Halti

[LasVegasNo1]

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We have just been out and bought Alfie a Halti. He pulls so hard on his lead that it hurts our arms and must be damaging his neck?! We just took him round the block to try him out on it and well you can imagine... paws and leads everywhere!! lol!! He was pushing his head into bushes and hedges in an attempt to get the damn Halti off his head, lol But.... no pulling, our arm's are intact and a Whippy neck that's not sore

But will this be shortlived?

Has anyone had any experience of Halti's or has any alternatives to stop dogs pulling on the lead?

Sarah

 

[Carol Jepson]

We've used a Halti on our ESS since he was about 8 months old - he's a working spaniel, thick set and really strong! Whoever desinged these Halti's deserve a medal ) Before getting a Halti we used a variety of leashes including extending leads etc.... but after being tied up on the local park around trees and bushes more than once decided against this (w00t) He's 3 now and completely trained but I still use the Halti when walking him - the kids enjoy walking him aswell as they can control him!.

The only trouble is he a slobbery spaniel and after a walk when we get home if you don't get the Halti off quickly he rubs his chops all over the floor - yuk!!!!!

Hope your walks are more pleasurable!

 

[JAX]

Hi Sarah

I have to put a halti on 3 of my gang, I have a bad neck and a dog pulling does me no good at all .

I know we should train them not to pull in the first place ,but taking 4 or so out at a time is not easy for training purposes, I know you only have Alfie (i think) . Have you tried obedience classes with him. Each dog is an individual ,but you should be able to make him walk better if you only have 1 dog , (says she :clown: ) He will soon get used to a halti ,what ever you do don`t leave it on unatteneded . I did for 2 minuites and somehow he got it in his mouth and really paniced (and chewed through it !!) :b

Sad bod as I am I pretend i`ve got little ponies out for a walk , :cheers: well ,just a little daydreaming! You could always try a checkchain AKA Barbara Woodhouse! ( or are you to young to remember her?)

 

[Rae]

We were advised to use a halti on Obi so that it avoided any pressure on his neck, (He somtimes get a sore neck as he was very badly treated before we got him :rant: ) but he hated it, he rolled on the ground trying to get it off and used his paws too - sounds like Alfie is the same! :clown:

Anyway, we did all the right things, (you shouldn't just put it on and go out in it you are meant to get them used to it first, put it on give him a treat, take it off, put it on, give him a treat, leave it on a bit longer etc) but I really didn't like it at all. It certainly stopped him pulling, but he was never comfortable in it, and it screwed his face up. When he pulled it sort of scrunched up and I don't think he could see properly as his eyes became distorted.

Personally, I prefer the harnesses which fit on to a collar and have cords that go round the legs and then you hook the lead on to a clip on their back, which can be adjusted. It works very well and doesn't alter their face or body language at all. Don't know what they are called though sorry! But you can get something similar called a lupi harness. If the dog pulls the cords tighten round their middle and it stops them pulling straight away. (Sounds cruel, but they only tighten a tiny bit until the dog stops pulling again) the only pain about the harness is is fiddly to get on and off, so if you are only using it for a short time, and then going to let the dog run free, you have to mess on outside taking it off and then putting it back on again.

Just be carefull to get the right type of harness as some of them, like the type staffies often wear actually encourage pulling. The dog can get all it's weight behind the harness and really go for it, as they don't tighten at all.

However, if you do persevere with the halti, introuduce it gradually and reward him for being good in it, then yes he will get used to it eventually. If he likes to carry things give him something to carry which should help him to keep his mind off the halti. The good thing about the harness is that you can stick it on straight away without all the messing about.

Have you tried taking some treats out with you and trying to keep him at your side by bribing him with them? I have started teaching our little madam to heal using a clicker and some treats and it is working great. :thumbsup: You could even try doing this while he is wearing the halti, as the treat might take his mind off the halti too. :luck:

 

[LasVegasNo1]

Hi, as I said before we noticed an instant improvement with his behavour with the Halti on - now I've heard success stories from you two I think we have full confidence in it!

