Halti head collar

[NewMeNewUs]

We got this today to combat the pulling!
she hated it and got it off her face before we’d gotten to the end of the road.
i need this to work! Any tips ? Is it a case of just preserving?

https://www.amazon.co.uk/PetSafe-Harness-Small-Medium-Large/dp/B005HNPCY4/ref=sr_1_23?crid=PVCS2SGSTUJV&keywords=no+pull+dog+harness&qid=1707339112&sprefix=no+pull%2Caps%2C234&sr=8-23

I use this for my German Shepherd, its great. And he actually learned to walk beside me nicely because pulling was counter productive.

My lab hated the halti head collar and we didn't carry on with it. He also pulled like a train!
We replaced it with the halti no pull harness and double ended lead which was much more successful. It is not a replacement for training but meant I could be confident when walking him while training.
I still use it now. He walks beautifully most of the time but is still young and can be impulsive at times.

Halti head collars are designed to be uncomfortable - that's what stops them pulling.

Personally I would never use one - get a decent quality harness with two D-rings and use a double ended lead to give you proper control.

My springer hated hers and we gave up on it very quickly. She would stop every two steps to paw at her face and I couldn’t deal with it being so uncomfortable for her. We persevered with training and she is much improved and still getting better now.

As someone has already said, haltis are by design uncomfortable, that’s how they work.

i have used other non tightening headcollars - you need to introduce them gradually and use loads of positive reinforcement before you actually use them, similar way to how you’d muzzle train.

Harnesses with a front ring are better for training not to pull tbh, I’ve used head collars more for reactive dogs where I need control over their heads.

How much training with a good dog trainer have you been doing?

I used a Halti for my goldie for a while. Lots of treats and encouragement to get him to engage with me and take his mind off the Halti helped him get used to it. I didn't like how it fixed to his lead under his chin though so swapped to a Gen Con head collar which we both prefer. Largely he now walks nicely to heel on a short lead but is prone to lunging when he scents something he wants to have a closer sniff at and this helps me to bring him back under control especially when it's icy.

I tried one with my spaniel and spent a week or two getting her used to it and she refused to wear it outside, even though she was happy with it on in the house. I now use a double ended lead, attached to collar and a standard harness when she's in a fully mood and it's easy to convert to standard lead when she is being well behaved

You need training, not more stuff to put on your dog. The whole point is a well trained dog won't need anything to restrain it.
And don't get a harness. The worst ones seriously restrict natural movement and all of them are harnessing the dogs ability to pull anyway (husky's!?) 😂

If a dog pulls, a well-fitting X or Y shaped harness is the safest thing for them to wear. If a dog pulls on a collar, they can do permanent damage to their throats.

Yes I'm aware of that @lifeispainauchocolat, however a harness will not address the problem of the pulling. That will only be resolved by training.

And I meant I'm aware of collar damage. I dislike harnesses intensely as every bloody dog you see these days has one of those dreadful k9 ones.

I agree - but while a dog is being trained, a harness is much safer than a collar. The last thing you want is a dog with a collapsed trachea.

X-post

Yes, JuliusK9 harnesses are horrendous but there are lots of other, great quality ones out there too.

What breed? I don't like harnesses or haltis, I use the much-hated slip lead (sorry MN) and taught my dog heel, it took a long time and practicing in many different environments.

Yes @chitthechat we only ever use slip leads.

I tried a harness, a halti head collar and now use a dogmatic head collar but the real difference is training. The head collars worked better with my dog than the harness ( even with a front connection he still pulled), I am hoping to go for a slip lead eventually but they always end up in the wrong position at the moment as he still pulls occasionally

You can’t just plonk it on and take them out. You have to get them used to it. Plenty of tutorials on YouTube.

As above, you need to condition them before heading out.

I have also heard that the gentle leader is better than the halti. I am trying to condition mine to it before using.

I usually recommend the Dogmatic. Lots of dogs that don’t usually like headcollars seem to tolerate it better.

To actually answer your question, it's best to get them used to the harness in the house first of you can with lots of treats etc. I watched a few YouTube videos on it and my dog picked it up quick, we were at the point where he would put his head in the harness himself . This continued on walks with alot of positive reinforcement when walking nicely in the harness. These collars are uncomfortable when the dogs pulls, as are collars. I was in a situation where due to the size and exuberance of my dog (young giant breed) the slight discomfort they got when they pulled out weighed the potential damage they could do to themselves if they pulled free / pulled me over. I used it as a training tool as you cannot rely on other dog owners and their dogs recall , it was mainly dogs running up to my leashed dog that caused the issues. The halti gave me the confidence I could control my dog in that situation when I had been let down by the other dog owners. Due to their size and strength I could not achieve this with any other harness / collar and yes I tried them all. I continued with treats and positive behaviour towards ignoring other dogs. My halti is now hung up gathering dust and my dog will off lead walk past a marching band of dogs (also know as untrained dogs with poor recall and entitled owners 😊). They are a fantastic training tool to keep you both safe if used properly!