i have read in a variety of places (the forums and dog training books) that head halters (gentle leader's halti) are really great for dogs, instead of collars. I am trying to train my dog to walk with a head halter on, but he refuses to wear it.I have been training him for a few weeks, but no progress. my question is, what else can i use? His current harness is a Gentle leader no pull harness, but its not working very well.
help?
dog refuses to wear head collar.....
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dog refuses to wear head collar.....
My dog runs, i fall behind. I run, I still fall behind.
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Lis & Addy
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How did you introduce the head halter? Patience and lots of treats are really important for most dogs, because it's a really different sensation from the neck collar that they're used to. Addy adapted quickly and is much happier with it than she was before, but not every dog accepts it that quickly, especially if it is introduced to abruptly.
Some dogs, I suspect a small number but I don't know that for a fact, never accept it at all even when introduced and trained correctly. There's no device that works for every dog.
That said--the head halter, the no pull harness, even an ordinary neck collar, they're all just tools. Tools to make it easier to train loose leash walking, not substitutes for that training. Can you tell us more about what you've been doing with your dog?
Lis
Some dogs, I suspect a small number but I don't know that for a fact, never accept it at all even when introduced and trained correctly. There's no device that works for every dog.
That said--the head halter, the no pull harness, even an ordinary neck collar, they're all just tools. Tools to make it easier to train loose leash walking, not substitutes for that training. Can you tell us more about what you've been doing with your dog?
Lis
well, i bought this dog training book and it listed several steps to introduce them to the head collar. 1st it said to click and treat the dog for sniffing the halter. 2nd it said to click and treat the dog for sticking his nose through it. 3rd, when he does it willingly, while hes nibbling at a bigger piece of food, to put it completely on. 4th let him walk around for a bit with it on. if he takes it off, remove it and ignore him completely for 10 mins. (that makes them more eager to work with you because when the halter is around, they get treats) 5th try steps 3-4 until he leaves it alone.
but ive been doing the training often and he just doesnt like it
but ive been doing the training often and he just doesnt like it
My dog runs, i fall behind. I run, I still fall behind.
(sigh) Dogs.......
(sigh) Dogs.......
Does he not allow you to put it on him at all, or does he just try to rub it off while you are walking?
If you haven't already, I think you should try having him wear it for long periods of time (hours) while you are at home (assuming it is fitted properly and comfortably) with him. Then distract him with a new toy and play with him so he forgets he is wearing it, rather than just putting it on and then leaving him to his own devices.
If you haven't already, I think you should try having him wear it for long periods of time (hours) while you are at home (assuming it is fitted properly and comfortably) with him. Then distract him with a new toy and play with him so he forgets he is wearing it, rather than just putting it on and then leaving him to his own devices.
Can you describe specifically what probelms you are having with your leash walking?
Leash walking is about teaching your dog to move with you. You need to start in a place with no distractions like other dogs, people etc...
As an exercise without your dog take a towel an lay it out at your feet. Standing behind and facing it look down. The area cover by the towell is your reward zone. This zone will move with you when you turn or walk forward or backwards. That zone is always the same size and in the same place.
One you can visualize the reward zone you can start working with your dog.
Standing with your dog on leash and a bag full of his favorite treats wait for him to enter the reward zone. Mark and treat using a clicker or word like "yep". Turn 90 degrees. Again wait until he finds the reward zone as that too has moved 90 degrees.
Work on changing in both directions until your dog learns that his head being in certain places is agreat place to be because there are goodies involved. It important that treats ar only given in the reward zone and at your dog's head level.
Once your dog undestands the reward zone you can move to the canine waltz.
With your dog on leash begin side stepping 3-4 steps to the left or right. Again mark and reward your dog when he enters the reward zone. Treat placement in this exercise is a little different than above. You treat is just a bit higher than the dogs head and always on your leading leg. If you went right that would be your right leg, and if left it would be your left leg.
Raising the height of the treat is to help build a little drive into the reward zone.
