surchinmy
Ultra ALPHA
Dec 22, 2003, 6:50 PM
Post #10 of 56
(4992 views)
Shortcut
|
Hello ... Hmmm ... which is better? ... Don't think I have a short answer to the question ... I think it depends on the dog. I remember reading the article (you mentioned in an earlier posting) which purports to say that (a) the Gentle Leader is softer, and (b) the Halti has been known to cause injuries in aggressively pulling dogs (thus, implying that the Gentle Leader doesn't) The "softer" part: Well, that doesn't bother me ... Work the collar with your hands, give it a wash & soak with softener, and it will get soft ... With use, our Haltis have become very pliable and comfortable for the dogs ... The "injury" part: Personally, I find that a little hard to subscribe to idea that only the Halti can cause injuries, but the Gentle Leader does not ... because both the collars work much the same way - with pivot points under the chin (although the Gentle Leader's pivot point rests closer and more tucked under the neck) ... Again (personally) having tried both Halti & Gentle Leader, and observed the way they work ... I would suspect, that if one type of collar can cause back/neck injuries if MISUSED - then both collars can ... and the key factor is learning how to use the collars properly ... Any kind of collar or restraint (even harnasses) if misused, can cause problems and/or injuries ... so the idea (as always) is to appreciate the use of a type of collar and to use it properly. We often walk the RRs together as a brace & on the odd occassion, when they decide to pull together (on conventional collars, it's like trying to hold back a train) ... For example: When careless houseowners leave their gates open, and their dogs rush out ... the collars help us restrain the RRs without causing "us" injuries ...... & allows us to quickly bring the RRs under control ... General Cautions: *** Don't forget to continue training ... Because the collars give such good control over a pulling dog - some owners become lazy or forget to train the dog, and rely entirely on the collars. The collars are only aids - and not solutions in themselves or substitute to proper training ... Aggressive & constant pulling on any kind of collar - increases risk of injuries to the dog. *** Be cautious about using on young dogs ... I would not advice using the collars on young dogs, especially young but heavy dogs ... because the leverage exerted by a pivot point below the chin can be very strong ... And to only use the collars on older dogs with developed skeletal structure. For young dogs, a harness is probably safer. *** Get the right size ... The wrong fit can cause unecessary friction between strap & skin ... and if the primary restraining strap (over the muzzle) does not fit properly, it can run and possibly hurt the dog ... Both Halti & Gentle Leader comes in a variety of sizes. *** Fit the collar properly ... Initially, most dogs do not like the restrain over their muzzle and will try to get it off ... And if they succeed even ONCE ... they will keep on trying ... If fitted properly and used regularly - the dogs get used to the collar pretty fast ... Cheers ...
(This post was edited by surchinmy on Dec 22, 2003, 6:52 PM)
|