Reply

A gentle leader or "haltie" is just a loop over the muzzle to prevent a dog from putting his full weight into a leash pull. The leader hooks to the collar so when he pulls, his muzzle is pulled down and (usually) stops the pulling motion. Most dogs will hate it at first, then after a few weeks forget about it as long as you use it every day. If you only use it occasionally many dogs will continue to paw at their face and try to rub it off on the ground or nearby objects (like your legs!). A weird, yet helpful, aspect about these leaders is that they seem to make large dominant dogs act much more submissive... A great leash for big dogs is a longer (8-9') wide nylon strap with a loop sewn on near the collar for controlling the dog close to you (working on heel, etc) without having to winding the leash around your hand 10 times. It also has the standard loop at the end of the leash, but that extra loop is really handy.

Reply

considering that my chihuahua is about 2 pounds, I think I have the opposite problem. I think I need a leash that has some built in shock absorbers or something because we'll be jogging along, she'll stop and then "ploink" I'll accidentally send her flying three feet. It is handy though sometimes because If she is say stepping too close to a moving car, I can always just pull the least hard and then catch her like a little football.

Reply

I use a harness on my dog and i have pretty good control of him that way :)

Reply

I have large dogs so the harness works great with them! And they love it!

Reply

I've always worried that a harness will just give more leverage to the dog... and he can already pull hard enough, thank you very much! ;) But maybe this isn't the case? Maybe I should get a harness from Petco and bring it back if it doesn't seem to work with my dog...

Reply

I would suggest a leather leash with any harness you choose. I found that my dog could get moving very fast in a short clip. This would cause fabric/nylon leashes to burn my hands. NOT FUN. I switched to a leather leash and that problem went away. For Luna I use a Pinch Collar. It has worked really well. We are now starting to switch back and forth from the Pinch Collar to the regular collar with some success. This part of the training is still in progress. I also found that switching directions on her lots during our walks helped a ton. She now has to watch me some to see if I am going to suddenly make a turn. She is by no means 100%. She is a puller by nature. But she is a whole lot better than before the training. Q

Reply

You may also want to look into the "Gentle Leader Easy Walk Harness". It is fairly new, I have never used it, and I don't know how well it works. But if you search the internet you may find some reviews about it. Good luck.

Reply

You can always purchase it and return it. Thats never a problem if you shop at Petco!

Reply

Heaven forbid, have they tried training the dog to heal?

Reply

Hello, For a dog that pulls that badly I recommend two items: First a Pinch Collar. It looks like a medieval torture device but trust me it doesnt hurt. Ive used one on my arm to check it. Give a quick jerk and the dog gets a pinch. Second- teach the dog how to heal. I dont understand why people with large dogs let the dog haul them all over the place. 5-6 weekends with consistent training and that dog could easily be pulling off a pretty good heal.

Reply

I have a 140 pound German Shepherd. He is obedience trained and walks wonderfully on a six foot leather leash. He wears a prong collar and very little correction is needed. The Gentle Leader is a very good tool to use for breeds that are born to pull and even a small child can walk a strong pulling dog with this. The Halti is the same. Some dogs will try and pull this off but if you introduce this slowly to the dog and give little bits of treats when your dog looks at the halter and/or sniffs it, your dog won't be so stressed out when you put it on his face. Try just buckling the halter around his neck and let him walk around the house with it on for awhile so he gets used to it. Each time he STOPS trying to take it off, praise him and give him a little treat. I don't advise using a body harness for leash walking. There isn't any way to correct pulling. If you decide on a prong collar make sure it is put on properly. It should never hang around the neck like a necklace, instead, it is high on the neck up behind the ears and snug but not so snug the dog chokes. Many people make the mistake of just letting this collar hang loose and when a correction is given, it isn't effective and instead, can irritate the dog to the point of aggression. The prong collar simulates the mother's teeth around the pup's neck giving a gentle correction. If you don't know how to leash train your dog, learn how. Dogs pull because they can. You should always start your dog in the 'heel' position, that is, he is sitting on your left side, focusing on you. You say, "let's go" and he should begin walking with you when you step off with your left foot. If he pulls right away, stop walking and put him back in the 'heel' position. Start again. Always go back to kindergarten, never allow him to pull you AT ALL. If he pulls when you are walking, immediately do a quick turn to throw him off gaurd then proceed. If he pushes into you, he's trying to dominate you. Gently push him away with your leg and continue walking. Each time he pulls, either stop or turn. If he walks nicely, give him a reward either by giving him a little treat with your left hand or allow him to sniff the ground or mark. YOU decide how long his reward will be. Start again by saying, "Let's go". Your dog will realize that walking with the leash loose is more rewarding than getting a correction with a snap of the collar and a firm "NO". Be consistent and NEVER give him an inch to pull you. I constantly see dogs walking the owners and the owners are being pulled here and there and everywhere. I don't recommend a retractable leash for pullers. I would only use this if you are certain the dog will never pull even when it approaches a person, another dog or cat. These are better used on a more laid back dog or older dog.