As your dog begins moving left and right as you move left and right now take 2 steps right or left and the turn and face the way you are walking and continue a few more steps. Rewarding your dog as his head comes into the reward zone.
Remember your dog is driving to get his head in front of you, but you are moving forward. So he must keep moving forward to stay in the reward zone. He gets no treats if he zips too far in front of you as that is out of the zone. He will also learn better how to respond to your body as you turn.
Once your dog has mastered these exercises in areas of no distraction, begin adding small distractions on at a time and repeating each exercise.
If your dog is not motivated by food, a gam of tug is an excellent play reward, especially for building good drive to walk in the zone. Keep play rewards short 5-15 seconds of play. Keep your training sessions short and if you find your dog not paying attention or loosing focus, stop an go back to a previously successful level.
Keep training sessions short and successful. Over time you can begin to both vary and fade rewards (both food and play).
Using this same technique you can teach your dog to walk with you off-leash, run with you (even if you chase rabbits).
Using the above techniques also does not require using any specific collar, harness, or head halter.
As far as wearing head halters, many dogs find them very annoying. I know my dogs become more leash aggresive when I had tried using them in the past. Since learning the above technique, I was able to only use their regular martingale style collars and have both walking on and off leash with great success. You should see when Khan and I chase the bunnies together. At a full run as I change directions he follows without out pacing me or pulling. He is always mindful of the reward zone.
Oh and one more thing that is purely optional: work your dog to walking on both sides of you. Obedience heeling the dog is on the left, but this technique can teach your dog to walk left or right equally.
Leash walking is about teaching your dog to move with you. You need to start in a place with no distractions like other dogs, people etc...
As an exercise without your dog take a towel an lay it out at your feet. Standing behind and facing it look down. The area cover by the towell is your reward zone. This zone will move with you when you turn or walk forward or backwards. That zone is always the same size and in the same place.
One you can visualize the reward zone you can start working with your dog.
Standing with your dog on leash and a bag full of his favorite treats wait for him to enter the reward zone. Mark and treat using a clicker or word like "yep". Turn 90 degrees. Again wait until he finds the reward zone as that too has moved 90 degrees.
Work on changing in both directions until your dog learns that his head being in certain places is agreat place to be because there are goodies involved. It important that treats ar only given in the reward zone and at your dog's head level.
Once your dog undestands the reward zone you can move to the canine waltz.
With your dog on leash begin side stepping 3-4 steps to the left or right. Again mark and reward your dog when he enters the reward zone. Treat placement in this exercise is a little different than above. You treat is just a bit higher than the dogs head and always on your leading leg. If you went right that would be your right leg, and if left it would be your left leg.
Raising the height of the treat is to help build a little drive into the reward zone.
As your dog begins moving left and right as you move left and right now take 2 steps right or left and the turn and face the way you are walking and continue a few more steps. Rewarding your dog as his head comes into the reward zone.
Remember your dog is driving to get his head in front of you, but you are moving forward. So he must keep moving forward to stay in the reward zone. He gets no treats if he zips too far in front of you as that is out of the zone. He will also learn better how to respond to your body as you turn.
Once your dog has mastered these exercises in areas of no distraction, begin adding small distractions on at a time and repeating each exercise.
If your dog is not motivated by food, a gam of tug is an excellent play reward, especially for building good drive to walk in the zone. Keep play rewards short 5-15 seconds of play. Keep your training sessions short and if you find your dog not paying attention or loosing focus, stop an go back to a previously successful level.
Keep training sessions short and successful. Over time you can begin to both vary and fade rewards (both food and play).
Using this same technique you can teach your dog to walk with you off-leash, run with you (even if you chase rabbits).
Using the above techniques also does not require using any specific collar, harness, or head halter.
As far as wearing head halters, many dogs find them very annoying. I know my dogs become more leash aggresive when I had tried using them in the past. Since learning the above technique, I was able to only use their regular martingale style collars and have both walking on and off leash with great success. You should see when Khan and I chase the bunnies together. At a full run as I change directions he follows without out pacing me or pulling. He is always mindful of the reward zone.
