway, it may very well be different for your dog, but mine seemed to like hers immediately,

I find it takes a minimum of a week of getting a dog used to a headcollar before you can use it with a lead attached for a walk. I've just done this with my two males, after they had me over on the road lunging after a rabbit on the verge.

After the week of building good associations with their haltis (at first only putting it on, giving treats, then taking it off again, then putting it for treats and meals for a few days, then starting to walk with it on, but the leads still attached to the regular collar as usual) before clipping their leads to it, we're now able to enjoy stress-free walks again, with them walking nicely beside me, and if they do lunge after rabbits (I must get my friend along with his ferrets) they're checked instantly without me having to move a muscle or even break my stride. :)

Could not agree with you more JG.  All head collars come with instructions on how to introduce them ie using treats for THEM to put their nose in the nose piece, then slowly moving on to doing it up, then for short periods loose in the house, then walking with them in the house until you take them out in it.  (This cannot be done with the GenCon as of course this facility does not exist as it is an all in one).

Same principle as with horses.

Headcollars and harnesses do not prevent pulling but the mitigate the strength of the yank so to speak and are no substitute for training.

Oh dear :( Perhaps I rushed it a little with the gentle leader then? She seemed OK with the strap on the nose at first but the first few steps it rode up which I think is what she objected to.

We'll certainly carry on with the heel training we've been doing since we got her, but I'll consider a slower and steadier approach to a gentle leader should we need to change from the harness...

THanks. I think they all work roughly the same way.  Ideally we intend to do this by training... but after this half term with the kids home ny patience is runnimg short. I think when the summer hols come we miht want something to assist.

I was really wanting something nice looking... I see no reason for head halters to be so dull and boring looking as halti and gentle leaders are.  ften we just make a make shift halter withthe leads which works quite well. But when the kids try this they can't get that to stay on.

The walk backwards sit and wait methods of taining and tit bit training are okay when you are alone for training... but not much good if you want to get where you are going. The only training method I've seen that works quickly is the old choke chain... but we are not suppose to use those these days.  But my local training club still encourages people to use fine choke chains and they do work well.... ... but we are not joining in with that... so our dogs are learning with standard collars and the slower possitive methods.

Hi,
I still use a choker with my dobe, it only took a few walks of him on this to stop any nonsence and is now a pleasure to walk!! I know alot of you don't agree with them, but if used in the correct manner, I can't see any harm. After all millions of police/military dogs are trained using these and don't seem to suffer any ill effects and if they were actually that bad then surely they wouldn't be on the market.

ah....you noticed me mention choke chains. Yes I've seen them work and quickly too... used in the right way. At my club they are not tauht the right way... just told to get one and even kids are tols to use them. I thin they are dangerous when used by untrained people or by kids or teens or in stressful situations where someone may loose their temper.  

With longhaired dogs they trim the fur and this is also not attractive and no good for showing these dogs.  But so will a half check and some normal collars. ( lol... that is another difficuly I wond how people solve )

AT the moment I'm trapped between clubs with different training ideas. Most here are very old school... people who are old school tend to have perfectly well behaved dogs ( and kids too ) but people who use possitive methods have less well behaved kids and dogs....but in the end maybe a different type of bond and deepth of bond within relationships because they are looking for something different than  'compliance' or 'obediance'... something a little more two way.  I'm not sure though... I'm just trying to work it all out and see why the two camps seem to have a level of disrespect to eachothers methods.