ethnoscience

Trixie Top Trainer Dog Halter - “What is a halter? Why does the dog constantly pull? Everything I know about what helped us. Lots of photos on the dog

Winter was inexorably approaching with its ice. And I had to think about whether I wanted to keep my limbs intact and unharmed.) But here’s the thing. I have a dog, not to say it’s huge. Thirty kilos in total. But she’s very good at running and jumping.) And despite the fact that I weigh a lot more, I could “fly” very well on the asphalt on a tape measure behind a cute dog. I had no chance on the ice, and the prospect of lying in a cast did not make me happy.
The fact is that the dog is still small. She wants to run and jump. After all, it’s not even a year yet. Moreover, during the examination, the veterinarian said that for the normal formation of joints, she needs to temporarily limit her running and jumping outside. Of course, we try to carry out the commands. But there are so many interesting things around! And on a busy street, you can’t let him off the leash. Only in deserted and, most importantly, car-free places can you run free. But we still have to get there. In general, my wife found an article on the Internet about various halters. And there are 2 main types. Halti Collar (Mackford Bridle Collar) and Gentle Leader Halter Collar (Trixie). After analyzing the available and scarce information, I realized that the Gentle Leader would be more suitable for me; it does not need a second leash, which will only get tangled. In the city's pet stores, when I asked about this, they looked at me like I was crazy and still didn't understand what I wanted from them.) Therefore, I had to turn my attention to ebay, to its English division, since the Chinese brothers produce it so and have not mastered it, but it is produced in the UK. From the seller lisacats4me
A Gentle Leader halter in medium size was purchased.
For 7.49 pounds + 0.7 pounds postage. Total £8.19. True, there is no such size there now. But in the English segment of ebay it will not be difficult to find it.
The purchase was made on October 15, 2013, and on October 30 I was holding a gray Royal Mail envelope in my hands:

Package

Inside the plastic bag was a blister with a halter. Without any other packaging. It's okay, there's nothing to break there. In addition to the halter, the blister contains quite voluminous instructions in several languages, except Russian. Where are the safety rules? The most important thing is that the halter cannot be used with a roulette leash and you cannot pull the dog by the leash while wearing a halter. Just pull it quietly. It's enough. The instructions also describe in detail, with pictures, how to use the halter and provide descriptions of training during which a dog in a halter will learn to correctly follow commands.

Several pages of instructions and information from the packaging:

Information and instructions

Here is a short description in Russian, as well as approximate sizes for different breeds:

Description

Dog halter Gentle Leader.
1. Uses the dog's natural instinct to follow its head, so it learns directly!

2. Your dog's behavior changes in one minute!

Designed by professional behaviorists and veterinarians, this collar gives you direct (immediate) control over your dog. Stops leash pulling and biting and can control jumping and barking without choking your dog. Works on two fronts: applies pressure to the back of the neck and to the muzzle, areas that mother dogs and leader dogs use to control others. Even older owners can walk their large dogs with ease. The dog can eat, drink, and breathe comfortably. The size of the collar can be adjusted.
Dimensions:
- for puppies (dwarf dogs) - Petite (the smallest),
- for small dogs (beagle, jack russell terrier, spaniel, dachshund, sheltie, etc.) - Small (small),
- for medium dogs (Dalmatian, Bulldog, Pointer, Clumber Spaniel, most terriers) - Medium (medium),
- large dogs (Labrador, Golden Retriever, Rottweiler, most shepherd dogs) - Large (large),
- gigantic dogs - XL (extra large).

Now I’ll move directly to the halter itself. Sewn very neatly, from VERY soft material. In our stores, I have not seen collars and leashes made from similar material. For example, in the photo below you will see a yellow fabric leash from a regular store fastened to a halter. It looks similar, but it feels like comparing the most delicate fabric and sandpaper. And this is good - it does not rub the dog at all, and also does not shed.