Oh and one more thing that is purely optional: work your dog to walking on both sides of you. Obedience heeling the dog is on the left, but this technique can teach your dog to walk left or right equally.
I hate those things, they can do a lot of damage to a dog's neck even when they have been introduced to them properly. It only takes one time for a dog to see something and attempt to go after it for his neck to be damaged. When a dog leaps forward to go after something and gets suddenly to the end of the lead, his head is held while his body continue on. This causes the muscles and spine to sqeeze on one side and over extend on the other. The damage may not show up right way but may do several years later
There is a sticky thread at the top of this section on teaching a dog to walk on a loose lead, lots of information in there or you, it will be kinder to your dog and only takes 10 minutes a day. I have found it is much quicker than any other method as well.
There is a sticky thread at the top of this section on teaching a dog to walk on a loose lead, lots of information in there or you, it will be kinder to your dog and only takes 10 minutes a day. I have found it is much quicker than any other method as well.
[url=http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v312/Nethertumbleweed/PIXIE.jpg][img]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v312/Nethertumbleweed/th_PIXIE.jpg[/img][/url]
when he has been training with the halti, i havent walked him with it. i guess he just doesnt like the feel of it. I have used the gentle leader harness, but i guess it hasnt been working because he wasnt trained. Are there other, non expensive harnesses that i can use to train him? (im willing to spend a bit of money on a harness, but i mean nothing outrageously priced....)
My dog runs, i fall behind. I run, I still fall behind.
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Lis & Addy
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Before getting the Gentle Leader, Addy was panicking and lunging at--well, it would be easier to list the things she wasn't panicked by, at first. She'd pull and pull frantically, trying to get away from the threat or trying to attack it before it attacked her--and with all that pulling, she was choking herself, making herself more stressed and afraid. I couldn't distract her or re-inforce less-stressed reactions, because she was too consumed by her terrors.Mattie wrote:I hate those things, they can do a lot of damage to a dog's neck even when they have been introduced to them properly. It only takes one time for a dog to see something and attempt to go after it for his neck to be damaged. When a dog leaps forward to go after something and gets suddenly to the end of the lead, his head is held while his body continue on. This causes the muscles and spine to sqeeze on one side and over extend on the other. The damage may not show up right way but may do several years later.
And after an episode was over, it wasn't over, because she was coughing horribly in the aftermath of the choking.
With the Gentle Leader, suddenly the scary, threatening things weren't choking her anymore. They were a little bit less scary--just enough that it became possible to work with her, to distract her, to find calmer behavior to reinforce.
She passed her CGC last September, and we're making regular therapy pet visits with a local humane society.
I'd use a no-pull harness if any of them fit her, but they don't. She's a small, narrow-bodied dog, and the fit just isn't right.
Maybe there's damage from the Gentle Leader that will show up several years from now. The damage from a neck collar--any neck collar--was showing up right away, she was on her way to a collapsed trachea. And she was living in a world where she was surrounded by terrifying things she couldn't cope with. She's a much happier dog now, and the world is a friendlier place for her.
Lis
Lis & Addy wrote: Maybe there's damage from the Gentle Leader that will show up several years from now. The damage from a neck collar--any neck collar--was showing up right away, she was on her way to a collapsed trachea. And she was living in a world where she was surrounded by terrifying things she couldn't cope with. She's a much happier dog now, and the world is a friendlier place for her.
Lis
It is swings and roundabouts, the trail/tracking style harness fits all dogs and because the body strap is set much further back than most harnesses it also works in a similar way to a TTouch Body Wrap, it calms the dog. This is the harness I use on my dogs and they are all shapes and sizes.
My Greyhound has had spinal problems, he had to have an operation on it but thankfully the damage was just behind were the nerves go from the spinal cord to the back legs so if the damage worsened, it would only be his tail that was paralised. Damage to the spine at the neck, if that deteriates will paralise everything from the damage back, the dog will be completely paralised apart from the head. This came from the orthopedic consultant that dealt with Merlin.
