Exactly why I use one. Rupe walks nicely on harness, halti or regular collar but the Haltigivesme the control if he reacts to something.

I used the GL when the rotts were about 10 Months and going through an "oh look a person/dog/ball/leaf!" stage and lunging at everything! Worked brilliantly. Now i still use it when its icy so the rotts can't pull me over by mistake lol
i also have recommended them to numerous people for various reasons but make it clear they are a training aid.
I also like canny collar

For me it is this simple:

Without a headcollar, I could not walk my dog. Period.


I have an extremely nervous, very large, very strong rescue Lab. For months we have had one-to-one training with a very experienced ex police dog handler. She taught me to walk Dexter to heel and numerous other things.

But no amount of training has stopped him reacting to certain triggers by violently lunging to the point where he has twice pulled me over, once injuring me and escaping into the road.


So while in secure areas (park, fields, etc) I can practise loose leash walking etc, in the busy suburb where we live, a headcollar is vital.


It is the ONLY thing enabling me to walk my dog safely - it protects me, it protects him, and it potentially protects the motorists nearby to whom it is not fair if my dog rips the leash from my hand and then gallops into the road.


If I sound somewhat messianic about headcollars, so be it. When fitted and used properly, they can aid training and keep both dog and owner safe and relaxed.


To reiterate: it must be a properly fitted headcollar and it must be used properly.

I use both GL and Halti on my boys, most of the time they walk beautifully but if they see anything (rabbits, deer etc) they do pull, it gives me more control.

I have the old style halti's which seem different to the new ones (having just bought one) the old ones are much more robust and fit better because they have metal rings which allow the cheek pieces to swivel more, the new ones are just sewn in place (I will have to unpick and re-sew to get the same fit. I bought the new one because it has a padded noseband.

I didn't like the canny collar, I have a brand new one which was only tried on in the garden, it may well end up on a popular auction site before long!

Someone asked if a Figure 8 was like a Canny Collar - the answer is no At least, not like the Figure 8 I have seen.

The Canny Collar differs somewhat from the others in that the control is at the back of the dog's head, as with a 'normal' lead and collar. I used it for several months and it did help control the lunging a bit, but not sufficiently. Also a dog can learn to lean forward and still pull badly.


I agree with those who have found the Halti rides up into the dog's eyes. I found a similar issue with the Gentle Leader.


My vote goes for the Dogmatic, and that's what I use.

That said, I am curious about the Gen con - anyone used this and recommend it highly?

I've just started re-using a Halti with my Slovak bitch. As already mentioned by others, this is more for her and my safety after a recent incident due to her high prey drive. She is perfectly capable of walking in a civilized manner on a normal collar (with a lot of reminding ), but our issue is lunging unexpectedly if she spots a cat or similar. I can physically hold on to her, but if I'm caught off guard and she lunges after a cat before I see it...potentially that is a different story. The roads around here are generally pretty busy and cars travel stupidly fast, so I can't risk it.

I wouldn't use a headcollar if pulling was the only issue as that can be achieved through straight up training. It is when there are other issues such as lunging involved that they are particularly useful as management tools, IMO.

Unless combined with training, head collars don't actually 'teach' the dog anything. It just makes them far easier to control and takes away [some of] their pulling power.

I relate to this

The lunging can be a nightmare. If I could tell when my dog was about to do it, I could manage it far better, but it always seems to happen so quickly, especially as so many things trigger the response in him.

Same here. If I'm not expecting the lunge then he drags me for a couple of steps before I regain control. Not far but it's not good if those few steps happen to be into a busy road. Or if those few steps allow him to get to whatever he's lunging at.

I personally prefer the front-fastening harnesses that work in a similar way. I personally don't like head collars much because I think far too many people (not saying anyone on here) don't fit them properly and they end up in their eyes or digging in and painful. I can understand how they can help, but I would (if I used one) use it in conjunction with a collar or harness and not on it's own, so it was only used to guide away, not for general walking.
Just my opinion

I've seen poorly fitted harnesses used with pulling dogs that have rubbed their underarms sore though so I think the "harmful if poorly fitted" thing applies to both.
I do what you say though - double ended lead and only using the headcollar when needed, I think if you're constantly having to pull on the headcollar then it's not working and you just risk hurting the dog by teaching it to constantly pull against the headcollar and put such a strain on its neck.