hi would anyone have advice please ! I have 11 month male black lab!! He is very strong boy and sometimes when sees other dogs (which he loves of course ) badly pulls on lead where I struggle hold him !! Have bought harness which didn't help much either but he was absolutely petrified of it for some reason I can't work out as as soon as put it on him he knows his going out but he runs hides and goes rigid so stopped using that so dog trainer suggested halti but he is exactly same with that and he has never had it on as I can't get near with him he goes mad and looks so scared !! We are doing training to help with him trying get over to play with other dogs but he got so bad lately trainer suggested halti so I have control of him as he goes mad with just lead and collar on and it really stressing me as like said I can just about hold him!! I have tried leaving it around letting him sniff it etc !! Does anyone have any tips please !! X
Hello there So you have a few different problems. 1. Your dog is unable to walk nicely at your side, or on a loose lead, without pulling. 2. Your dog is scared of harnesses. 3. Your dog is scared of halti head collars. These are all different things, but 1) is your main problem. 2 and 3 are you seeking management, not training, solutions to problem 1. Both of my dogs hate harnesses although over time with a great deal of effort invested, and many, many hours of associating harnesses with scrummy treats, they tolerate them. I think they hate them because they just do not like the sensation of being so constricted and the material around their bodies. I also think they dislike them because a harness restricts their choices in that it give humans much greater control over what they do. I have never used a halti head collar (or similar) on my dogs, and I never will. I think most dogs look miserable in them. If I were a dog, and someone trussed up my head in a contraption of rope, and then used that to stop me heading where I wanted to go, because they could pull my head round wherever they wanted, I think I'd hate it - really, really hate it. I don't blame dogs for hating this. It seems a completely natural thing to hate. So, your main problem is that your dog can't walk on a collar and lead. What have you tried so far? Tell us what you've been doing, and where it's going wrong.