Here is the halter, in a combat position, so to speak:

Collar clasp at the top of the dog’s neck, made of the same plastic:

Central metal loop buckle:

And here are the dimensions of the medium halter:
Muzzle circumference – up to 40 centimeters:

Neck circumference – up to 52 centimeters:

Halter with attached leash:

At first the dog resisted putting on this halter. They never wore a muzzle. But after a couple of days I put my head into the halter myself and realized that there was nothing wrong, but on the contrary, now they would take me for a walk! By the way, one of the advantages of a halter, especially a clearly visible red color, is that people think that the dog is wearing a muzzle. Despite the fact that the dog is harmless, some people used to curse why the dog was not muzzled. And now no one has any complaints.))

But we know that this is not a muzzle and it doesn’t interfere with opening the mouth at all. You can eat freely, carry a stick, chew a bottle... You can go on and on:

And finally, a couple of photos on the street:

By the way, you can completely calmly disconnect the leash in a quiet place and let the dog run around. The halter will not fall or get lost. Yes, and the “muzzle” again.)))

And at the end of the review - a video. Not mine.

P.S. It's winter now. And even after the icy rain, you can walk on icy sidewalks not covered with sand, without the risk of falling from a sudden tug of the dog on the leash. You never know what homeless colleague she will see and want to meet, or something else interesting will happen.)

I'm planning to buy +6 Add to favorites I liked the review +15 +29

The halter is designed to easily control the dog's behavior while walking. It is put on the muzzle according to the principle of a bridle. Does not injure the skin and neck of the animal, unlike a strict collar or noose. The principle of the halter is that when you pull on the leash attached to the halter, you lower the dog's nose down or to the side, taking his eyes away from the irritant. A dog cannot run forward when its gaze is directed to the ground. In addition, the pose of a dog with its muzzle lowered to its chest means calm and humility in “dog” language. Elderly people and children can walk a disobedient dog with the help of a halter, since they do not need to make much physical effort to control the animal.

The halter is very popular among trainers. It makes it much easier to teach your dog to follow many commands.

Please note that a halter does not replace a collar and muzzle. A halter is always used in conjunction with a regular collar. For convenience, it is recommended to use a forked leash (fold) or fasten one end of the leash to the collar, the other to the halter, and hold the leash by the middle. The halter does not tighten the mouth. In it, the dog can open its mouth fully, eat and bite, so use a muzzle if necessary.

You can use a halter to restrain your dog while brushing his teeth.

Dimensions:

XS/0- muzzle girth no more than 15 cm, neck strap 30–35 cm (for breeds dwarf dachshund, Pomeranian, etc.)

S/1- muzzle girth no more than 22 cm, neck strap 35–42 cm (for Cairn Terrier, Fox Terrier, Miniature Poodle, etc.)

M/2 - muzzle girth no more than 27 cm, neck strap 40–48 cm (for Beagle, Husky, Border Collie, etc.)

L/3 - muzzle girth no more than 31 cm, neck strap 50–57 cm (for Doberman, Boxer, Dalmatian, etc. breeds)

L-XL/4 - muzzle girth no more than 37 cm, neck strap 48–60 cm (for Shepherd Dog, Mountain Dog, Bouvier, Hovawart, etc.)

XL- muzzle girth no more than 46 cm, neck strap 54–66 cm (for Great Dane, Pyrenean Mountain and other large dog breeds)

XLkurz/6 - muzzle girth no more than 40 cm, neck strap 46-58 cm (Dogue de Bordeaux, St. Bernard and other large breeds of dogs with a short muzzle)

How to choose a halter size:

The girth of the muzzle is measured at the level of the molars with the mouth closed. The neck circumference is measured higher than a regular collar, at the base of the skull. The correct position of the nose and neck strap is shown in the diagram below. The size of the neck strap is adjustable within the specified limits. There is no need to make allowances for a loose fit; they have already been taken into account. If the measurements obtained fall between sizes, then you need to choose a larger size. It is better if the halter hangs rather than tightening the muzzle, because then it will irritate it.

Material: nylon.

For many dog lovers, the problem of failure to comply with the “near” command is a sore subject. Usually everyone advises going to a dog trainer, but what to do if 1) there are no dog trainers in your city 2) they are clueless and haven’t taught you or the dog anything 3) it’s just in the dog’s nature to pull.

