Has anyone used either of these and would you recommend? My 9 month old pulls so much I need some help! We're working on training too but I need some extra help cause he's no fun to walk atm.
Coco was a very strong puller when we got him. Staff at the ManxSPCA where he was used a leather figure-of-8 head collar on him. They insisted he wore it when we took him in the field. He hated it. Really hated it. We would take it off and walk him on his collar or off lead (secure field). When we took him home we used a harness, but his pulling was immense. On the recommendation of the ManxSPCA staff, I bought a Canny Collar. Coco chewed through it on day 1. So it was back to harness and training for us. It was a long slog and I was pulled over many times, but we got there in the end, he walks very nicely for me now. Now I realise that if I really wanted him to wear a head collar I should have got him used to it slowly. Make the head collar a positive experience. This is the key. But I think Coco had far to many negative associations with it from being in the rescue kennels. The advantage of the Canny Collar is that it is rear fastening - so you can walk your dog on either side. I am not familiar with the Halti, but I know some head collars clip on one side or the other - that would be a faff for me. Hopefully other members who have proper experience of using head collars will be along..
My dog hates a head collar - he’d rub his head on my legs to get it off, pushed me off my feet. The best I’ve used for controlling a v strong puller is the chest-fastening harness. Of course no substitute for training, but it’s so useful when I need it - eg when there’s a bitch in heat around. And my boy is happy to wear the harness, and it’s very quick and easy to get on. Like this morning, at the beach, came across a bitch about to go on heat (according to owner) - well, Snowie knew all about it, whining and performing! Got the harness on v quickly and I had complete control walking him away.
Neither for me personally as they both pull the dogs neck round which could potentially cause damage to your dogs neck. You could try a harness which will be much kinder for your dog to wear. We struggled a lot with loose lead walking with our large rescue Labrador x Pointer, Charlie. He walks on a harness really well BUT it took a lot of training as a harness or head collar are only training tools they are not a solution. x
This, too. Snowie had to wear the head halter at weekly training when he was a puppy (school rules). He’d always try to jerk and pull (I didn’t jerk the leash, but he’d suddenly try to take off after a ball that someone threw, for example - actually, I can’t bear to recall the time the trainer told me to stand on the long leash when Snowie took off after a ball, and he somersaulted when he came to the end of the leash - how stupid was I to listen!) and I’m convinced he hurt his neck because he often limped on a front leg after training, and the vet couldn’t find anything wrong with his legs - so the suspicion in hindsight is that it was caused by a neck injury. Once we changed schools - and to the chest-attaching harness - he never limped again.
Thank you. I still cringe and beat myself up when I think back to that moment. And I now try so hard to make sure I don’t blindly follow advice that is not in my dog’s best interest, and make sure I use common sense and kindness. When I think of the nonsense I’ve been told to do...
As long as we all move forward using positive training methods, and like you say, ignore the bad and cruel advice then we are doing the very best for our beloved dogs. xx
It takes real courage to stand up against the advice of someone we trust to know the best way. We all live and learn - hopefully to move forwards, as Helens says, and do the best we can by our dogs.
I don’t advocate head collars, but have used one myself due to me not being able to be pulled due to spinal injuries. I have described it in the thread attached https://thelabradorforum.com/thread...ad-halter-or-harness.17823/page-2#post-271075
