Helps to control 'awkward' canines (Halti Head Collar)

Name: kesha123

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Product:	Halti Head Collar
Date:	15/07/06 (1010 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: everything

Disadvantages: -

It was some years ago now that I first used the dog halti after much obedience training with our Shepard x Lab (although we suspect that there may well be wolf in him the way he can behave)!

I was out on a walk one winters night, it was slippery and wet as always an as we passed every human, dog or car he had to YANK the lead just so that everyone knew that he was about - if it was a dog that looked particularly threatening, younger, better looking etc he would even take the liberty to bark. Anyone that has read my other reviews may know that in the family we have one Jack Russell terrier (who behaves like some husky) and Teddy, our big softie! Now I must say that at home both of our dogs are impeccable, they have the odd mishap, selective deafness for example just as any other however on the whole they are fantastic dogs and we wouldn't change anything about them for the world, well at that point anything apart from the strength in Teddy. He is an extremely well built dog, medium size but extremely powerful. When alone he is not so bad, however as a pair they encourage each other and a lead walk is like some kind of race. If one dog sees something the other is quick in support. Now this can be a good thing, but when I’m at the end of the lead it certainly isn't!

As I said, I began using the halti a while back now, at the time it was priced at £8.99, I thought that this was reasonably expensive, in comparison to a standard dog collar however by then I was at the point where I would happily spend this small amount to solve our problem. The collar comes in sixes 0 - 5, or did then and I am not sure whether anything has changed since. It is adapted to fit all sizes from a terrier through to a St.Bernard. I bought a size 2 for Teddy as this was medium and he isn't really a huge dog. Anyway I took him to the local pet store where I was familiar with the staff and I was lucky as a result because I was actually able to try the halti on teddy before leaving and also have a little test. I would strongly recommend that anyone purchasing this product or anything similar that is specifically designed to do a certain job to take their pet with them as this is the easiest and safest way, the wrong size could easily aggravate the situation as if it sits in the wrong place it can rub the eyes or prevent the dog from opening their mouth.

Anyway I returned home hoping that the new product would have some effect however I was not expecting too much...

It took some time for Teddy to settle whilst wearing the halti; he is a fidgety dog anyway and hates being restrained. At first I just left the halti on for short periods of time in the house and praised him every time he allowed me to put it on easily and didn't rub. (At first he'd try and rub it on everything in reach, even my leg). However it was not long before ha was settled enough to go on a walk...and was I IMPRESSED!

It was fantastic, although he showed some hesitation in the beginning I had expected that, I just made a really big deal about all of the positives, I also put on an ordinary dog collar so that I could take the halti off whilst he was off the lead. It was an excellent tool, for me the best part was that Teddy was completely happy, he could eat and drink as normal, he could even still hold his toy - however he could not PULL! It seemed a very kind but effective way of keeping him under control.

The halti also came with a guide for new owners, in the beginning when I was only testing it in the house this was not so helpful however when we quickly progressed to the great outdoors this became increasingly helpful. The tips explained in there are extremely thorough and certainly left me with no question unturned. The halti was very easy to use and extremely simple for the dog to understand - they pull and the punishment is pressure around the nose which of course they don't like therefore they come back to a heal and the pressure is released acting as an automatic reward.

The reason for which i refer to the halti as 'was' is that after about thirteen months of daily use Teddy got to the point where he didn't really need the help, he understood what was required and just with praise by voice he quickly settled in a normal collar. This halti cost £8.99 and has been well worth every penny, I would strongly recommend that any dog owner who is struggling with lead walking tries out this product, although I would also point out that you can definitely not expect immediate results, as with everything particularly when it involves animals it takes time. I can promise though that if d9one properly the time and effort will pay off.

It is so nice to be able to now take the two dogs out together in relaxed way, they are both family members and I can honestly now say they have no faults and I wouldn't change anything about them for the world!

Thank you for taking the time to read this review and I hope that it has been useful. It would be interesting to hear other outcomes of using the product?

Summary: A fantastic way of gaining control