Posted: Thu Jun 03, 2010 4:09 pm Post subject: head collar vs harness
I was walking Ruby just with collar and lead but after the incident with her pulling like a steam train, her tongue going blue and sounding like she is going to collapse on occasions, the vet has recommended I go back to the canny collar.
The difference when she walks on this is amazing, she doesn't make the rasping noise and both my children can walk her in it as she just plods along. As soon as she is walked in just a collar and lead the noise starts as she is obviously pulling against her throat and no matter how much stop/start/turnaround stuff I do the beginning of the walk is not enjoyable for either of us.
The problem I have is Ruby absolutely hates the canny. She loves walks but whenever I get the lead out now she hides under the table and although is wagging her tail she is whining and running away
So do I consider a harness instead or will she still kick up a fuss??
Generally our walks are 10 mins on a lead and an hour off so she is never on it for very long and I have no probs putting it on when we are out.
Or is this a genuine "I hate this collar" or is she just playing me up ??
Chloe - to be honest I think she is being a minx and stamping her feet! I see a fair few dogs have their first try in a gencon headcollar at the classes I go to - and most of them protest to some degree. Protests vary - some stand still, some pull away, some try to rub the collar off.
I wouldn't recommend a harness as most dogs just put their full weight in it - imagine sleigh-pulling mode. So unless her heelwork is spot on, then a harness may just make her pull.
If headcollar is the way to go - maybe try a different brand - I am a gencon fan but I know others swear by a halti.
If you're passing this way, I have a number of things you could borrow/try as I was chief tester for my club (though I won't give up my gencon!)
try giving her a nice bit of sausage every time you put the headcollar on..... and keep doing it every time for a little while ... after a while i suspect she won't be under the table.. !! get her to come for the sausage and sit - give her half the sausage (beforehand) for coming & sitting with you - and the other half as soon as it's on ......
Good advice from kaladancer! Luna hated her Halti but I spent a lot of time associating it with yummy treats and she put up with it!
Put the headcollar on you hand, give her a treat.
Put the headcollar on you hand, move the headcollar up your fingers, give her a treat
Put the headcollar over her muzzle, give her treat, take it straight off.
Put headcollar on, give her treat, count 1, take it off.
Put headcollar on, give her treat, count 2secs, give her treat, take it off.
Put headcollar on, count a sec, give her treat, take it off
Put headcollar on, count 2secs, give her treat, take it off
Put headcollar on, play with favourite toy for couple of secs, take off headcollar
Do each step lots, do it when you aren't going for a walk, do it just before feeding her, do it just before letting her in the garden for a wee, do it just after she's woken up, .... think you get the idea!
I used a Halti for about 2 months when Luna was about a year old. I have a double ended lead so attached one end to the Halti for when she was in pull mode, and the other end to her normal collar for when she was walking nicely. I used to walk with treats in my hand so I could reward her when she was walking nicely. After the 2months we switched to using a half-check collar. Halti has been packed away since then!
Charlie has never really come to terms with headcollars, though he does get on better with the gencon that with other makes. Unfortunately for him, he is such a powerhouse that they are necessary in situations where he becomes over-excitable - until he either tires himself out a bit or simply becomes acclimatised and calms down.
I did try a harness, but would not recommend them. Charlie just simply leaned his whole bodyweight into it and pulled for England! These days the only harness I use is the one for fastening him into the car.
I have posted about my opinions on head halters before, which generally go against everyone else's, but I mean no offence and I'm not criticising anyone.
Dogs don't like muzzle-clamping head-halters such as Halti, Gentle Leader, Canny Collar and Gencon because the clamping action for one, is painful, and for two, makes the dog feel vulnerable. I hate them, and so do the VAST majority of dogs.
Fixed-action head-halters such as Dogmatic and the PAH own brand are far more comfortable for the dog and still give the handler the added bonus of being able to 'steer' the dog's head.
Harnesses - Mekuti and Walkeeze are great non-pull options. Mekuti works by setting the dog off-balance when it pulls in order for it work out that in order TO balance, it needs not to pull. The Walkeeze has the chest strap in such a position as to interfere with the dog's gait, so hence it doesn't pull - basically, it can't take such a big stride. This is why Guide Dogs in harnesses don't pull - the chest piece acts in the same way as the Walkeeze. A normal collar with a double-ended lead slung low around the chest has the same effect too.
And whatever tool is used, training needs to go hand in hand, so positively reinforcing the dog with praise and the occasional treat in conjunction with a cue such as 'close' when it is walking beside without pulling.
some good points lizi.................. and i've never used a headcollar - or harness (until now as my dog has hurt his neck running)..... but whatever method you use, it is important to praise the good bits...
if you do treat your dog loads to get it used to new equipment, make the treats very tasty but small....
Just looking for a new lead and collar for our little one - 7 months - and wondered whether the dogmatic headcollar or the walkezee or metuki harness would be any good?
He doesn't pull most of the time, though he does have a stand still or lie down protest if he decides he's going a different way to me or that he can't be bothered to go any further . He can and will walk with me properly both on and off (where safe away from roads) lead so it's not that he doesn't know just he doesn't always want to! With the flat collar I feel it's then pulling his throat and choaking him which seems very mean. He does sometimes decide to take flying leaps at people which I'd like to avoid, the rest of the time he remembers to be polite and stay 4 paws on the ground!
I have tried a gentle leader - lying protest would not walk anywhere even for a treat, rolling about trying to pull it off even in the garden! Also tried a harness like car ones but then he could scavenge and wouldn't walk sensibly at all just made him able to pull me about more!
I have osteoporosis and am very breakable (IYSWIM!) so ideally he wouldn't pull me about or require full body strength to stop him jumping up people.
What would you all recommend? Would the dogmatic/metuki/walkeeze be any good or something else?
I did try a harness, but would not recommend them. Charlie just simply leaned his whole bodyweight into it and pulled for England! These days the only harness I use is the one for fastening him into the car.
Aren't harnesses supposed to stop / inhibit pulling? Isn't that the point of them? Or are there different types?
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These days the only harness I use is the one for fastening him into the car.
x
. He can and will walk with me properly both on and off (where safe away from roads) lead so it's not that he doesn't know just he doesn't always want to! With the flat collar I feel it's then pulling his throat and choaking him which seems very mean. He does sometimes decide to take flying leaps at people which I'd like to avoid, the rest of the time he remembers to be polite and stay 4 paws on the ground!
and wouldn't walk sensibly at all just made him able to pull me about more!