Before we had the Halti we tried a flexi lead, holding the lead really short so he had to walk by our sides, pulling him back and stopping.... none of these worked and he is just getting stronger each day and to be honest he really was hurting us! :lol:

We also thought of obiediance classes and I think if this Halti hadn't worked we'd be looking for one now! lol! He is very good with other dogs so I don't think he really needs to go to a class now

Jax we often call Alfie our 'little pony' lol :b ...more sad bods! (w00t)

...and I have no idea who Barbara Woodhouse is/was... before my time i think

Sarah

 

[LasVegasNo1]

Hi Rae, we must have been posting at the same time

We have tried Alfie with treats walking along but if the treat disappears for literally a second his mind wanders and he's pulling again! lol .... where does he think he's going?!

We hadn't really even thought about a halti harness thing :wacko: at least we have another option now if he should really object to his Halti - although fingers crossed I reckon he should accept it ... he's dippy like that

 

[Rae]

Awwww little ponies, I think it's cute )

 

[Karen]

Frodo is just the same pulls like a train and Teeni.

We tried a halti on Monty but after a few days he just leaned into it kept his chin down and rucked his eyes up.

I dont know why they pull, like alfie if you keep on at Fro he is fine but as soon as you stop telling or training he just forgets and off he goes again. I think its in thier genes off lead hes like a lamb.

I also tried that lupi thing but Mont gets so excited before a walk its like trying to put a hairnet on a kangaroo (w00t)

 

[JAX]

Karen ,How did you get the opportunity to try to put a hair net on a Kangaroo ! :clown: Might have ago with a lubi thing though LOL

Sarah B Woodhouse was a lady who swore by the checkchain for controlling dogs , Had at T V series and books etc , It seemed to work alot of the time but c/chains arnt terrilbly good for whippets necks , well not long term , I suppose you could give it a go . .You do know what a c /chain is don`t you ? :wacko:

 

[Jones]

Leon was a nightmare on his lead he would pull and pull until his tongue was hanging out ,except when you had a treat and then he would walk to heel perfectly unfortunately you would soon run out of treats :b

We carried on trying to correct him when he pulled and didn't think he was improving but he obviously was just slowly, it was about a month ago that we turned to eachother and said he's not pulling :cheers: and he now walks with a loose lead well most of the time unless there's something really interesting to get too.

Cheers

Steve

p.s Thanks Sarah you've made me feel really old now because I remember B. Woodhouse :b

 

[LasVegasNo1]

I do know what a c/chain is... they seem a bit cruel to me. A lady walks a Boxer round here with one of them on - she don't half give the poor old dog a yank if it steps out of line then threatens it with... "if you do that again I'll...." do what exactly I always think? lol After all she's already strangled the poor dog,what else could she do...

I think our 'little pony' would be horrified if we did that to him

 

[Joanna]

I do remeber Barbara SITTTTTTTTTTTT Woodhouse. A choke chain is brilliant for a very strong dog with a muscular physique.....We always used one on our Dobe, and my God she was strong (w00t)

I would not be keen to use one on a Whip as they have less muscle, and quite fragile necks. The halti seems to be a good alternative, I don't need one........Archie is a[SIZE=14pt]PERFECT[/SIZE] puppy :teehee: :lol: :teehee: :lol: :teehee:

 

[NatalieMc]

Meg has only very recently stopped pulling on her leads. It took a lot of hard work, plenty of training and at least a ton of cheese over a couple of months. I found keeping the pocket nearest her full of cubes of cheese (which she adores) kept her attention and treating her whenever she walked nicely. But, like I say...it has taken weeks! She still pulls off to the side for a sniff around but I dont expect her to walk to heel...just not pull my arm out of the socket!

Natalie

 

[~JO~]

I take my dogs on a basic obedience course when they are pups, Stanley is about half way through and the moment and is really getting the hang of it all. He heels really well, but when I take the two together it is a bit of a different story, each trying to get a whippet nose length in front of the other!!

However, I have spent lots of time recently persisting with them seperately and now they are so much better when they are together, they do occasionally pull when they are excited (first half of walk) but are starting to learn.

