Dog aggression while in a halti.

[HeatherAnn]

Our dog is a horrible puller and seems to get more excited the more he pulls, i.e once the slip lead is tight round his neck it seems to spur him on more.
My dad takes him out every sunday, he takes him to a different park than we take him then takes him to the pet shop. Yesterday my dad took the dog to the pet shop and bought him a halti head collar. The man in the shop fitted it for him and showed him how to use it and then dad brought him home and he pulled once and then walked quietly home.
Later on in the evening my mum and dad decided to take him for a short walk around the block to try him again in the halti. This time he started pawing at it and struggling. They passes one dog and he was fine, as he usually is, but then there was another across the street and he barked at it. My parents made him wait until the other dog was out of sight then carried on, but the owner had stopped to make a phone call and our dog started barking and growling. Something he has never done before.
Any explanations?

 

[Dobiegirl]

I would hazzard a guess this has been latent but the fact he could pull himself away from any situation meant you never saw it. Now he is restricted and cant pull away you are seeing this behaviour, when he does this again I would just keep walking encouraging him with your voice.

 

[HeatherAnn]

He's not bad with other dogs though, we socialised him a lot when he was a pup and it's really paid off. When he's off lead he's friendly to other dogs and when he was in the slip lead he'd ignore dogs if they were far away or if they walked past he'd greet them.

 

[Dobiegirl]

Maybe its just frustration then, perhaps he is one of those dogs that always has to be on the move and now he is restricted its frustrating him.

Idid use a Halti with my dog and found that it rode up around his eyes, I changed to a canny collar and it fitted really well and I didnt have this problem again.

 

[AmyMay]

Ooo I hate those halti's.

Have you tried him in a harness?

 

[twiglet84]

I've been using a halti for my rottie for years! Money well spent! They do tend to paw and rub their faces to start with. If its fitted well then just persevere. Xxxx

 

[Echo24]

I sounds like he's being restricted and showing it through displacement. I would have a get your dog's attention and walk past the other dogs.

Have you considered a canny collar? They're more effective at stopping pulling while a halti is used more for dogs that scavenge or hang back during walks.

 

[HeatherAnn]

Maybe its just frustration then, perhaps he is one of those dogs that always has to be on the move and now he is restricted its frustrating him.

Idid use a Halti with my dog and found that it rode up around his eyes, I changed to a canny collar and it fitted really well and I didnt have this problem again.

You were right, I took him to the park this morning (looking for all the old lady dogs he adores) and he was fine. He started whining and barking when he saw another dog but when approached acted like his normal happy self.

Ooo I hate those halti's.

Have you tried him in a harness?

We did and it didn't stop him from pulling. It did stop him from getting in the state he gets when in a collar and lead or slip.

I sounds like he's being restricted and showing it through displacement. I would have a get your dog's attention and walk past the other dogs.

Have you considered a canny collar? They're more effective at stopping pulling while a halti is used more for dogs that scavenge or hang back during walks.

It was the restriction that fustrated him. I took him out yesterday round the block on a really brisk walk and he was great, walking to heel but then got frustrated again when we were waiting at traffic lights.

Thanks for all the advice

 

[s4sugar]

Our dog is a horrible puller and seems to get more excited the more he pulls, i.e once the slip lead is tight round his neck it seems to spur him on more.

Any explanations?

This says you are not using the slip lead correctly. It should only be tight momentarily and then release the pressure & repeat so the dog learns to back off.
Once a slip lead is tight it stops being effective.
Practice with the lead around a wrist or ankle.

 

[AmyMay]

This says you are not using the slip lead correctly. It should only be tight momentarily and then release the pressure & repeat so the dog learns to back off.
Once a slip lead is tight it stops being effective.
Practice with the lead around a wrist or ankle.

Surely this can only work with a dog at heal, who pulls momentarily though

 

[HeatherAnn]

This says you are not using the slip lead correctly. It should only be tight momentarily and then release the pressure & repeat so the dog learns to back off.
Once a slip lead is tight it stops being effective.
Practice with the lead around a wrist or ankle.

He doesn't back off though. The lead would come loose if he backed off but he doesn't. He pulls until it is tight round his neck, then leans into it and walks like a steam train. He seems to get more excited the tighter it gets. I don't really understand your post tbh

 

[s4sugar]

You need showing how to use the slip effectively or swap to a half check. It should not loosed enough to be backed out of but just have the pressure relaxed.
Do you know a police trainer or are you near anyone with worked GSDs? A demonstration on a person is more effective than pulling on a dog.

 

[HeatherAnn]

You need showing how to use the slip effectively or swap to a half check. It should not loosed enough to be backed out of but just have the pressure relaxed.
Do you know a police trainer or are you near anyone with worked GSDs? A demonstration on a person is more effective than pulling on a dog.

I still don't understand. How can the pressure be relaxed if he is leaning into it? It didn't stop him from pulling. We were shown how to use it when we bought it. We don't use things on our dog without doing research and being shown how to use it safely and effectively.
As I said in an earlier post the halti is working now so we don't need to use the slip any more

 

[CorvusCorax]

I kind of agree with S4S but it is difficult to explain over a forum/without the dog in front of you...the idea is that the dog never gets the *chance* to lean into the pressure. It needs to be a 'nag nag nag...release' thing rather than a pulling match with dog vs handler.

I used a Gentle Leader on the big dog that seemed to work.

I think your general issue is going to be, the dog wants everything at his pace and gets frustrated if it isn't - but life ain't like that, sometimes things go slowly and sometimes you have to wait - my dog is very 'high' and he has had to be taught to 'switch off' and a lot of it is to do with me as a handler. The calmer and the less frustrated I am, the calmer he is.

 

[HeatherAnn]

I kind of agree with S4S but it is difficult to explain over a forum/without the dog in front of you...the idea is that the dog never gets the *chance* to lean into the pressure. It needs to be a 'nag nag nag...release' thing rather than a pulling match with dog vs handler.

I used a Gentle Leader on the big dog that seemed to work.

I think your general issue is going to be, the dog wants everything at his pace and gets frustrated if it isn't - but life ain't like that, sometimes things go slowly and sometimes you have to wait - my dog is very 'high' and he has had to be taught to 'switch off' and a lot of it is to do with me as a handler. The calmer and the less frustrated I am, the calmer he is.

Ohh I get what you're saying, that's what we were originally doing but he didn't stop, the slip just wasn't for us I suppose. He's loads better on the halti and has been great today.

 

[NeverSayNever]

as others have said it would be that he was feeling more vulnerable and restricted - not helped by the headcollar being put straight on and him walked home in it im afraid. They should be introduced gradually and a positive association built up with wearing it, Eg, pop it on the dog for 5 mins max and work with treats or a toy, no lead attached so no pressure, and work and build up from there.