Come talk to me about canny collars/haltis

[ChickensHaveNoEyebrows]

I am currently using an Easy Walk harness with my extremely bouncy nuts adolescent spaniel. He walks well on it, but I've found that under his armpit on the side where the harness tends to ride up he has some small, red lumps (I think from chafing). I've looked at other harnesses, but suspect I'll have the same issue. He runs like a freaking bullet when off lead, and it's all too much rubbing. I've never tried a head collar, but have heard good things about the halti and canny collar. Do you use either collar, and how do you get on with them? And can you reassure me that they're not cruel .

No ones mentioned a figure of 8 lead. Got mine on ebay and never looked back. I don't need to use it all the time...just in crowds for now..but that will cease soon I can tell.

It saved my arm being pulled out of the socket and is very kind. I could lead my strong dog like a lamb straight away. I just had to keep picking his head up whilst he got used to it.

I hate to disagree with Daisy but slip leads are the work of the devil with dogs that pull on leads. They do hurt but more to the point they restrict the dogs airways which cause the dog to panic and then more pulling. I personally would never use a slip lead. Ok maybe for dogs that walk well to heel but not on a dog that is straining on the lead.

Also the very physics of a slip lead will make a determined dog pull more. If I were to push against you, you would lean into my push. If you pull a dog they pull more.

Head collars are hard to recommend as some dogs prefer certain types, so borrow a few if you can to see what is best.

I know you don't like harnesses but a great harness is the Meluki harness. It has been designed by Tellington Touch practioners. It has pressure points that help to balance the dog and also a double lead. One that clips onto the back of the harness and one that can clip onto the opposite side to the dog. So the lead is across the dogs chest - this will work well with the most determined pullers. meluki here

We use them a lot in rescue when we don't have hours and hours to train the dogs before they go to new homes but need to get them able to walk sensibly with their new owners.

Jesus, don't get a fucking goldfish. Nightmare pets, 50 x the work of even the most awful dog!

I find an across body lead, like police leads helpful. It frees my training hand so I dont reactively pull against her.

I simply stop. Assess. Walk on with her attention. Turn away from what is interesting.

She is still a highly strung manical twat, but it's starting to sink in that walking is nicer than stopping.

Slip leads can be very unpleasant. My friend had one for her dog and he regularly fainted on it after pulling.

Training on lead nice walking isn't a one session fix either, its months of consistent work.

It would be great if on every walk we could stop and turn every time my dog pulled and call her back to heel every time she got too far in front but in reality if you've got 30 mins for a walk before you need to pick the children up or if you've convinced the kids that a walk would be great but the three year old is hurtling down the hill on her bike at 20mph then its not possible and a head collar is a solution. It stops pulling and so the dog is not getting positive reinforcement (moving forward) for a negative behaviour (pulling).

Our dog wears a body harness because its gentler than a collar if she pulls, especially if she not getting off and i'm using an extender lead. And about harnesses being dangerous if they get caught on someting, I disagree. A collar had the potential to choke if caught and twisted but a harness does not.

Our trainer recommended a gentle leader and it works wonders for some of the dogs in our class. It totally calmed a mental wienmeraner pup and a choccy lab.

I have a bastard chicken. We call her ASBO Chicken. She'd have your toes off in a second given half a chance.

You're all rather lovely, btw

I think this man is a long way from you, but he is much nearer than me and if you give him a call, he may well be able to suggest a gundog trainer who is easier for you to get to. He is very good at dogs.

You have a very bright gundog, and I think both of you would benefit a lot from some training given by a gundog trainer. Not to teach your dog to be a gundog as such, but to benefit from someone who understands how to get the best out of a working spaniel. Just basic obedience really, but from someone who 'gets' a spaniel brain. They are very special .

I honestly think you will get more out of that sort of trainer than anything else. Your dog needs to learn steadiness, recall and heel work which should be no problem for a 'spaniel man'!

I have a mental cocker spaniel cross (please don't hate me doodler haters) She needs to be off lead. She loves other dogs but is over enthusiastic a pain in the arse If she sees a dog she fancies playing with then she runs, full pelt and generally right into them cause she doesn't put the brakes on in time. She jumps over them and rolls into them. Surprisingly not all dogs apprecitate her.

Anyway, at the end of every month I meet up with other people in a quiet wood with similar mental dogs and they all have a ball and no one hates each other or bitches about our dogs. They jump over each other and run into each other and have great time.

Do you know anyone else with a bastard spaniel that you could socialise with? I had a nose at his pic, he is very gorgeous.

Unfortunately, no. The other dogs we meet tend to be sedate older spaniels/labs, who are all disgusted by his insane bounding. We did meet a boxer pup last week which chased him all over the field and shouted in his face, which put his nose right out of joint. He stalked off in high dudgeon over the cheek of her. I'm going to see what the behaviourist says. I need some confidence in my handling abilities. I just feel completely out of my depth at the moment.

There is a saying that Labradors are born half trained, but spaniels die half trained.

I always tell myself, that at least they have personality!