Let’s say that dog handlers are really not omnipotent, but there are different breeds. You won’t go to a dog handler forever either. And if you can cope with a sneeze that tears the leash, then holding a Caucasian Shepherd will be a problem. Such cunning breeds as the Doberman generally behave well in the company of an experienced dog handler, but in private they always test the owner’s strength. On the playground we are perfect, but in the forest, well, shazz!! How many times has our horse knocked over my husband in icy conditions (and there he was under 100 kg!)... It hasn’t knocked me over, my roar “near!!!” is enough. But how tired it gets for the dog to remember this “nearby” every 30 seconds, especially on steep slopes...

As you understand, I'm tired of this. I don’t accept strict collars; choke collars are inconvenient for me. I started looking for other options and suddenly on one of the forums I came across advice to buy a halti. Halti is a kind of bridle for a dog, or rather a halter. The leash is attached to the collar and ring on the halti or only to the halti, so if the dog starts to pull, his head turns back, he cannot see where he is going, and is forced to slow down. Finding halti was not easy. They were not available in stores, and not everywhere on the Internet either. I ordered it in a group on VK for 350 rubles. For Doberman (our elk), Labrador, Dalmatian, size No. 3 is used.

My dog generally cannot stand muzzles, thank God he doesn’t need them. My dog is literally ridden by children in the yard; she is just happy to play. And then they put THIS on her. I myself didn’t immediately understand what to fasten to what. The dog was in shock, despite the fact that this muzzle sits freely, does not restrict his mouth at all, yawns, eats, chews. She was offended by the very fact of having a halti on her face. Several times the dog tried to remove it with his paws, for which he was scolded and stopped trying (although no, no, he is still trying to pull it off).

And so we went out into the yard. The team is nearby. Out of habit, the dog quickly forgets that he has to walk next to him for more than 10 seconds, and overtakes him. And then her muzzle turns on its side. I have never seen such an angry face on my lady. One could clearly see a mixture of resentment, a desire to outwit and delay, and hopelessness.

But after 5 minutes of trying to pull off the halti and pulling, the dog walked alongside. It's been so long since we had such a good time!!! We walked half the area, and I didn’t have to pull the dog back and constantly insist on being nearby. The dog got used to the halti in 3 days, now when he sees that I take it in my hands, he starts jumping joyfully - let's go for a walk!

Even a child or a pensioner can walk with a dog in a halti (of course, if the dog is kind). What I mean is that the halti is not a muzzle in the normal sense. In it, the dog can bite easily, since it does not restrict the mouth. But for the ignorant, who are the majority, the halti is a muzzle. So if your dog is kind, but your neighbors are annoying you with threats, buy a halti - you will kill two birds with one stone: calm people down and get a dog walking next to you)) good luck!!

If you are interested in seeing my Doberman in all its glory from the first days of his life with us, here is a review

It is most often used to correct a dog’s behavior or train it. It is believed that with a strong tension on the collar, the dog will feel discomfort and will stop pulling the owner along with it. However, there is another very useful device - a halter for dogs. Let's find out what it serves and how to use such an accessory.

Using a halter for dogs

The halter consists of several straps sewn together. The nose strap has the shape of a loop and is connected to the neck strap using cheek straps. In a properly selected halter, the cheek straps fit snugly against the animal's skin without pressing into it.

The nose strap is located under the dog's eyes. At the same time, it should be secured so loosely that the owner’s finger can easily pass between it and the dog’s skin. Covering the dog's nose, this strap is connected by a metal ring to the chin strap. Another ring connects the ends of the nose strap and a leash is attached to it. When the leash is pulled, the ring on the chin strap presses against the dog's jaw, preventing the nose strap from being too tight and causing pain to the animal. In this case, the entire structure of the halter will be securely fixed and will not move to the side. It’s not for nothing that the British gave the halter another name: “soft driving”.

A halter can be used for those dogs that are used to pulling. However, you should know that the use of such equipment is not training and will not teach the dog anything. If you put a collar on him afterwards, the animal will again pull on the leash, as before.

