Is Your Dog Walking You?

There are dogs that stay with their owners on walks. They don't really need a leash. These dogs diligently walk with their owner and stop when they stop. Then there are the pullers out there. Whether the dog wants to walk 500 miles per hour or sniff every little blade of grass, they are on their own agenda during a dog walk.

The traditional ways to fix this pulling problems on a dog walk are enrolling in obedience training (great for a puppy), or using a choker or traditional harness and "fight" your dog until they relent to your way of walking. While obedience training works, it can be costly, time-consuming and take more than a few days to reinforce the basic skills of walking a dog. It's best for puppies as older dogs can be more resistant to "new tricks." Society is generally divided about using chokers to walk dogs. They literally close down a dog's airway and strain their neck. One would think the dog would figure it out - "hey, I can hardly breathe, I might want to stop yanking so hard on these dog walks," but that is rarely the case. Dogs get in "the zone" when they walk and hang on to their old habits like grim death. Many people see chokers as a form of animal abuse. The choker can hurt a dog when you yank on them for pulling on a dog walk.

The Halti head collar is a very innovative design. The basics premise is if you control a dog's head, you dictate the action without much resistance. Like many dog owners have experienced, you can pull on a dog collar until the cows come home, but the dog will still want to do their own thing. A dog's snout and head is private territory - it doesn't take much manipulation to run the show. Pressure created on the head collar will tighten the straps below the jaw, which will close down their mouth, preventing them from panting and basically being a happy dog. This will naturally relax them and convince them to let go of the tension on the leash when on their dog walk.

When introducing the Halti head collar to your dog, let the dog sniff and get used to the contraption for a few minutes. The worst thing is to shove the dog's face into the "mask" right off the bat and non-verbally tell them "this is something you aren't going to like, so let's get this over with." Assuring your pet that it's okay with petting and treats while putting on the collar will help a great deal. The only real way the dog has to resist this new way of walking is to try and get the head collar off. That isn't possible if it's put on correctly (follow the guidelines in the instruction book). The results from even the first dog walk are amazing. The dog will be unsure at first, but will follow your lead almost immediately. The lack of tension on the leash and how little of a pull it takes to correct a dog's action with the Halti collar is unbelievable. After a few dog walks, the dog will realize you are happier with the walks and they will be happy to please. The dog will understand that they can breathe comfortably and be relaxed when they stay near you and leave slack on the leash.

The Halti dog collar will change your relationship with your dog. Instead of dreading a dog walk or cutting it short because you had a stressful day and don't want to "deal with it," you can use the walk for relaxation as well as exercise for your furry companion. For under $20 (around $10 online) at your local pet store you can finally have an enjoyable walk with your dog. You don't have to pull a muscle or put a chain around the dog's neck.