| Product: |
Halti Head Collar |
| Date: |
18.05.08 (133 review reads) |
| Rating: |
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Advantages: great value for money, works brilliantly, easy to put on, secure
Disadvantages: some people think its a muzzle ! ?
My dog Bonnie is nearly two years old and is a Border Collie cross Labrador. As a result she is quite an energetic dog and is also fairly large and powerful. She is perfect in almost every way with one exception - walking on the lead!!
She pulls and pulls to a point where you feel that your shoulder has been dislocated. If we tell her off she will stop for about three seconds and then continue to pull. We have put up with it assuming that there was no real solution but recently it has become more problematic. When no one will be home my Grandparents look after her. Bonnie loves them and they have more time to walk her than we do, however they are in their 70s now and are not strong enough anymore to be dragged along by Bonnie on the lead. They were so worried that she would pull them over that they have had to stop walking her much to their disappointment.
In all other areas Bonnie has been a delight to train and is very responsive but for some reason, lead walking really isn't her thing! She gets too excited, wants to press forward and a dogs neck is one of the strongest parts of its body so for her to drag us along is minimal effort for her!
Most of us are just strong enough to handle her but it is uncomfortable and makes walking her on the lead seem like such an effort! We have tried a elasticated lead which is intended to control pulling and whilst it did help a little bit and had a more comfortable grip handle, it still pulled your shoulders to a point where it hurts. As Bonnie was growing and getting stronger, normal dogs leads were leaving burn marks on our hands and she would seem to be choking herself as she pulled us along!
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The purchase that changed dog walking!
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I had looked at Halti leads in various pet stores but assumed that if they were really that good then we would have heard success stories and every dog would be wearing one!! Then one day we were watching some dog training program on television and saw the dramatic effect that one had on a dog similar to Bonnie. So the next day I went to Pets at Home and parted with £8 in exchange for a Halti link.
The Halti is essentially a harness and you will still need to use their ordinary lead with it. They come in five different sizes for different breeds/sizes of dogs and we purchased the medium sized one for Bonnie as although she is a large dog, she has a small face! The Halti is black (although other colours are available) and made from the same material as many dog collars. Part of it slips around the dogs nose and then you bring the two straps together at the back of the dogs head and fasten the clip to secure it. There is a further clip with attaches to the dogs regular collar for added security incase the dog manages to slip the Halti off. The bit where you will attach the lead goes through a metal ring which results in the slight tightening of the Halti around the dogs nose if they pull.
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How it works
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The idea behind the Halti is that as the dog begins to pull, it tightens slightly pulling their head to the side and no dog wants to walk with their head to the side so they have to slow down in order for the pressure to release and for them to be able to bring their head back down to a normal position. It isn't like a chokechain as the purpose is not for it to hurt or scare the dog.
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Putting it to the test
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We were quite sceptical as to whether this product would make even the slightest bit of difference on Bonnie so we put it to test in the garden first. The Halti is easy to slip on the dogs nose and the clip is nice and simple to fasten it behind their head. The idea of linking the Halti to the dogs usual collar is a good one as it gives that added security that the dog wont slip the lead and run off. When we first put it on, Bonnie was not very impressed and dropped to the ground and started rubbing her nose on the ground in an attempt to remove it. This wasn't through discomfort, it is just that understandably, having something on her face wasn't her idea of fun!! We attached the lead easily and began walking up the garden. The design meant that Bonnie had no option but to walk by my side to heel. When she tried to pull the Halti would tighten slightly, she would feel the pressure and slow down. It was miraculous!!
We have been using the Halti for three weeks now and we honestly cannot imagine how we ever coped without it and do not understand why it is not something that all dog owners have!! Bonnie walks absolutely perfectly on it. She does not protest when we put it on her and she now accepts that she simply cannot pull as it is us in control! Obviously she would prefer not to wear it and occasionally she will have a quick roll on the ground and try to remove it but soon gives up. The medium size fits her well and she has not been able to slip it off.
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Summary of Advantages:
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Eve n the most persistant dog will walk perfectly.
Attaches to traditional collar for added peace of mind.
Secure
Easy to put on
Does not cause the dog any pain or discomfort
Is small and lightweight so can be put in your pocket when the dog is running off the lead.
Whilst walking normally the dog can easily open its mouth, eat, drink and breathe as normal.
Are widely available in pet stores
Come in 5 different sizes
Is well worth the £8!
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Summary of Disadvantages:
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Could possibly get caught on things so should not be worn around the house or when the dog is unattended.
Some people will say it looks mean but they will generally say that without paying attention to the fact that it is not hurting the dog!
Some people pass comment without using their brain and think it is a muzzle!?!
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Overall
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We are blown away with how fantastic this product is. We wouldn't even consider walking Bonnie without it now. She walks perfectly by our side on this and it has meant that my Grandparents are now able to walk her again without fear of being pulled over by her. We have seen a few other dogs with them and they all walk brilliantly. For anyone whose dog pulls on the lead, this is something that will be your best purchase ever!! It has made dog walking enjoyable again for us!!
5 stars from me and 100% reccomendation. One of the most useful things we have ever brought!
Summary: The solution to dog walking nightmares!
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