IME training out of context doesn't really translate into the real world with all it's distractions, but it will mean that you'll know the dog understands what you're asking of it. Really recommend the gentle leader, it means you have control of the dog's head, so when they are distracted you can get their focus back. Much better than a collar for a dog that pulls as the pressure the collar puts on the dogs neck can permenantly damage their windpipe.

My vet recommended the Gentle Leader for my German shorthaired pointer pup who was pulling like a train. I had been struggling with heel training due to my three little kids. it has worked a treat - i am now less likely to lose my patience with all four of them! I use it when I need to go somewhere specific e.g. Nursery and do not use it when i am clicker training him to teach him to walk to heel. it definitely has its uses for me because i can't always be training. saying all that, i do think in hindsight that the difficulty in training him to heel could have been avoided till if i had waited to buy him till all my kids were of school age.

Oh yes - personality in abundance.

Hope you have a better day tomorrow Chicks.

Awful walk this morning. The walking on a loose lead was going well with lots of stopping and starting, we even passed 3 dogs at close quarters without incident. Then I let him off lead in the field, and another walker appeared with a young lab and a ball. My dog took off across the field, ignored all attempts at recall, and jumped all over the lab to get his ball. Lots of noise and a yelping lab pup :( I grabbed him, leaded him, apologised profusely (other owner was lovely about it) and came straight home. I'm not ashamed to say that I'm in floods of tears, and thoroughly, thoroughly pissed off about the whole thing. Right now, I wish I could walk away from all the stress and anxiety

I know, Were. I'm just so upset that he's behaving aggressively towards other dogs. He never used to directly approach other dogs, but now if they have a ball he's there in a shot. Then he's all up in their face starting aggro because he wants their ball :( I'm waiting for the behaviourist to get back to me, and right now I feel utterly hopeless about the whole thing.

Poor Chickens. Things will be better when his recall improves. This morning I called mine when I heard voices and sure enough, a Dad, toddler and a black lab (probably a yearling) appeared. Lab came up to mine, I told the owner he is not always friendly, owner kept calling, dog ignored, eventually owner came over just as my boy got pissed off with being sniffed and went for the lab. Some people just don't learn.

Don't get too upset Chick - this too will pass.

OK, have stopped snotting now and fantasising about depositing the dog in the poo bin along with his leavings. He is a lovely dog. We adore him. I am cocking up somewhere, and the behaviourist will help that. Now, when I walk him, do you think I should lead him when we see other dogs playing with their balls (as it were)? Just to prevent any altercation. I don't want to keep him on lead permanently if it can be helped. As of yet, nothing major has happened, noise and fury but no blood (thank all that is Holy). Oddly, he never growls before these episodes, and his hackles aren't up. He paces and pants, tail wagging furiously, head low immediately afterwards. I'm hoping that the behaviourist will have a dog to 'test' him with and will see it first hand

Would you be able to have a 'special' ball that only came out occasionally and was, for instance, squeeky - so that you could use that as an additional lure back?

I could, but I'd be a little worried that it would attract the other dog too, and just bring the 'raaaaaaah' to my feet, iyswim. Hmm. I was hoping to just recall, and lead him, then walk on until out of 'other dog has a ball! Raaaaaaah!' zone. I have no idea what I'm doing

I agree with Cuebill about slip leads. Only to be used on dogs already trained to walk to heel, IMO.

I don't mind haltis, as long as they are used with care. They can be a useful training aid and will invariably mean a dog that pulls a lot will be walked more by the owner as it will be easier to walk them. Ideally, everyone would spend ages training their dog to walk well to heel, but we do live in the real world.

The important thing to remember though is that the halti is a training aid, not a substitute for training.

Ok, well, afternoon walk was better. We met a greyhound, and he barely looked at it, even while I was fussing it. Eventually, he sniffed its bum a bit. But no jumpy 'raaah'. We then walked across the field with the grey and its owner, and still no reaction from Jas. I did take the ball, and used it on the way back when the field was clear, to practice sitting, lying down and recall. He was then so insanely hyped up that the walk home basically involved him tying me in ever more complex knots, so took a while. So its not all dogs that get the 'raaah!inyourFACE!' treatment

I would really start showing Jasper how to react and not wait to see what he does do.

So if you see a dog with another ball , that is the time to get your ball out and walk away from the other dog. Jasper learns that, see other dog concentrate on owner much more fun.

I would not be forcing interactions with other dogs at all at the moment . You want to prevent the raaah reaction. So if dogs in the distance let him see them and then get out your ball.

You say that he is hyper when he sees the ball you need to train manners when he sees the ball. A dog that is ball crazy is a joy to train but you must be training him not the other way around.

So at home get the ball, he can only have the ball if he is sitting or down and still. The minute he is calm he gets the ball. One game and then put it away.

You can teach him to walk behind you with the ball which will stop the pulling and get him concentrating. Hold the ball behind you and he will go behind you to watch the ball. Take a few steps with him behind you then he reward is the ball thrown backwards. Do this enough and you will be able to walk with him very comfortable.

If he gets too hyper turn your back on him and put the ball away. It is great that he is high energy and motivated, this is great for training. You are getting there but do keep his interactions to other dogs at a greater distance.

Which behaviourist are you seeing?