I also have Staffy with a tracheotomy in, nearly lost her in January because she had damage to her throat. Living with a dog that has a tracheotomy in isn't difficult, I just clean her as and when needed and on odd occasions, this depends mainly on the weather, I use a nebuliser on her.
Out of the 2, I prefer the tracheotomy to the damage to the spine, it is easier to deal with for both the dog and the owner and the dog doesn't have to go through the amount of pain and recouperation that a dog with a spinal problem has to go through.
Ellie's recovery was virtually immediately, there were stitches to take out after 10 days, Merlin it took 3 months and even now, 18 months later he is still having hydrothrapy.
This is a photo of Ellie, the dog with the tracheotomy in her trail/tracking harness. As you can see the body strap is set well back and the front goes down either side of the neck instead of round the chest. This gives more control to the handler as well as does't do any damage to the dog. The strap at the top also give you exta hold if the dog is leaping about. When my vet saw this harness on my Greyhound after his operation they were delighted, said it was very good for dogs with spinal problems, it doesn't put any pressure on the spine anywhere. Neither Merlin or Ellie can wear a collar again, they can only wear harnesses. Emmabeth makes leather harnesses in this design, they are very good quality. Ellie won a rosette and I had to tie her up to take a picture of it, she is trying to chew the lead to get free.
This is Merlin after his spinal operation, it shows the stitches of were they operated. He has quite a large dip in his spine at this point which will never fill. Merlin was lucky, we found out about this problem because one of his hind legs wasn't stepping under his body properly when walkin, I thought it was arthritis. When the vet opened him up, a disc had slipped and was pressing on his spinal cord, the disc had also calcified and had to be chipped away with a hammer and chisel.
[url=http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v312/Nethertumbleweed/PIXIE.jpg][img]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v312/Nethertumbleweed/th_PIXIE.jpg[/img][/url]
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Lis & Addy
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Mattie, some poking around on the internet for "trail harness" or "tracking harness" is retrieving things that from appearance and description seem to be intended for activities where the dog is supposed to be pulling. That's not what I'm looking for. It's one thing not to rely on the tools; it's another thing entirely to be working against the tools.
You've made an excellent case that spinal damage is Bad, not that that case had to be made. You haven't made the case that the Gentle Leader or any other head collar causes spinal damage. None of the other people I've encountered who passionately argue the Absolute Evil of the head collar offer any specific examples, either. Like you, they argue based on what could happen if the dog dashes at high speed to the end of a long lead. It's logical, but it's also striking that nobody offers any scary anecdotal stories as happens with pinch collars, choke collars, and even flat collars. No statistics, either, which you'd think someone would have.
And the fact is, I've heard equally scary, equally unsupported by specifics stories about the Horrors of Harnesses--both harnesses generally, and no-pull harnesses--and the terrible orthopedic damage they can do.
There is no piece of equipment that could possibly be used to restrain or manage a dog that somebody isn't eager to argue is the most dangerous, most cruel thing you could possibly use--and that includes the plain flat buckle collar. And yet I still live in the real world, not Paradise, and I still live in an urban area with leash laws, and I have to use something. I'd rather use a good harness if I could find one, but I want to walk my dog, not have her pull me on a scooter or whatever, and I don't see the point in torturing both of us by using a tool that rewards exactly the behavior I don't want. And I don't want to move her back into the scary world where, when she met something alarming, it started choking her.
Lis
You've made an excellent case that spinal damage is Bad, not that that case had to be made. You haven't made the case that the Gentle Leader or any other head collar causes spinal damage. None of the other people I've encountered who passionately argue the Absolute Evil of the head collar offer any specific examples, either. Like you, they argue based on what could happen if the dog dashes at high speed to the end of a long lead. It's logical, but it's also striking that nobody offers any scary anecdotal stories as happens with pinch collars, choke collars, and even flat collars. No statistics, either, which you'd think someone would have.
