Halti's. Good or Bad??

[Pudding]

Unlike most other training halters the K9 Bridle works from the back of the neck, exactly where you need to have control. There is a strap under the chin.

http://www.k9bridle.com/

[hanandhen]

I prefer Dogmatic headcollars as they do not ride up into the eyes as Haltis can. They do need to be used correctly to be effective, there is nothing a dog can't pull into if it really wants to so they are not a magic cure. However, they will give you power steering should you need it.

With any headcollar you should ensure it fits properly, use a lightweight double ended lead with the other end on a normal collar, and not give sharp or strong corrections - aim for the minimum. You should also introduce the headcollar before using it by putting it on the dog without the lead and rewarding the dog when the headcollar is ignored.

Obviously a headcollar should only ever be used with a short fixed lead, not with a long-line or extender... obvious, yet we met a Dalmation last summer which had a headcollar attached to an extender lead. How the dog didn't have a broken neck I don't know.

[max2011]

I bought the Mekuti but did not get on with it. Max isn't a bad puller all the time but I would like to teach him not to pull at all. I am thinking about a head collar, something like the canny or k9 bridle.
 Have not seen dogmatic one will look it up.

Do you have to have your dog walking to heel when using it or can they walk a bit infront? I struggled with Max walking to the side of me all the time with the mekuti, kept treading on him!!! I do want him next to me in certain situations ie busy town centres but not on country walks where he needs to be on lead.

[hanandhen]

Henry doesn't wear his all the time - only when it's important that he is at heel, such as on icy days or in town. The rest of the time he just has his normal lead and collar, and he either walks on a loose lead or at heel as required. When there aren't any distractions he's quite good on the lead, the headcollar is extra steering for me.

I would use a long training lead and teach Max to walk on a loose lead by making frequent changes of direction while the lead is still loose, and keep the headcollar for times when it is important he is properly at heel, with the eventual goal of not needing it at all.

[Jeanette]

I've just got a really strong right arm now.   

I've looked at the K9 bridle ones on the web before but they look a right faffle and not sure I'd fit it right, hoping to get something if I go to Crufts so I can see the product first hand.

If you get one, let us know how you get on as I struggle to walk both my dogs at the same time.    I used to think Indie pulled really hard until I had Quinn, he's about four times stronger.   

[Joelf]

I've never used a Halti on Domino (cocker) but I used to put one on Spike (lab) as he pulled like a train when he was younger and it was rather like water ski-ing taking him for a walk! It was effective in preventing him pulling although he wasn't keen on it; however, as I wasn't keen on having my arms pulled out of their sockets either I'm afraid he had to put up with feeling a bit miffed!

Nowadays Spike is older and wiser and can't be bothered to pull much at all apart from the initial burst if we start our walk without using the car to get from A to B. If the dogs are being walked on their leads for any distance I tend to put harnesses on them (of which they have a varied selection. )