Reply

Halti's are not new dog walking equipment They come under many names Gentle leader, Promise Halti, Kumalong and Halti They are designed to give head control, kind of like a halter on a horse To this end you should be carefull in using one as you can hurt your dogs neck You can give them whiplash, if you do not teach them not to pull There is a book called "Obedience for Dummies" by Jack Vollard In this book he rates these collars are one of the most cruelest collars ever invented Like all dog training information if you visit your Vet they will probably introduce you to the "Gentle Leader" If you do try to experiment with a Halti it is wisest use a "connector" to you regular collar and use a leash with a lighter clip Remember equipment dosen't educate dogs, people do Your sisters dog sounds like a bad date More to the point you need to remember that the quality of the trip is as important as arriving at the destination! Your sister would be best advised to stop feeding her buddy so much Let me rephrase that She should re organize how and when she feeds her dog She should try putting her buddies dinner in a zip lock bag and taking it on her walk No food in the bowl for doing nothing Your dinners here with me, pay attention to me See a good date Get your sister to reward/feed her dog as she is walking past another dog Offer dinner when her dog appears more interested in another person, scent, etc.. You get the idea It would be good advice to keep her walks to about 15 minutes at first Increasing them when she becomes more confident Walking a dog is about keeping and holding their attention It's about them learning to put your interest above their's See a good date Food is a weak (kindergarten) reward system In the long run your sister needs to advance her reward to play "After a short time my dog isn't hungry any more!" To this end your sister has to play more with her dog, making her buddy a bit obsessive about a toy In the long run the toy should replace the food Like a good date would you rather play over there ...or over here with me???

Reply

HI, I THINK A PINCH COLLAR IS CRUEL! I HAVE A LAB/AKITA MIX AND HE PULLED REALLY BAD! ACTUALLY PULLED ME DOWN 3 STEPS ONTO THE SIDEWALK! WE GOT THE GENTLE LEADER AND HE IS LIKE A DIFFERENT DOG!! WITHOUT THE PINCH!!!! EVERY TRAINER I SPOKE WITH SAID THEY HIGHLY RECOMMEND IT AND TRUST ME IT WORKS!

Reply

The question is "Has your dog really learned anything?" Or are you only forcing your dog to walk at your side? Want proof Put your dog back on their old collar and leash I bet they still pull The Halti hasn't taught them anything You have only forced your dog not to pull because of a peice of eqipment To go even further don't put a leash on your dog and go for a walk My friends walk with me, we talk, we laugh I don't tie them to me They look forward to spending time with me They walk with me by choice Wheres your dog on your walk without a leash I bet it was a bad date Euipment helps short term Long term educate your dog that friends walk together Teach your dog to be safe in public just like you would a child

Reply

I would bet you dollars to dimes that if Heaven put her dog back on the regular leash he would be a real gentleman. I don't know how you rate your dates, but if I had to perform to have dinner with my date, I'd have dropped them like a hot rock! Still on the date analogy.....HeavenScent has been happily married for twenty years, has two dogs and can say teenager and wonderful in the same sentence.....pretty successful on the dating scene, I would say! My question for her is: tell me how to make my teenagers bearable - please!? Just kidding! My kids are pretty good - they just drive me insane at times!

