Best way to use a Halti Harness

[alligande]

One of my former fosters has very limited leash manners, and this is not going to change any time soon. This week we are walking him and his halti harness does nothing to help with the pulling, I have a feeling this is operator error (and his owners) on our part and was wondering if anyone has any advice on fitting and using one.

[GentleLake]

I've never used one. Bought one years ago for Tilly and she reacted so violently to it that I chose not to. I didn't really know anything about desensitization and counter-conditioning then either.

 

That said, you may want to take a look at this article before making up your mind: http://www.suzanneclothier.com/the-articles/problem-head-halters

 

Front pull harnesses like the Easy Walk are getting some scrutiny now for possibly causing shoulder problems in dogs that continue to pull with them.

 

If I had a bad puller, I'd probably look into the Sporn (the one with shoulder loops) or the ThunderLeash.

[Urban Borders]

Have a dog that pulled right thru every device I tried: Halti, GL, Easy Walk. And yes, I know how to fit them. Eventually gave up and worked religiously on short training walks, asking for attention (dog is not food motivated due to anxiety, so less of that at first) and stopping when she pulled. Learned to not pull within a few days, albeit only in very low distraction environments. Gave exercise in other ways in meanwhile: fetch, agility, jogs where dog was attached to wait belt and encouraged to pull.

[alligande]

The dog is my neighbor, if he was mine we would be working on training but he has his human completely wrapped around his paw and despite my constant comments every time he says Rievaulx is so well behaved compared to Theo, Theo is not going to be learning any manners soon.

I was hopping the harness was my problem, and it I could set it up right it might have more affect, but Theo who is not all border collie is built like a tank just keeps pulling!

[Nathan]

Alligande,

 

Did you ever master the halti? My shepherd hated hers as well and is also very high anxiety. Yes, it does limit the pulling, however, I believe she is concentrating more on how to get out of it, rather than accepting it.

[dogrsqr]

I use a Gentle Leader occasionally for fosters. Not sure if the Haltis are the same. For the GL the collar part should be tight (two fingers should fit underneath) which allows the nose part to be looser. You should just be able to pull the nose piece to the wet (not furry) part of the nose.

 

Some dogs will still pull with the head collar. I use them as a resourse to help me work on loose leash.

[rushdoggie]

I use a Gentle Leader occasionally for fosters. Not sure if the Haltis are the same. For the GL the collar part should be tight (two fingers should fit underneath) which allows the nose part to be looser. You should just be able to pull the nose piece to the wet (not furry) part of the nose.

 

Some dogs will still pull with the head collar. I use them as a resourse to help me work on loose leash.

 

This is how I fit a GL. All head halters fit a little different and any dog who is going to wear one should try them all on to determine which fits the dog best. It should not rub near the eyes and not be super easy to take off.

 

My anxious dog actually seems to feel better with the Gentle Leader on (pressure on his nose), it was recommenced by his (board certified) behaviorist for certain situations. I have also seen them be very appropriate with some dogs who had a tendency to lunge at every dog they meet (you have control of his head).

 

For general "I can't control the dog" situations I recommend front hook harnesses for my students while we teach LLW. Yes, there is a chance it could impede normal front leg movement, but for many dogs the risk of an altered gait is trumped by the risk of them losing their home if the owners cannot control the dog.