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which is better harness or head collar ??


ohhsweetness

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how would you fit one then?

When I fitted Kimba and Kaiser's they were tight, in that when I pulled the lead, the ring on each end couldn't touch each other

Whereabouts on his neck did you fit it? What was he doing when he pulled out of it?

Hmmm...well I somewhat disagree about whether or not certain collars can slip loose over their heads or not. I have only had this problem with one collar and it was because the natural tug chewy does while walking would loosen it up just right. The thing about some collars is that they are not made tough enough to withstand constant tugging. I stick to metal buckle collars that have all metal parts that the nylon fits tightly enough that the adjustment slider wont start to loosen. The plastic ones just dont hold up at all. For the chocker and pinch collars it is all in the handling because they tighten and loosen depending on how you hold the leash, if the dog pulls or relaxes, etc. The only reason I suggest harnesses for pups is because if you tug back you wont be chocking and scaring them and generally you have better control. Really its all about preference though, some people only ever use a regular collar and leash. If the head harness was made with sturdier adjustment parts then it wouldnt loosen but the one and only time I put one on chewy he did manage to slip it off, despite the proper fitting. Instead of allowing him to go nuts and start freaking out I was walking him around the house for 15 minutes to get him used to the feel of it. Luckily he was still in the house, otherwise that may have been a very tiring situation, lol. I never used it after that for fear he would get loose while out walking. (this was about 2 months ago).

Beyond that we should all keep in mind just how smart and savvy huskies can be...you never know what they will learn to slip loose from, lol.

I've always found harnesses give the dog more pulling power and give the handler less control.

For pups I prefer to walk and train them on a well fitted buckle flat collar, IMO you shouldn't need anything more than that.

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ok so when i was taking akira to the vet today i grabbed gentle leader just to see howd it go

walking home i put it on and she hated it stopped and pulled it off her face lol and then i had an idea

i threaded her leash through the metal piece on her collar and clipped it on the gentle leader

and what a difference there is no pulling at all ... it was an instant change and better yet the gentle leader

isnt even on tight its just sitting there she doesnt even pull now when she saw a bird

she went to get it but i turned her head with the gentle leader and her attention went to me and wow

what a change and there is no strain on her face or her neck now ill post pics soon

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ok so when i was taking akira to the vet today i grabbed gentle leader just to see howd it go

walking home i put it on and she hated it stopped and pulled it off her face lol and then i had an idea

i threaded her leash through the metal piece on her collar and clipped it on the gentle leader

and what a difference there is no pulling at all ... it was an instant change and better yet the gentle leader

isnt even on tight its just sitting there she doesnt even pull now when she saw a bird

she went to get it but i turned her head with the gentle leader and her attention went to me and wow

Whilst it's great you've found something that works for you, don't forget to use this leverage you now have as an opportunity to do some training on your walks too. You have to be careful not to rely entirely on the tool or you will always have to be depedant on it - or in some cases, the dog learns to pull on it.

Be careful if she lunges or pulls too heavily when on the head collar as that is when injury can occur. You should never issue a correction with the head collar.

what a change and there is no strain on her face or her neck now ill post pics soon

There is pressure/strain to a degree every time she pulls, otherwise it wouldn't work :)

If you ever need the name of a good trainer or training club let me know where you are in Brissy and I can point you in the right direction.

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Whilst it's great you've found something that works for you, don't forget to use this leverage you now have as an opportunity to do some training on your walks too. You have to be careful not to rely entirely on the tool or you will always have to be depedant on it - or in some cases, the dog learns to pull on it.

Be careful if she lunges or pulls too heavily when on the head collar as that is when injury can occur. You should never issue a correction with the head collar.

There is pressure/strain to a degree every time she pulls, otherwise it wouldn't work :)

If you ever need the name of a good trainer or training club let me know where you are in Brissy and I can point you in the right direction.

ok then thanks in the next few months i am thinking of gettin her trained up a bit she knows a few commands but yer my bf had her for a while and sort of cut loose on them ,.....

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Whereabouts on his neck did you fit it? What was he doing when he pulled out of it?

At first it was fitted and just sat where a normal collar would but he was darting about everywhere and I had no control of him at all so i slipped it up a bit towards his ears and tightened it again, he didn't like it being there at all and started to run off back away, twist and turn and dance about etc I think it was all the twisting and dancing cause at the same time as doing this he was going backwards and then I was left holding his lead and collar and no dog blink.gif

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At first it was fitted and just sat where a normal collar would but he was darting about everywhere and I had no control of him at all so i slipped it up a bit towards his ears and tightened it again, he didn't like it being there at all and started to run off back away, twist and turn and dance about etc I think it was all the twisting and dancing cause at the same time as doing this he was going backwards and then I was left holding his lead and collar and no dog blink.gif

It's hard to demonstrate how a martingale should be properly fitted over the net, lol. Fitting it up behind his ears is correct (because it's the narrowest part of his neck) but it's also really important that it's tightened the right amount otherwise you will have it pull over their heads. There's a technique that we use to test this once we've put the collar on.

It's also hard to pin point why he was jumping around without seeing it - it could be because he wasn't used to having a collar on, it could be if he is used to wearing a harness he didn't like the lack of control the collar gave him etc. It could have been something as simple as the way you were holding the leash and the pressure/tension from it was causing something we call opposition reflex.

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I think to be honest it was because he's not used to wearing a collar.

I walked them today on a lead (not my extendable one) and their half checks - he did do better this time (and didn't slip out of it phew) but my god do they pull, i walked with my back straight shoulders back and was calm in myself they dragged me even though they were right by my side - well, one things for sure - I don't need a gym membership laugh.gif

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I think to be honest it was because he's not used to wearing a collar.

I walked them today on a lead (not my extendable one) and their half checks - he did do better this time (and didn't slip out of it phew) but my god do they pull, i walked with my back straight shoulders back and was calm in myself they dragged me even though they were right by my side - well, one things for sure - I don't need a gym membership laugh.gif

Sarah you know the boring reply is that it's about the method not tool :P

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