Using A Halti Lead

jessie-jane

Hi, we have a 6 month old springer who is great off lead but pulls like a steam train on the lead, we have tried on the advice of the vet a choker, a harness and a normal lead but they have all the same result.... pulling.
so we decided to try the halti lead which we have found fantastic,no more pulling the only problem is she keeps trying to rub her nose whilst walking either with her paw or along the floor , was just wondering if anyone can suggest anything to stop this. Also she sulks whilst having it put on , and tries to hide even though she knows its leading to a walk and run in the fields.
thanks

Psykicpup

a gentle but sharp tug with a 'no' will solve it most of the time. They are good at stopping the pulling arent they - I used to use one on Shads but we have changed to a harness which for us seems to work just as well.

mcchell

Our dog was like this when we first used a halti on her, she has however gradually got used to it and doesn't do it anymore and will happily put her head into it as she knows it means she is going out for a walk. I would say perseverance is all you can do.

cocoluvsmummy

my dog still dislikes having her Halti on, But seems resigned to it, shes a big girl and pulls hard and i get a bad back at times,( i tried other methods first but this has been the best) and shes safe for my daughter to walk with it on. Even after using it for 18 months she has to give her muzzle a good rub on the ground when she has it removed. As for the trying to get it off when walking, she stopped doing that fiarly quickly but i found walking fast helped as she couldnt do the pulling, flicking of it whist moving at speed

jessie-jane

Thanks for the advice


We will just keep up with it for now, as like you say no more pulling which is great on the arms.
We have already tried a harness but she still managed to pull on this, so we will keep with the halti for now

thanks

elsien

I've used a halti for years, and the mutt still rolls around on the ground trying to get it off. She's also managed to develop a technique to keep her neck stiff, so tugging her back to her feet is a bit more awkward. Most of the time she's fine, but sometimes (especially when it's sunny and she fancies a lie down,) she'll give it a go!
I've not managed to solve that one, other than to be firm with her. She's now ok with having it put on, because she knows that as soon as it's on, she gets a food treat. I'm a firm believer in bribery- sorry- rewards! The other possibility is a padded halti, if you haven't already tried that - same as the ordinary ones, but designed for dogs with more sensitive hooters. Mine's happier with that than with the others, and if she does start to mess around, it doesn't rub as much.
Is there anything you can use to distract her if she starts rubbing - some toy you can take out for walks that she particularly likes?

SiuLoong

I'd agree with the above experiences, I have a Springer also and she loves to pull hard on the lead.. good as gold off it but there are times when she needs to be attached!! She has a halti (which is fantastic!!) and rubs her nose on the floor, but gets used to it eventually. The only time we are cautious about using it is when it gets hot as she can't pant properly and we don't want her to overheat. Plus, some people seem to think its a muzzle and are wary of her.. she soon wins them over though! I recommend the halti to people who ask me about their dog pulling..

WeirdoMagnet

Instead of using gadgets or 'training aids' how about teaching your dog what behaviour you do want, rather than punishing it for behaviours you don't want?

We've taught our dog not to pull through a mixture of clicker training, and calm talking and slowing our own walking down. Some people swear by the 'stop and start' method, where you stop anytime the dog puts tension on the lead, or changing direction so the dog has to concentrate on you, but to be honest, they've never worked for me - if we stop, my dog thinks we better go faster to make up the time we lost for stopping! :rolleyes:

The other thing, is to start your training indoors, where there are no distractions. Then move to different rooms round the house, then to the garden, then to outside (no distractions), then outside with distractions, gradually building upping the ante. I wouldn't try training it when your dog is desperate for its walk and run round the park, you need to set the dog up for success.

Good luck and let us know how you get on!

Georgie

scheming_gypsy

My NI had a halti for about an hour, she kept pulling it off and then ate it.

