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Dog head collar recommendations

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I posted a couple of years ago something similar basically i want some advice from ppl who regularly walk their dogs on head collars if poss please

 

i dont always walk my diamond on a head collar but with it been summer we are taking her more places and its important for me to have good control of her wen im in close proximity to things that make her reactive (a long list let me tell you lol)

 

I have used a k9 bridle succesfully in the past but it makes her face really sore because the strap is so thin it digs in. I love it for control its great but i dont want to make her face sore.

 

I am looking for something that works similar to the k9 bridle but has a wider or padded strap? I was looking at a halti but ive heard it can pull up into their eye and wondered if it wasnt a good design.

 

Any help or advice from other head collar users appreciated

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I use canny collars for my Saint Bernard and GSD

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I had a canny collar v briefly before she out grew it so cant remember much about it. Is the nose strap quiet wide and or padded? Does it lower the head or pull it to the side? Is there a way fr it to attach to their collar to secure it?

 

Sorry fr question time jus trying to make an informed choice before i buy anything. Its such a shame cos she doesnt mind wearin the k9 bridle and shes a dream to walk on it even tjought about trying to stich some padded fabric to it but doubt itl work

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What sort of size is she? I'm in S12 if you wanted to try it, obviously depends whether it would fit her. No padding on them but doesn't seem to ride up round the eyes as I found with halti's and gentle leaders. It has a link strap to the collar. It sort of pulls the head upwards rather than to the side

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I've tried the canny, halti and the dogmatic.

 

The canny is designed to stop them from pulling and the strap over the nose (not padded, just webbing) pulls the nose down and is fed through the collar. I found it to be effective for pulling but I found that I didn't have much control over the dog and they pulled out of the collar by pulling backwards on it. Not ideal for a reactive dog in my experience.

 

My favourite is the halti. I found I had most control with the halti, which pulls the nose down but also tightens around the muzzle so you have lots of control. I did find that they hated wearing this the most but got used to it.

 

The dogmatic is excellent. Very padded and doesn't ride up into the eyes as much as the halti does. It works in a similar way to the halti. I found that I had more control with the halti but that the dogs preferred to wear the dogmatic.

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Another vote for the dogmatic here. I have tried the canny collar - which I found can hurt their neck if they tend to lunge forward as the pulling comes from below the nose/behind the ears - the halti just constantly rode up into the eyes. Dogmatic every time. :)

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For control of direction of the head I don't think you can beat a halti. Personally my choice and I've tried a few! However they are no good for lunging reactive dogs due to how effectively they turn the head (could be dangerous) so a double lead linked to the collar or harness is what I used so safer if a as you have that shorter but then I could use the halti for control. It is just webbing, but as they are pretty impossible to pull, they don't tend to rub. They only ride up if the dog contines to pull and for me a halti is to get control not an anti-pulling device.

 

I found the canny collar effective for a while but it gives no head control. It is purely a anti-pull device, which with training should not be needed. Found the same with the dogmatic.

 

I personally think head collars should only be used for control and training to walk to heel, not as anti-pulling devices in the long run. So ideal for reactive dogs that you want to 'look at you' rather than to stop them pulling.

Edited by Evei

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A halti is out then as she lunges a lot!? I dont wana hurt her. Its more to control her when shes lunging than anything else? She walks lovely with a standard collar yntil we are in close proximity to things when she drags and lunges.

 

I am looking into the dogmatic how do people with dogs that lunge find these?

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A halti together with collar for lunging dogs. The collar/harness takes the strain of the lunge, you then command attention with the halti. I don't think any head collar on it's own is suitable for a lunger, the strain on the neck is immense.

 

Better still you us the halti and treat before the lunge, though I know that is not as easy as it sounds! :hihi::suspect:

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That sounds easy lol but i usually walk her on a flexi with the head collar she pootles about not pulling at all thn when i see that we need to walk past something i say close and shorten the lead and lock it. With the k9 bridle on it is impossible for her to lunge and she knows this she just sort of strains a bit but its no struggle for me to keep walking then i let her lead go long again and we carry on.

 

If i didnt have the head collar on her at those points i have to sit her down and feed her while the object goes past or turn back and walk the other way because i physically cannot hold her.

 

Another example of how i use it is when we go t rother valley the watet drives her mad she pulls likea train until shes in the water and i am ski ing along behind her with no control she has nearly dragged me in with her on numerouse occasions. Again i would have the head collar on her lock off her flexi and walk her down to the waters edge with no effort thn let her lead go long and she would stop pulling.

 

Its probably not best practice to use a head collar with a flexi but when you have a dog who you have to be selective about letting off it makes walks a much nicer experience for you both. She will heal on theflexi and normal collar if we are jus walking with no stimulus around ie along the pavement so its nit generally an anti pulling device i want its control when she flips out lol

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I first tried the Halti, but as others have said, found it rode up under my dog's eyes. Then we went on to the Gentle Leader, which was way more effective and more comfortable; although he was still able to pull a little but I was easily able to maintain control. He contrived to lose it while we were on holiday, though...

 

Eventually, after seeing other dog walkers using harnesses and asking about them, I decided to give one a try and that cured him instantly! I had been concerned that a harness would enable him to pull with all the strength in his chest and shoulders and make matters worse, but for my dog at least, a padded body harness did the trick.

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