And the fact is, I've heard equally scary, equally unsupported by specifics stories about the Horrors of Harnesses--both harnesses generally, and no-pull harnesses--and the terrible orthopedic damage they can do.
There is no piece of equipment that could possibly be used to restrain or manage a dog that somebody isn't eager to argue is the most dangerous, most cruel thing you could possibly use--and that includes the plain flat buckle collar. And yet I still live in the real world, not Paradise, and I still live in an urban area with leash laws, and I have to use something. I'd rather use a good harness if I could find one, but I want to walk my dog, not have her pull me on a scooter or whatever, and I don't see the point in torturing both of us by using a tool that rewards exactly the behavior I don't want. And I don't want to move her back into the scary world where, when she met something alarming, it started choking her.
Lis
When a dog is tracking etc they are on a long line and well in front of the handler, a dog can pull into all harnesses, this style seems to be more comfortable and doesn't rub as much as other designs. Walking a dog on a normal lead the dog is much closer to you which makes it more difficult for him to push into the harness to pull the handler along.
This is a better description of how these harnesses work than I can do.
How a Harness Works
Different designs of harnesses do different jobs, and I prefer the trail type harness which is a webbing v fronted design. The V at the front means that the dog can't set its shoulders and push, like a horse into a collar, (horses push not pull).
The lead connects to the centre point of balance and the dog can't have his full body weight to push into like he can with a collar. A dog can push all their weight behind a collar. The lead clips to the main body strap that goes round the body behind the front legs. The further back this, the better, preferably where the ribs dip upward is ideal. If the dog creates tension in the lead, the body strap raises slightly upward, without causing pain, which interrupts the forward momentum, and the dog doesn't have enough power to push. If the handler is on the ground and the lead is low, the dog will be able to push into the harness more.
The main thing is the "Comfort Factor", the dog feels comfortable and surprisingly un restrained as it is evenly distributed so doesn't need to fight as with the lead to collar. Nothing tightens up or affects the dog's breathing, provided it is correctly fitted with V front going far enough down the chest, the dog is more relaxed and so is the handler. Good walking training is a doddle as the handler is more relaxed and can chatter away to the dog, the dog isn't concentrating on battling to breath or escape the neck pressure.
For the damage to a dog that haltis can do scroll down to Haltis & Gentle Leader Halters http://www.doganswers.com/collars.htm
Any gadget can cause damage especially as so many owners don't know how to use them, I see dogs with halties attached to extending leads quite often, I see dogs with these on and extending leads attached to them and I have only once seen these used properly when out and about. This was a teenager who had a haltie and harness on her Collie with a lead attached to both, she walked the dog on the harness, the haltie was only used when she needed something extra. This was a very lucky dog because his owner knew how to use one of these halties.
With harnesses a dog can be bruised, mine were bruised when a lorry hit me from behind, my dogs were wearing harnesses, without them they would have been killed. A dog can be bruised by constantly pulling in anything, including a harness. Many owners never check their dogs and a harness can do a lot of damage by rubbing, but they won't do the damage to the spine or neck that a collar, choke chain, prong collar, head collar etc will do to a dog.
We have to by law have our dogs under control and in many places they have to be on a lead, as responsible dog owners it is up to us to make sure that are dogs are comfortable in what we have on them and are not in danger of any serious damage.
Even though my dogs walk nicely on a lead and I could walk them on a collar I don't, there are rabbits, cats, voles etc round here and my dogs can suddenly take off. Even on a short lead they can damage their necks, on a harness it won't do any damage. A dog near me was on a short lead attached to a collar, he set off after a rabbit and done so much damage to his neck it was touch and go if he survived.
We can only do our best, we are not perfect, but we do owe it to our dogs to research every means of controlling them while we train them.
This is a better description of how these harnesses work than I can do.
