Do you neighbors taunt you about who's walking who? Did that cute little puppy grow up to be a prime candidate for the Iditerod? Or perhaps you're just tired of having your shoulders dislocated and your knees skinned every time walk your pet bulldozer....I mean bulldog.
Fear not. There is a way you can gain control of your unruly monster without having to take out a loan for obedience classes. It works without causing your dog (or you) any pain whatsoever, doesn't require any obedience training, and is more effective than a choke chain or pinch collar.
It's not a Magic Pill. It's called a headcollar. In the horse world, they're known as halters. When was the last time you saw someone walking a horse on a collar? Never, I'll bet. It would be impossible to control a 1200 pound animal using a collar. But it's easy when you use a halter, because you can control where the animal's head goes. And where the head goes, the body follows.
When an animal is wearing a halter, the lead is attached to a ring just under its chin. A pull on the lead then gives you great leverage to turn the animal's head. The body cannot go forward if the head is pointed in another direction.
So, imagine your dog is wearing a halter, with the leash attached under his chin. You are walking along calmly, when suddenly your dog dashes ahead. As the leash tightens, his head is pulled back and to the side, so that he ends up FACING YOU! Suddenly, your dog CANNOT pull on the leash.
In contrast, study the design of a collar. It sits near the base of the dog's neck, where the dog can throw the full force of his body against the leash. The only way you can change the dog's direction of travel is to physically drag his body to one side.
Most anti-pulling devices have an inherent flaw in the fact that they rely on using some type of discomfort to stop the dog from pulling. These devices are usually only effective until the dog learns to tolerate the discomfort, which they do! I'm willing to bet that if you're reading this article, your dog has already learned to happily strangle himself on a regular collar and/or choke chain.
There are several brands of headcollars available, and each has distinct advantages and disadvantages. I've listed the pros and cons of the three most popular brands below. There are other brands out there, but I haven't tried them.
The Halti is probably the best choice for most people due to its ease of adjustment, ready availability, and high effectiveness. It is sold through numerous websites and many pet stores including PetSmart
, generally at prices ranging from $9.00 to $20.00.
Once you have selected the correct size for your dog, it can be adjusted for proper fit simply by loosening or tightening a single sliding buckle at the back of the dog's neck. It is easy to tell if you have the Halti adjusted properly; simply grasp the strap that goes over the top of the dog's muzzle and pull forward firmly. If you cannot pull the strap off over the dog's nose, it fits. If you CAN pull it off, your dog will be able to as well - and you can count on his taking full advantange of that fact.
The Halti's sizing guide tends to be overly generous; for instance the size listed as appropriate for a German Shepherd would work for a large, adult, male German Shepherd. If you have a young dog, a female, or a moderately sized example of your breed, choose one size smaller than listed.
For those of you with aggressive dogs, a mild muzzling effect can be accomplished by pulling up at a backwards angle with the leash. This will momentarily close the dog's mouth and pull his head to the side. The main disadvantage of the Halti is that if it breaks or the dog succeeds in removing it from his muzzle (should not happen if properly adjusted) he can easily escape from the loose, flimsy loop remaining around his neck.
The Snoot Loop is not as easy to adjust or locate for purchase as the Halti, but it has some very distinct advantages. It is my personal favorite, but is not for everyone. The snoot loop has a design similar to the Halti, with the following differences:
The straps which go around the dog's muzzle are thinner, which make them less annoying to the dog and also give you more control.
Both the collar portion and the side straps are adjustable. This mades finding the proper fit more difficult, but also makes the Snoot Loop the most difficult for dogs to remove as well as the best option for short-muzzled breeds (such as the Boxer).
A fairly sturdy collar is built into the design, so if the dog removes the nose loop he is still somewhat restrained.
Another advantage of the Snoot Loop is that you can quite effectively muzzle the dog in mid-lunge by pulling firmly back and upwards with your leash and sustaining pressure on the lead. The Snoot loop performs this function much better than the Halti.
The Snoot Loop comes in three sizes: Small, Medium, and Large. The Large size will fit anything from a Great Dane up to a small horse. Medium is appropriate for large dogs, and size Small will work for medium to large breeds. My German Shepherd can wear either a small or medium. Obviously, if you have a small breed, you're stuck with the Halti, which comes in sizes tiny enough to fit a Toy Poodle.
Snoot Loops are available from:
Animal Behavior Consultants, Inc.
102 Canton Court
Brooklyn, NY 11229-6379
(718) 891-4200
One of the more aggressively advertised and promoted brands, the Gentle Leader is my least favorite of the three main headcollar choices. The design is simple and sturdy: one loop goes around the muzzle and another wider one around the neck. The two straps are connected just under the dog's throat, where the leash attaches. They come in a number of attractive colors, unlike the Halti and Snoot Loop, which are only sold in black. The instructions that come with it are good, and the company has a nice website.
But the flaws are many. There are no side straps holding the muzzle loop in place, so it tends to be very easy for dogs to remove. To prevent this, both the collar and neck straps must be VERY snug. This, combined with the fact that the straps are wider than those on the Halti or Snoot Loop, makes this headcollar the most annoying for the dog.
Because your leash attaches under the throat (rather than the chin), you have less leverage with which to control the dog's head. While still better than other anti-pulling products, the Gentle Leader is the least effective headcollar.
You have no ability whatsoever to muzzle your dog in a pinch using the Gentle Leader. And they tend to be more expensive than the other brands, usually starting at about $18.00 and going up in price from there. you can but them through this link at PetSmart.
I recently (11/06/02) received an email from a Premier representative informing me of some positive design changes. The email from Premier reads:
"I also would like to pass on some information regarding the Gentle Leader-this past year we have switched to a narrower(3/8")nose loop on the medium and large GL. While the neck strap does need to be snug (often having an observable calming effect), the nose loop is loose enough to pull to the fleshy part of the dog's nose. The snugger the neck strap the looser the nose loop. While the GL is not a muzzle, the dog's mouth can be closed by pulling up on the leash."
I tested one of the new Gentle Leaders, and found that the narrower nose loop did make the headcollar more acceptable to some dogs.
- from K-9 Dog Training Resources
BACK to Doggiestyle
We Recommend...
|
|
|