I have both halti & dogmatic but usually use the halti on one of my dogs. The other I walk on a flat collar. I hate using it but find if he suddenly lunges towards a cat/squirrel etc I can't hold back both dogs safely without it.
Also he's been attacked twice lately (jrt & sbt) & I've noticed he's a lot more wary around small dogs when he's on-lead, even barked at a staffie in the vets, first time ever! The halti helps me to be more relaxed around other dogs at the moment.

I take your point about it applying to both. I haven't seen any examples of that, guess that's why I didn't think of it.
I just think some people get these bits of equipment and expect it to do all the work. I guess any equipment can be positive or negative depending on how it's used.

Jobie has a dogmatic, though I haven't used it for a long while. I got it to help with some minor pulling issues and so that I always had control over his head if he decided to take a nip at another dog. It was helpful in that it gave me better control, but he is quite a biddable dog when he wants to be, so I might have been able to achieve the same end with more training. Thankfully he walks very nicely now and I only have to watch out for little dogs approaching head on and all full of themselves so the headcollar isn't needed.

Front-clip harnesses are GREAT if general pulling is the only issue. But if you have a dog that will lunge suddenly, they actually have just as much power if not far more so (dogs generate their strength from the chest) in a harness than they would do in a normal collar...as I found out recently!

I have used a head collar & recommended one to another person but not to help in walking. In my case & with the lady I recommended it to the dogs were dog asressive on eye contact & I used it to control him & turn his head when he was in a non listening mode, as once i had broken the eye contact I could get his attention on me. I felt I was a bit of a failure to have to use it but with a nervous agressive dog who had no interest in toys or food it helped me a lot.

I think headcollars are excellent for training but not a substitute for it.

There are various designs of headcollars/halters on the market. All of which have their pros and cons and not all will suit all dogs, pockets or handlers. Unfortunately it is not until you buy one that you will know if it suits you and/or your dog there being no rental service available.

These can be useful for those dogs that have never been taught to walk on a collar and lead correctly or for those few dogs that have neck/trachea problems. They can have a calming effect on some dogs but they do not actually teach them to walk without pulling; however they mean that some dogs can be controlled with minimal strength. Correct fitting is required to prevent eye irritation or fur loss and to prevent stress. Jerks can result in neck injury so great care should be taken if used in conjunction with extending leads or long lines (not recommended). They can be made from leather, webbing or synthetic leather. They should always be removed when free running. They should be considered a management tool.

Or for use in extreme conditions, eg walking strong dogs on ice and snow!

There is nothing wroing with using them and there are many designs as not all suit all dogs/handlers.

Black Dog Head Halter

http://www.agilitywarehouse.com/prod...ail.cfm?id=960

The Canny Collar

http://www.cannyco.co.uk/index.php


The Dogalter

http://www.kumfi.com/index.php?page=...hk=1&Itemid=26

The DogMatic

http://www.dogmatic.org.uk/

Gentle Controller

http://www.gencon-allin1.co.uk/

The Gentle Leader

http://canineconcepts.co.uk/item--Th...er--gentlelead

The Halti

http://www.companyofanimals.co.uk/halti.php

The K9 Bridle

http://k9bridle.com/

The Newtrix Easy Way

http://www.dogpartnership.co.uk/equipment.htm

A headcollar is a great piece of equipment as a back up in my opinion, but it does need to be the right sort. I would not put anything other than a dogmatic on a known puller, but the dogmatic is designed so that it does not ride up and it is cushioned so never cuts in. Used properly, with a double ended lead, it is a good aid to teaching loose leash walking on just the collar. It only comes into play when needed and gives the handler confidence with a strong dog. One of my newfies is 12 stone, never pulls unless he sees another dog or someone talks to him. Then he gets excited and I cannot hold him. He wears a dogmatic for such times, but otherwise walks very nicely.

Used as an aid to training, they are excellent, but they are not a replacement for training.

I would not use one on a small dog as it would be too easy to pull his face up, in my opinion.

I've never been a fan of head collars as I've soooo many dogs with poorly fitted ones, screwing up their faces, riding up into their eyes etc & the dogs still pulling as though their lives depended on it Alternatively the head collars are attached to elderly limping dogs that would probably no more lunge after a cat than their elderly owner would!

But I'm really encouraged by the responses here as everyone seems to see them as a temporary aid, for use in specific circumstances & for lunging rather than just pulling. I can see how they can be helpful in those circumstances ~ but they're not some magic tool to stop a dog pulling on a lead.

LOL, reminds me of a woman who used to live down my road a couple of years ago. She had a doddery old Labrador and used a Halti with a Flexi lead. The dog was a senior dog anyway and as far as I can work out did not pull, yet she still used a Halti and an extending lead?