How a Harness Works
Different designs of harnesses do different jobs, and I prefer the trail type harness which is a webbing v fronted design. The V at the front means that the dog can't set its shoulders and push, like a horse into a collar, (horses push not pull).
The lead connects to the centre point of balance and the dog can't have his full body weight to push into like he can with a collar. A dog can push all their weight behind a collar. The lead clips to the main body strap that goes round the body behind the front legs. The further back this, the better, preferably where the ribs dip upward is ideal. If the dog creates tension in the lead, the body strap raises slightly upward, without causing pain, which interrupts the forward momentum, and the dog doesn't have enough power to push. If the handler is on the ground and the lead is low, the dog will be able to push into the harness more.
The main thing is the "Comfort Factor", the dog feels comfortable and surprisingly un restrained as it is evenly distributed so doesn't need to fight as with the lead to collar. Nothing tightens up or affects the dog's breathing, provided it is correctly fitted with V front going far enough down the chest, the dog is more relaxed and so is the handler. Good walking training is a doddle as the handler is more relaxed and can chatter away to the dog, the dog isn't concentrating on battling to breath or escape the neck pressure.
For the damage to a dog that haltis can do scroll down to Haltis & Gentle Leader Halters http://www.doganswers.com/collars.htm
Any gadget can cause damage especially as so many owners don't know how to use them, I see dogs with halties attached to extending leads quite often, I see dogs with these on and extending leads attached to them and I have only once seen these used properly when out and about. This was a teenager who had a haltie and harness on her Collie with a lead attached to both, she walked the dog on the harness, the haltie was only used when she needed something extra. This was a very lucky dog because his owner knew how to use one of these halties.
With harnesses a dog can be bruised, mine were bruised when a lorry hit me from behind, my dogs were wearing harnesses, without them they would have been killed. A dog can be bruised by constantly pulling in anything, including a harness. Many owners never check their dogs and a harness can do a lot of damage by rubbing, but they won't do the damage to the spine or neck that a collar, choke chain, prong collar, head collar etc will do to a dog.
We have to by law have our dogs under control and in many places they have to be on a lead, as responsible dog owners it is up to us to make sure that are dogs are comfortable in what we have on them and are not in danger of any serious damage.
Even though my dogs walk nicely on a lead and I could walk them on a collar I don't, there are rabbits, cats, voles etc round here and my dogs can suddenly take off. Even on a short lead they can damage their necks, on a harness it won't do any damage. A dog near me was on a short lead attached to a collar, he set off after a rabbit and done so much damage to his neck it was touch and go if he survived.
We can only do our best, we are not perfect, but we do owe it to our dogs to research every means of controlling them while we train them.
[url=http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v312/Nethertumbleweed/PIXIE.jpg][img]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v312/Nethertumbleweed/th_PIXIE.jpg[/img][/url]
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Lis & Addy
- Posts: 204
- Joined: Mon Jun 25, 2007 2:27 pm
Hmm. So, I clicky on the linky, and what do I find? Information, examples, statistics? No. Just more of the same unsupported that of course halties and Gentle Leaders will cause your dog horrible injuries--with not even a single token anecdotal example.
They know when the pinch collar, much favored by the genius that wrote this, is off, too. Howver, said genius assumes that the pinch collar will be use as a training tool, but assumes that all other devices will not be.
Some dogs really can't adjust to them. For other dogs, once introduced, they're just fine with them.
Or, y'know, you could actually use it correctly, as a training tool. And actually do the training.
But wait! There's more! Clickers are bad too:
But had you used the clicker and the treats correctly, as training tools, your dog is not dashing out into the street regardless of whether you brought the treats.
By the way, the correct use of the clicker is not as a command signal, as assumed by the clever person who wrote the quoted bit, but as a signal that the dog has correctly performed the desired action. So, if you are clicking when your dog is dashing out to be hit by a car, you are demonstrating--well, several things, but among them, that you have no clue what the clicker is for.
