Dogs and Halti's

[HarryM1BYT]

The 18month old BC bitch is becoming more of a problem for pulling, barking and appearing to want to attack other dogs. She triggers her 9 year old big brother and as SWMBO is quite severally disabled and I have to handle both when we go out, something had to be done.

They caused absolute chaos yesterday in Filey and then Scarborough. Then someone suggested an 'Halti'. So we got her one, the dog that is.

Its just a touch big for her, she's small for a BC, but I'll take it in a bit eventually. What they do, is....

There is a strap that goes around the neck, then a part which goes around the snout, which is free to expand providing the lead is not pulled tight. The end of which attached to your usual collar, with an attachment ring for the lead. While ever the lead is not tight, they get full freedom to open the mouth, pant and etc..

Pull against the lead and all of the freedom goes and the mouth is forced to close, until they stop pulling.

I took her out today for a five mile walk, some on the lead, some off. She didn't like the Halti one bit at first, kept stopping and pulling it off her nose, but eventually, with me putting straight back on, she put up with it. It obviously wasn't bothering her that much, because she walked off the lead with it on without trying to take it off. So just didn't like it closing on her mouth.

She tried her usual pulling at the lead, tried a few circles trying to get loose, tried reversing and I just reversed with her and within half a mile she had got the idea that if she just walked alongside me, it wouldn't bother her at all. What a difference - her just walking calmly alongside me

She has always been very head strong. We have tried collars, she just reversed out of them. Tried those halters, which go behind the front legs and tighten when they pull, she even managed to reverse out of that a few times. She has also managed to break several collars and several leads.

I have never known a dog change its behavior so quickly, as she did today.

He's just big and amiable, control her and he won't big triggered.

[MG Tom]

We refrained from trying one on our last collie as we thought they looked cruel, but we eventually gave in and my experience was very similar to yours.

Tried one on our cav and it just didn't work out at all.

Certainly worth a go!!

[James.uk]

A quick squirt of water in the face works wonders, dogs hate it, and they soon learn to behave... It is also very handy if you have a small dog, and someone else's dog tries to attack yours...
...

[HarryM1BYT]

Originally Posted by James.uk

A quick squirt of water in the face works wonders, dogs hate it, and they soon learn to behave... It is also very handy if you have a small dog, and someone else's dog tries to attack yours...
...

Tried water, she absolutely loves it - in fact when she goes missing we usually find her laid out asleep in the bath. I even went to the trouble of making jets to fit washing up bottles to make them squirt - waste of time, though it does work for him.

[bubs]

Have you ever watch the dog whiperer tv show? the guy on there only uses a piece of rope
link

[HarryM1BYT]

Originally Posted by bubs

Have you ever watch the dog whiperer tv show? the guy on there only uses a piece of rope
link

I have seen it, but it is completely beyond me to implement or understand it.

Just to confirm, the Halti is still working well - not the slightest hint of pulling on the lead and her attention is much more firmly on me. I took the pair of them out today for another 5 miler. Both off the lead - Him way out in front, her running back and forth between us both. He spotted another dog coming and just laid done on the track, I managed to catch her and put her on the lead. He laid down until the dog was level with him and just went quietly over to say hello. She laid down as well, but was a bit livelier as the other one came up. That's a big change to what has been happening, where both go in to almost attack mode.

[rosephus]

Sounds like you need to master the walk with a dominant dog. The aggressive one needs rules, boundaries and limitations and you need to stick to them. Pulling on the lead and attacking other dogs shows disrespect for you. She doesn't see you as the pack leader and so takes over that role.

[HarryM1BYT]

Originally Posted by joethefro

Sounds like you need to master the walk with a dominant dog. The aggressive one needs rules, boundaries and limitations and you need to stick to them. Pulling on the lead and attacking other dogs shows disrespect for you. She doesn't see you as the pack leader and so takes over that role.

If only I knew how to do that. At home, where I go, she follows two steps behind. I'm told he was one down from the dominant dog and he is mostly easy to control. Despite her being much younger and half his size /weight - she constantly has goes at him, but all in play. If push comes to shove, she looses every time.

[rosephus]

If she follows you around everywhere at home she has seperation anxiety. Does she wine when you leave the house? Does she chew things up if left alone for 1 hour plus? Her dog aggression is an anxious response. She feels threatened and feels she has to protect the pack as she has assume md the role of pack leader in absence of you being it. She is in effect in control. The halti works because its curbing her protective instincts.

[HarryM1BYT]

Originally Posted by joethefro

If she follows you around everywhere at home she has seperation anxiety. Does she wine when you leave the house? Does she chew things up if left alone for 1 hour plus? Her dog aggression is an anxious response. She feels threatened and feels she has to protect the pack as she has assume md the role of pack leader in absence of you being it. She is in effect in control. The halti works because its curbing her protective instincts.

We are told he used to howl, if left home alone, she gives a bit of a whimper, but settles.

Neither chew if left alone, but she teases by chewing when we are in. She grabs through away dishes and chews them, struts around in front of you, to get you to chase her to stop her chewing them to bits, pinches tissues to tear up the same, to tease.

If both go to attack another dog, he ends up turning on her, it seems to shut her up. Neither have really bitten, it just ends in barking.