Reply

I'd bet that on a date with her dog Her dog would spend all his time on his cell phone Most of his attention would be being given to the hotties three tables over He would constantly be getting up and leaving her alone while he went off to check out something more interesting! Sound like special time together, eh? Who was it that had to learn to more appropriate manners and social graces?

Reply

If someone is married, and they go on a date with a dog, is that considered cheating?

Reply

THANKS GINTZ!!! I NEED ALL THE HELP I CAN GET WITH THIS GUY! LOL ACTUALLY HAILEY GOT AWAY FROM MY HUSBAND ONCE AND SHE RAN STRAIGHT INTO MY ARMS!!! I WAS GOING TO WORK. NOW AS FOR MY LAB, YOUR RIGHT HE WOULD LEAVE ME IN THE DUST! THAT'S WHY MY HUSBAND WALKS HIM WITH THE GENTLE LEADER! I'LL STICK TO WALKING HAILEY! MY HUSBAND BY THE WAY IS 6"2 AND 230LBS. IF THIS LAB OF MINE CAN PULL HIM, I'M NOT COMPLAINING ABOUT EQUIPMENT!! IF IT WORKS IT WORKS!! I GOT YOUR POINT THOUGH IN ALL HONESTY I HAVE TO AGREE!! IT WOULD BE GREAT IF WE COULD HAVE THAT ASSURANCE THAT THEY WOULD JUST STAY WITH US!! BUT I CAN'T RISK THAT IN THE CITY WITH TRAFFIC. AND FOR THEM TO HAVE BEEN TAUGHT THAT I WOULD HAVE HAD TO LET THEM GO RIGHT? MY TEENAGERS? ARE WONDERFUL HOWEVER IF ANYONE DOESN'T WANT TO HANG OUT WITH ME IT WOULD BE THEM! GO FIGURE!! PS. I HAVEN'T LOST MY HUBBY'S ATTENTION YET!!! BEFORE YOU COMMENT ON THAT, SHUT UP SCOTT!!

Reply

In his own male chauvanistic way Scott is right. I have Soozie pretty successfully not pulling on her NewTrix coller, but try to undo it and she pulls my arm out of the socket. I am currently teaching her the command "By me" after her walk when she is tired out and listens better. If you want more info on this command send me a message. Basically it has replaced heel in the new behaviourist order of things as it is better for the dog. Heel can cause some neck and back problems as the dog is forced to walk usually on only one side all the time.

Reply

With the big boys, Sometimes it's impossible to hold them back. We're not strong enough. Another thing to remember "Forced lessons will not be willingly repeated when given choice!" This means that, even if you can physically subdue your big lug, after twenty seconds, he's going to go right back to pulling again! With my big boys (140 to 180lbs) I use the following technique I get a heavy leash, I like it to be longer than six feet I attach it to the dogs collar, preferrably flat with a buckle Collar should be on tight enough so as the dog can not pull it over his head Now your ready Start twirling the leash in front of you like a propeller in front of a plane Don't stop twirling that propeller Start moving forwards, if your dog is oblivious he is going to walk in to the propeller Keep twirling the propeller It should take no time for your dog to learn that he dose'nt want to walk in to propeller but finds it safer at your side ( ...If he dose'nt find it safe at your side..... .....we need to talk seriously about your handling style ! ) The fine line, which is hard for the novice to understand See jerking on the leash, your the jerk, your trying to force them to your side, no body likes to do something their forced to do Walking into the propeller, well that's just stupid, any one can see it's better to choise to keep back See in the dogs mind you are you and the prop is the prop You've stayed safe, and hopefully your dog has chosen that it's safest at your side ! The reward for heeling is play Try getting your dog to heel for a while, then play, heel and play, heel and play. Actually twice is enough, especially if the dog is succeding ! You can do many sessions a day, twice Don't try to walk too far at first Your not ready for romantic walks on the beach yet Try walking in a square Dogs on left, counter clockwise square Dogs on right , clockwise square Squares have abrupt corners follow the path Use chalk if you have to Make sure to follow your intended path exactly Next try doing some spins at the corners When you can walk the square backwards, and your dog can stay straight at you side You should be pretty much done, but they is alot more Heeling is like dancing with your dog It is very advanced training Hows your foundation ?