halti and gentle leader dog harnesses

[Jamie_Dog_Trainer]

I have used them, but only on a few occasions. Its NOT true that the risk of injury is less than with a traditional neck collar. Halties and Gentle leaders have been known to cause serious injury to dogs. The injuries take place when the dog has a high prey drive and goes after a cat, car, ball, ect. The dogs will run out and then be whipped around when the leash is taut. If your dog has low prey drive and is basically just a puller, then this may work well for you. I just like to use regular collars because its easier to learn to use a flat collar, pinch collar or training collar correctly. For the same reason dogs with aggression issues should not be trained on a head collar.

One other warning about the Halti/Gentle leader is you should still have a regular neck collar on your dog with a leash fastened to it. This is to ensure that if your dog slips the halter that you still have control over the dog. I have seen the head halters fail more than once and its always a good idea to be safer than sorry.

 

[chickenzoo]

Yes, always use the ones that hook to a regular collar, just encase. They are the best IMO.

 

[cheri222]

We use the gentle leader for our English Springer. She had all sorts of issues trying to dominate everyone and everything.

 

[redhen]

I used a gentle leader when i had my dane..it worked wonderful for him... made him a totally different dog with it on.
But he had been used to it since he was a pup...

When i tried one on my mastiff..he FREAKED... no way it was happening.
Mostly i have just used prong collars... they always worked for me..

 

[RiverOtter]

Quote:
Akane, I have to disagree with you. There are dogs (and horses) who have already learned some tricks they need to unlearn and you just have to get their attention. I've worked dogs who would merrily crush their windpipe against a flat buckle collar, they needed something else.

The person who started the whole Halti thing was a horse trainer who knew (as you and I do) that if you control the nose (leverage) you control the beast. I am a little bigger then you at 120 and have laid out a horse (warmblood) by applying pressure to the cotton lead attached to the leather halter at just the right moment. And like Jamie Dog Trainer said, you can do the same thing to a dog if you're not careful. Just about anything can be harsh.
Incidentally, I've also had the unique experience of working horses who's owner liked collars - big old cow collars up behind the ears - instead of halters. If you tried to make them do anything with the collar they didn't want, they'd stick their noses in the air and drag you off, even if you were at an angle that dragged on their windpipe and they were choking while they did it (just like dogs) When you put a halter on one they'd throw a little sulk or tantrum (just like dogs above) and then behave (just like dogs above)

While I've never used (nor ever would, any more then I'd make a dog collar out of razor wire) a twisted wire gag bit, I have rehabbed horses back to a plain snaffle from one, and I've paid the bills by training dogs. And with some dogs, they've learned to manipulate the equipment used and need something different. It doesn't mean you'll go on to "more severe training devices" It means that you get the dogs attention, teach him the person on the other end of the leash is capable of communication, then fine-tune that communication.

The OP is working with a trainer, who recommended a piece of equipment.
My advice to the OP is; if you trust the trainer, work with them and take their advice. It's what you're paying them for.
If you're not comfortable, find a different trainer.
Any tool is as kind or cruel as the hands that use it. A halter can be the gentlest way to handle a dog or you can about break one's neck with it. Don't use anything in a way you're not comfortable with or your animal is unsafe with.

 

[SundownWaterfowl]

I was doing some research on choke and prong collars. There was a study in germany that studied 50 dogs that used prong collars in their lifetime and 50 used choke collars. When the dogs died they all had autopsys done. Out of the dogs that used the choke collars 48 had neck, trachea or back injuries, 2 were proved genetic, the rest caused by trauma. Out of the dogs who had the prong collars 2 had injuries in the neck area,out of 50, and one of those was deemed genetic. Seems to me that choke collars are very dangerous. I wouldn't use them. Just some info on that.


100 dogs were in the study. 50 used choke and 50 used prong.
The dogs were studied for their entire lives. As dogs died, autopsies were performed.
Of the 50 which had chokes, 48 had injuries to the neck, trachea, or back. 2 of those were determined to be genetic. The other 46 were caused by trauma.
Of the 50 which had prongs, 2 had injuries in the neck area, 1 was determined to be genetic. 1 was caused by trauma.

I have heard that the gentle leader works great.

 

[greathorse]

In the hands of a skilled person with good timing all manner of leash apparati work well. Conversely a person with bad timing that has no idea when and how to react there is no such thing as a good apparatus. fortunately many if not most dogs tolerate poor skills and even worse timing from their leash challenged owners

 

[arabianequine]

Thank you all for responding....I don't think she needs it all that bad I think she is doing well with just the choker but what do I know I am not an expert by any means. I see way worse dogs there is a saint down the road from me a female that we visited last night omgosh did they have fun. That dog never growled or bark once mine did though....so they got use to each other through the car window first then after a while and no more growling or barking I took her out. Now that dog needs a halti imo the owner even states he needs and wants better control. We will visit again for another play date. He has only had her a couple months and is 11 months old. Oh by the way feeding his saint alpo we had a brief talk about that but what can I do I told him the benifits of feeding a better quality food and kept referring to this site so I'll keep working on that one.

Also I think he wants to breed her at second heat cycle because he said I don't know if you know but you should wait to breed till second heat cycle.....I said I was told not till they were two years old....but again we talked about that and referred him to this site again and I also told him why should wait. Anyways different topic and whole different stories to discuss there.

The reason my instructor says she might benefit from a halti is not that she is really hyper or bad but her head is always turned and she is not paying attention so there is always constant pressure from the choker on her neck and it is not were it should be a lot of the time. The instructor says she will get use to this pressure and it is not suppose to be like that it should be loose and then a pop and release when you say no or leave it so I am having to do this more and harder then I should if it were loose because she is or will continue to come accustom to the pressure. Which may lead to her being hurt or neck damage I would think.

 

[mekasmom]

I like the halter type rather than the head halti. This is what they look like.
http://t0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:uKow0KfQtZObOM:

The other type doesn't work as well, IMO. They are the nose things-
http://t2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:b1Y2RKDXjih27M:

But both work better than regular choke collars or other collars/halters.

I have a St too, so I know how hard it is to walk them, especially if they are excited. They can drag you down the road. It does make it easier when I walk her with my pyrs because they are very slow and laid back, so they hold her back.

 

[ChickenToes]

Well I'm obviously not a trainer, but this is what worked for me to get my dog to walk nicely on a leash. She's a 70 + lb. Bloodhound, and she used to pull me all over the yard tracking scents, and now I can walk her just fine. I would take her outside and as soon as she started to pull, I would either stop walking completely and wait for her to come back to me, then start walking again, or I would start walking in the opposite direction as soon as she started pulling. Now she looks around for me to see where I'm at, and follows me accordingly. She knows that if she pulls, she doesn't get anywhere. It takes time and patience, and I'm not sure it would work if you have a very strong-willed, stubborn dog. If my hound had been more stubborn than she already is, I would have looked into the Gentle Leader.