Head Halter success!!!

[v-girl]

I have always been horrible at teaching a dog to walk on a leash and being consistent with it. With that said, I'm tired of being jerked, pulled, and dragged anywhere and everywhere. lol My body just can not take the abuse any longer. I flirted with the head halter idea for almost 8 months, before actually taking the plunge. I have all husky mixes, who by nature love to pull, I have tried a few other techniques and products to no avail and was about to give up, until I thought my body was going to be pulled apart.

I started out with my 2 youngest, who had NO leash training at all, due to previous owners and who went totally bonkers when I tried to walk them. No control at all, they were all over the place. Not too mention they are both hyper and have high levels of anxiety, and were used to running free until I got them back.

Lots of baby steps. Literally, I would take 2 or 3 steps and stop. Trying to make it a success and take the stress off of both of us. And I would make them sit any time I stopped. And they did, without me saying anything. It has been about 3 or 4 weeks, since I started and I take them about every 2 or 3 days, and I am seeing a ton of progress. I make turns to distract them, and sometimes just turn around, as the drive to go forward is strong, plus it makes them follow me. We actually walk faster now that I am not having to keep such tension agaisnt them and my arms aren't coming out of my socket when I am done! lol

I had a run in with a jogger who comes by almost every day, this was the first time we ran into him on the street. I not only was I able to gain control of situation but also keep it and the dog's attention. All with very little effort or pain of trying to control an 80 pound dog by his regular collar. In fact after that situation, we had the best walk ever. It was fantastic.

Tonight, I tried my strongest, most dominate dog and had immediate success. I used to run with him, so as to avoid the pull, but since he has reached adulthood, it was like trying to run with a freight train! lol

I had a training video that taught me how to properly fit the halter, as before I had it wrong. And it gave tips on how to use it properly.

It has been a wonderful experience and I just wish I hadn't waited so long to try it. I have had so many failed attempts before that I had given up. If it wasn't for my body giving out, I might not have every tried it. But I'm so glad I did. It has been such a blessing. And I'm so proud of myself for sticking to it! It has been worth it!

[TexasRanger]

[Bailey.]

I'm considering a head halter, simply because my girl gets ahead of me a lot. She doesn't pull, but will speed up quickly when she sees a squirrel or bird.

A relative of mine has a dog who wouldn't wear one. He would immediately put his paws over his nose and take it off. If you could get him to walk with it, he would swing his head and try to get his nose on the ground to get it off. My biggest concern would be a dog getting lose with it on, but it sounds like it is working for you!

[CaliTerp07]

I love the gentle leaders. I didn't get the head halter one, but the one that clips in the front of the harness instead of the back. I agree-LIFESAVER! I'm glad you're doing so well

[PoodleMommy]

Originally Posted by Bailey.

My biggest concern would be a dog getting lose with it on, but it sounds like it is working for you!

I would think if they fit correctly, this would not happen.

But you could attach a second (regular) leash to his normal collar and just make sure the leash is loose, use a longer one, you could even attach to your waist. It would just be a backup you could use the first few times to ease your own fears.

OP: glad the head halter worked for you, Im glad you took the extra time to ensure you got guidance on doing it correctly that can make a huge difference in having a positive or negative experience.

[Tazwell]

The Halti brand one also has a hook that connects to the dog's regular collar as a backup.

[PoodleMommy]

Originally Posted by Tazwell

The Halti brand one also has a hook that connects to the dog's regular collar as a backup.

well that sure makes it easier that my "configuration".

[v-girl]

Yes, I learned the most important thing was the fit had to be just right for it not to come off. It is a real pain in the a** to get right, but once done, there's no need to adjust. And yes the Halti brand is excellant as it has an extra clip in case they do slip out. I had to buy the Walmart version, but I had the video for the Gentle Leader that gave me all the info I needed. I would say the video, or proper instructions are a must to have. I'm quite impressed with the whole thing and myself. lol