Buddy_Banana

Okay, this is really long sorry!
I'm studying canine psychology amongst other things and this is the info for lead pulling:
ps, my dobe hates the head collar and the feel of it over his nose, he is back on a harness but you need to apply the training also for it to work and for your dog to learn how to walk.... hope this info helps



Pulling on the leash.

Dogs naturally pull on a leash. There are a couple of reasons for this. One is that most dogs naturally ambulate faster than most people and the pulling reflects this discrepancy.
The other reason is that the pulling so elicited is then reinforced by the owner in the form of forward movement. The dog continues to pull because pulling works. The other reason that has been put forward for pulling in dogs, even to the point of gasping for breath in obvious discomfort, is what’s called opposition reflex. As soon as they feel pressure against their necks or chest, they reflexively lean into it.

The main pull prevention exercise, for puppies and dogs who do not already have a strong habit, is the red light/green light game.
The rule of this game is that, while on a walk with the dog, you may only move forward if the leash is loose and jangly. As soon as the dog tightens the leash, you freeze dead in your tracks. The loose leash is the green light – handler moves forward; the tight leash is the red light – handler stops. Moving in the direction your dog wants to go is a potent reinforcer, which you must never give for pulling on the leash.

The first time you play this game, the dog will likely do a bit of lunging and straining when you put the brakes on. Simply wait until eventually, by chance, he slackens the leash. Then start moving. As soon as you do so, he will re-energize and, no doubt, hit the end of the leash, causing you to stop again. And so on.
The dog requires some repetition to see the trend: tightening the leash grinds the walk to a halt every single time, slackening the leash makes movement happen. The dog does not learn to walk on a loose leash in one shot. What you get, rather, is a gradual decrease in attempts at pulling. So, keep it up. Timing helps enormously here. The more you can simulate a cause and effect relationship between behaviour and consequence, the faster he’ll learn.

If you already have an entrenched pulling problem, you will probably have to use heavier artillery than the red light/green light game. Your options are to 1) try the red light/ green light game anyway, 2) play the game but with bigger penalties or 3) change equipment (halters).

Playing the game with bigger penalties means that, rather than simply stopping when the dog starts pulling, you retreat some distance to make the dog cover the same piece of ground again. It’s like a three-yard penalty. A good motto is: “We’ll keep doing this patch of pavement until you do it without pulling”.
The first few times, the dog will most likely have to do the same piece of ground many times in a row before he figures out that his pulling is causing the penalty.
Once again, to sharpen things up timing, mark the initiation of pulling with “Too bad!”
This signals that he has just made things worse for himself in terms of his goal of moving in the forward direction. When you retreat to retry a piece of ground, make sure the leash is slack before commencing at walking forwards.

Industrial-strength pullers can injure their owners. If pulling has blossomed to this point, these dogs usually need new equipment. There are several “power-steering” options available. Probably the most effective of these is the dog halter which fits over the muzzle (head collar). Halters move the leverage point from the neck to the muzzle. Now when the dog tries to pull, there is much less to lean into: the dog’s head simply turns around. These sorts of devices allow people to control half-ton horses, so it’s not surprising that they can give you a lot of control with a dog. Aside from the excellent reduction in pulling achieved, halters are good tools for controlling lunging, aggressive dogs by virtue of the fact that the head can be turned away from the hot stimulus.

Another option is an anti-pull harness. These products can be a veritable overnight miracle for some pullers though, for others, it makes a smaller dent in their pulling. Correct fit is essential and may be behind lacklustre results.

As with any equipment it is still important to apply red light/ green light training or the three yard penalty rule to teach the dog to reduce and then stop pulling.

eira

I tried a harness and a Halti and neither worked-but training did. My 9 stone plus dog would have a free run walk in the morning (taken in the car which he loved) and then had 'learn walks' for walking on the lead.The stop/start technique worked in the end because he went nowhere when he pulled. I would add however that if the dog is very large you have to have the lead a) short b) wrapped round your wrist as well. On these walks I used to have a pocket full of extra special treats that he didn't get at any other time.