When I got ARchie he was my only dog and i have to say that he didn't pull hardly at all but I spent lots and lots of time training him, I would recommend taking Alfie to a basic obedience course. It takes a bit of time and work but it is really worth it, I am amazed how after just a couple of lessons they can do down, wait, heel etc etc.

 

[JAX]

Joanna , what a short memory you have got :b . What about all those posts about your boy being REALLY naughty !!! and you not knowing if you could cope anymore!, Honestly ,I`m so pleased he has turned out to be a good little boy just like all my Whippets. ! I wish :clown:

 

[Rae]

I fully agree with Joe, it really does pay off to go to training classes, especially when they are young as the more they are exposed to now the more confident they should be later on. Also I think they really enjoy it cos they are using their brains and meeting lots of other nice (hopefully) friendly dogs.

Obi barks at horses every time we see one (v embarassing) but the training class that Star goes to has a horse / goat / sheep / chickens / cats & geese in the field we train in and she just takes it all in her stride

Same class was new to Vader 3 months ago and he spent 2 weeks barking at all the odd creatures he hadn't seen before. :clown:

I have noticed too that they are usually angels on their own - watching where I am all of the time, but as soon as they are in their 'pack' - see ya ........ :- "

 

[~JO~]

Yes the training field we go too has sheep and a massive Billy goat - which stanley really has not taken too! Aren't whippets brave when they are with their mums and with a big fence between them!!

 

[dessie]

Rupert used to be a little sod with the cattle (now there's a surprise I can hear you all saying! :b ), for days he would take no notice of them and then all of a sudden would take off and run miles over to them and then round and round them. Luckily they are sturdy beef cattle and well able to take care of themselves but it would infuriate me that he did it for no rhyme or reason. That was until they had a break-out and he had a nasty shock whilst hurtling down the disused railway one day. There were all these cattle in his way and he very stupidly decided to try and take them on .........that is until one of them gave him a hefty kick (w00t) .

He came hurtling back then with that "Mum ......... look what's happened" look on his face and sure enough Yep! his leg sliced open!! Funnily enough he is a perfect angel with cattle now!!

He doesn't pull on the lead but I do use a halti on him going to open shows because I can manage him easier when he wants to bounce and shout at dogs that he doesn't like the look of. I think it must be his age at the moment because he never used to do it and hopefully it is just a passing phase. It is almost as if he is un-nerved by bigger, more macho type dogs and he feels he has got to assert himself first before they get him.

 

[Lydia]

Hi, I wouldn't recomend a check chain with a whippet at all. In fact, I have witnessed so many fitted onto a dog incorrectly, (so that they tighten and wont release) :angry: . That I could only recomend one in person, with a check chain to hand, to demonstrate the corrct way to fit it.

Barbara Woodhouse was very good, she could control other peep's dog's generally better than the owners could. Although she used items like check chains etc, she also used her voice a lot, and PRAISED a lot. I think it was the combination of all these things, that kept the dogs interested and obedient.A great shame, she wasn't so lucky with the owners. :b

When halti's were first introduced, we bought one for our G.S.D., despite following the instructions etc. it was a complete waste of time.She would start to pull, panic because of the halti, swing around, so she was facing me, or whoever was holding the lead. (Halti's do only work, if the the dog is facing the same dirction as you and pulling). The halti would come off her head, straight away, the moment she swung around and pulled. She'd actually have her bum in the air, head slightly down.

It was important for her not to pull, as if you allowed her to pull, she would physically faint, and you had to wait for her to regain consciousness, to carry on your walk. :wacko:

She would actually walk to heel perfectly, with out a lead attached. I couldn't exercise her like that though, 'cos if something frightened her, so she ran, she could have been injured or killed.We eventually moved here, stopped using a lead completely, just used to let her jump in the back of the car, drive to our local common, and let her run free.

When Tubbs, her partner in crime is pts, I shall scatter both their ashes on that common.

Lyd

 

[Rae]

I think I am beginning to understand why you call Rupert the Brat Dessie :lol:

Can you imagine if he had been your first whippet...it might have put you off for life!