Heading off an altercation

Why have I opted to use a Halti Head Harness to walk my girls?

It is is a question I am often asked and at face value, a fairly straightforward one to answer. I have found that the Halti ensures good control in most lead walking situations and as far as I am concerned, good control helps keep my girls safe.

I first introduced Betty to a Halti head harness as a last ditch attempt to find something to give me a little more control of my strong willed Miss, while I was trying to teach her to loose lead walk ... a skill she still highly disapproves of! We had reached a point with her training where she was so excitable and anxious on walks (and competitive with Polly), that the strong pulling on my left shoulder was taking a physical toll. I was reluctant to use the Halti initially, but decided to try a new approach with Betty, so bought one and haven't looked back since.  Betty is now almost four years old and with consistent training and time, has recently begun to walk more calmly on her lead most of the time (not always though, as new environments still send her excitement/anxiety levels through the roof to being with). So, in summary, Betty's Halti has helped me cope with her instinctive and very strong lead pulling and in doing so, has given us an opportunity to focus properly on loose lead training, which has in turn made our walks on the lead safer and more enjoyable for both of us.

Polly also wears a Halti now, but for a different reason. Polly walks beautifully on the lead ... there is absolutely no tension in the lead, it has a textbook 'U' bend and she politely adjusts her pace to suit mine. She is a true joy to lead walk. So, you might ask, why the Halti? Well, I introduced it shortly after we began walking with Betty as a puppy. At that time, Polly took it upon herself to guard her baby sister and me from oncoming dogs and began to bark and lunge if dogs approached from behind or in front, especially on narrow lanes. She had never done this before and controlling a five stone lunging goldie in full furious defence mode, plus a pulling puppy was stressful to say the least! 

At first I avoided the lanes we had so happily walked along previously, but the problem occurred in other places too, so I decided I needed more control to give me a chance to retrain my overly protective Big Sis.  The Halti has been a blessing in this regard, Polly accepted it without any resistance and even seemed relieved that the job of  'Chief Protector' could now be handed back to Mum. I continued to train both dogs on their Halti's to improve their individual issues and have had a good level of success with each of them. Walks have settled down and beca

ome enjoyable for us all again.

Having explained my reasons behind the Halti choice of walking gear, I am now going to have a grumble ...

As I mentioned in an earlier post, we were walking along a lane a couple of weeks ago, when a gang of five large rowdy dogs raced head first towards us. Thanks to the Halti I managed to steer both my girls to safety on that occasion without any adverse reaction from them. Without the Halti this incident would most likely have had a very different ending.

I am always happy to stop, wait and invite other walkers to pass us and also, to give space to other dog walkers when we are out walking. Sadly this weekend, we weren't afforded the same courtesy. Whilst stopping to take a wee by a fence on a narrow lane, poor Polly found herself nose to nose with a dog who appeared unexpectedly from behind, at the far end of an extending lead and pushed her face right into Polly's. It caught Polly completely unawares and she reacted badly by giving the other dog a good telling off  and a nip on the ear for its rude approach ... upsetting for the other owner who eventually caught up with his dog.  To be honest, it was also pretty devastating for me after six committed years of obedience training with my girl and having always tried my hardest to be considerate of other dog owners on our walks. 

The day after the wee incident, would you believe Polly stopped on our next walk to toilet and another owner allowed an off lead dog to wander over 'mid-poo' to say hello! Polly was obviously wearing her Halti, was on lead AND we had walked away from the very same dog and owner on the lane a few seconds earlier to give them and us space! Some people have absolutely no awareness of, or consideration for the needs of other dogs, it seems.

So, the upshot of my Halti ramble is, please remember that dogs wear them for sensible reasons; their owners may be using them to train, to maintain good control and of course, to keep other dogs safe. When you walk your dogs off lead, or on an extending lead (I hate those as they give no control) please stay focused on of the needs of those dogs on leads/head harnesses. Leads and head harnesses restrict a dog's freedom to extract themselves from difficulties, so if your dog barges up to say hello, they may well react badly, no matter how well trained they are. Responsible owners keep their dogs on leads for your benefit, as well as their own.

No one wants to have to deal with a dog altercation on a walk; it is stressful, potentially dangerous and ruins what should be an enjoyable experience. 

I am just a owner, who enjoys training her dogs and tries to be considerate of other dog owners. For what it is worth, here are my thoughts, based on my own experiences, on how to keep your dog out of trouble on paths and lanes:

1. Give other dog walkers plenty of space.

2. Never walk past a dog walker from behind without first making them aware you are there. Check their dog is okay with dogs approaching in narrow areas, from behind.

3. Give other dog walkers time to organise their dogs, so you can all pass one another safely, especially in confined areas.

4. If your dog doesn't cope well with lead introductions, don't allow them to happen. Teach your dog to sit calmly and wait at a distance, or teach a 'turn' command to change direction and avoid head to head approaches when necessary.

5. If you do need to pass an oncoming dog walker in a narrow space, try not to walk the dogs towards one another, head to head. Curve your dog away from the oncoming dog and if possible put yourself between your dog and the oncoming dog.

6. If your dog spies an oncoming dog and goes into 'stalk' mode, stop walking and change direction. Change direction by calling your dog in a happy but firm voice, use treats if necessary but change your route and break your dog's focus on the oncoming dog in plenty of time. If necessary, call out to the other owner and ask them to stand still while you encourage your own dog away.

7. Do not allow your dog to drag you over to say hello to another dog on lead.

8. If your dog is off lead and you see a dog on lead approaching you, PUT YOUR DOG ON LEAD. 

9. If you can't recall your dog, don't allow him to walk off lead.

10. Don't be afraid to call out to another dog owner in a friendly manner, to ask them to put their dog on lead, or to stand still for a moment to give you space while you organise your own dog.

And finally, don't allow your dog to approach a dog in the middle of their toilet! You wouldn't like it if someone barged into your bathroom while you were perched on the throne and neither will a dog!!!

Safe dog walking folks!

:-)