The dread clicker and treats played a major role in rehabilitating the unsocialized, scared, fear-aggressive little dog I got two years ago. And now, half the time I do forget the treat bag when we go out, and when I remember it, three-quarters of the time, no treats actually get used unless we're working on something new.
My favorite bit, repeated several times:
And truly, I'm having difficulty imagining how a pinch collar would have been better, rather than worse, than the flat collar, given what the problem was.
Honestly, Mattie, the fact that you would refer to this silliness in order to support your opposition to haltis and Gentle Leaders undermines, rather than strengthens, your credibility for me.
I am honestly interested in the harnesses, and I'd love some sufficiently specific evidence that would allow me to find them, and see if they're a good solution for Addy. I'd rather use the right harness, rather than anything else. Searching on the generic terms you've given me so far hasn't helped. Got some more specific terms? Maybe even a brand name? I'm sure Emmabeth's are great, but she and you are in the UK, and I'm in the US.
Give me something I can work with.
Lis
No, the person doing the training needs to do that.Dog head halters are stupid because they don't teach the dog anything,
Yes, of course they do.they know when it is on and off,
They know when the pinch collar, much favored by the genius that wrote this, is off, too. Howver, said genius assumes that the pinch collar will be use as a training tool, but assumes that all other devices will not be.
Sometimes they do. Sometimes people watch the dog's initial reaction to having it on for the very first time, and forget that they've ever seen the reaction of a puppy to wearing a flat buckle collar for the first time.dogs usually hate them and flip out and try and get it off,
Some dogs really can't adjust to them. For other dogs, once introduced, they're just fine with them.
Again, asserted without even anecdotal support, much less real evidence.that and you risk spinal injury to your dog if you use one.
In the absence of training, sure. But in the absence of training, the same is true of the pinch collars this site loves.What is really stupid about Haltis and Gentle Leaders is that they are not even dog training. All they are is a restraint to subdue dogs.
Or, y'know, you could actually use it correctly, as a training tool. And actually do the training.
Not dogs who have been properly introduced and habituated to them, the way you would with a puppy and its first neck collar.We have seen dogs with their noses raw like hamburger from rubbing their noses on the cement to get the horrible thing off of their face.
But wait! There's more! Clickers are bad too:
No, of course not.Do you really think your dog is even going to hear the clicker over the screeching tires of the car that is going to run over its head because you forgot the treats?
But had you used the clicker and the treats correctly, as training tools, your dog is not dashing out into the street regardless of whether you brought the treats.
By the way, the correct use of the clicker is not as a command signal, as assumed by the clever person who wrote the quoted bit, but as a signal that the dog has correctly performed the desired action. So, if you are clicking when your dog is dashing out to be hit by a car, you are demonstrating--well, several things, but among them, that you have no clue what the clicker is for.
The dread clicker and treats played a major role in rehabilitating the unsocialized, scared, fear-aggressive little dog I got two years ago. And now, half the time I do forget the treat bag when we go out, and when I remember it, three-quarters of the time, no treats actually get used unless we're working on something new.
My favorite bit, repeated several times:
I did. I learned, unlike this genius, to use clicker and treats correctly. And when it became clear that under certain circumstances, my dog's intense fear was being exacerbated by the choking sensation of the collar, I learned how to use the Gentle Leader correctly.Maybe it would cost less and you won't permanently ruin your dog if you call a professional dog trainer FIRST.
And truly, I'm having difficulty imagining how a pinch collar would have been better, rather than worse, than the flat collar, given what the problem was.
Honestly, Mattie, the fact that you would refer to this silliness in order to support your opposition to haltis and Gentle Leaders undermines, rather than strengthens, your credibility for me.
I am honestly interested in the harnesses, and I'd love some sufficiently specific evidence that would allow me to find them, and see if they're a good solution for Addy. I'd rather use the right harness, rather than anything else. Searching on the generic terms you've given me so far hasn't helped. Got some more specific terms? Maybe even a brand name? I'm sure Emmabeth's are great, but she and you are in the UK, and I'm in the US.
Give me something I can work with.
Lis