It makes sense to use a halter if you need to take your dog to the veterinarian, travel with it on public transport, or simply take it out for a walk in the yard. But if you need to tie your dog or let him go for a walk, the halter must be removed. >After all, if she gets caught on any object with a halter, she will only be able to move backwards, and she will not be able to move forward.

A dog muzzle, compared to a halter, is designed completely differently. In a halter, a dog can pick up something from the ground and even grab someone’s leg. The sole purpose of a halter is to assist in training a dog. In it, the animal will understand much faster than in a muzzle what the command “near” or “don’t pull” means.

You can buy a halter in a store, or you can make it yourself. As practice shows, making a halter for a dog is not at all difficult. To do this, you need to have two metal rings, two carabiners, a two-meter long sling and a fastener. Once you assemble the halter, be sure to adjust it to the size of your dog.

According to statistics, not all dog owners know? what is a halter and why is it needed. Why is this piece of equipment so important and how to make it yourself?

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What is a halter?

When buying a pet, the owner often buys a collar and toys for the pet, but forgets about the halter or, as it is called, halti.

A halter is an accessory for a dog that fixes the animal's muzzle and allows you to walk it without problems. It is also called a collar-bridle, a muzzle-bridle, a leash-bridle.

The bridle collar holds the cheeks and jaws. It consists of two straps: one of them is attached to the upper part of the nape, and the other is attached to the back of the nose. The neck strap of the halti is connected to the bow strap with the help of 2 cheek straps. The cheek straps should fit snugly against the cheeks, but not press into them. A bridle collar is used to correct the behavior of an animal on the street and at home.

It is necessary to select the correct accessory size. If it is very tight, then when jerking the pet may damage its jaw.

A dog wearing a bridle collar must not be tied or left unattended. Remember that the accessory is only used for walking your dog on a leash.

The nose strap should be directly in front of your pet's eyes and rest loosely on the muzzle. It is inserted into the metal ring of the chin strap. The leash is attached to the other ring. When the animal pulls on the leash, the central ring is pressed against the lower part of the jaw in such a way that the leash-bridle does not slide to one side.

At first, it will not be easy for your pet to get used to the muzzle-bridle. Therefore, you need to use the same training method for this accessory as for a muzzle.

There are several types of halter: Halti and Gentle Leader. The halti is worn on the pet along with another collar, since it is loosely attached. It does not tighten and suits a dog with a large muzzle. Popular manufacturers of such an accessory are Safari Whitcho, NY, Bohemia.

The Gentle Leader dog halter provides better snout support than the Halti, so another collar is not required. Well-known manufacturers of Gentle Leader are Premier Pet Products, VA, Richmond, Premier Pet Products.

Halti is not a muzzle and is not capable of harming your beloved dog.

We make halti ourselves

A halter for dogs is easy to make with your own hands. To do this you will need a little time, patience and a few tools and materials. We bring to your attention simple instructions for creating a muzzle-bridle with your own hands.

Tools and materials

First you need to prepare the following materials and tools:

belt tape (sling) – 2 m;
2 rings – 25 mm;
2 small carabiners;
fastener (fastener width - sling width);
needle;
strong threads;
meter for measurement.

Materials must be selected according to the size of the pet.

Step-by-step instruction

To ensure that the process of creating a bridle collar with your own hands is quick, and the result is no worse than one ready-made in a store, you must follow the instructions.

Measure the circumference of the animal's neck and muzzle and write down the data.
Measure the distance between the muzzle and neck girth measurement points.
Measure the distance from the collar ring to the halter.
Cut pieces of belt tape according to the dimensions obtained.
Using a needle and thread, sew a ring to a sling equal to the circumference of the muzzle.
In the same way, sew the clasp to a section equal to the circumference of the neck.
Now you can sew the carabiners to the sling. When making a halti, do not forget to adjust its dimensions to the dog itself.
Assemble the halti, place it on your dog and attach the bottom ring to the leash.

Video “Teaching a puppy to halti”

Don't know how to train your dog to eat halti? See how experienced dog handlers do it.

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