Wouldn’t it be amazing if you already knew the best haltis for Dogs to stop being pulled down the street, as if your dog has never been on a leash before?
How embarrassing!
Imagine finally enjoying a satisfying stroll through your neighborhood enjoying the warm sun with a smile on your face and an obedient dog at your side!
Well…
You can enjoy a walk with your Dog by choosing the best head halter to give you power steering and control over your Olympic-pulling competitor.
How to Choose the Best Halti for Your Dog
A head halter for Dogs allows you to have more control of your dog and prevents pressure on your dog’s trachea when your dog pulls.
The head halter places more pressure on your dog’s shoulders, instead of their face, and lessens or stops lunging and jumping.
Simply put, it helps provide power steering for dogs that are strong and gives you more control without as much effort, making your walks more effortless and enjoyable.
When looking for the best headcollar for your Dog, make sure:
- they’re comfortable and trained to wear the head halter
- to select a halti that is durable for your strong breed
- to look for strong clips and thick webbing for safety
After you select one of the best haltis for Dogs, keep reading to find the tips and tricks that will help you enjoy walking your Dog again.
Work with your dog on their loose leash walking manners and be sure they understand their basic Dog commands.
A head halter is a useful tool for your strong Dog that pulls, but it won’t solve all your problems on its own.
With a head halter, you can walk your Dog safely and without all the pressure on your shoulder, hand, and arm. Use a headcollar if you’re tired of your dog taking you for a walk instead of the other way around!
Additionally, many dog humane societies, like the Louisiana SPCA state that the best option for strong pullers is the head collar.
And, the VCA Animal Hospital supports head haltis as a humane way to control a powerful Dog that might be too hard to handle otherwise.
The Best Halti for Dogs
| Model | Safe for puppies? | Best Benefit |
|---|---|---|
| PetSafe Premier Gentle Leader | Yes – as young as 8 weeks old | Instructional professional DVD for ease of training |
| Halti Nylon Head Collar | No – due to muzzle option | Provides a dual-action soft muzzle for behavior issues |
| Halti OptiFit Nylon Dog Halter | Yes – as young as 12 weeks old | Extra safety clip for slippery dogs that can escape a halti |
| Walk ‘n Train Polyester Dog Headcollar | Yes – as young as 12 weeks old | Heavy-duty quick release for easy off/on and frequent removal |
| Kurgo Snout About Head Halter | Yes – as young as 12 weeks old | Wider, more comfortable straps for dogs who don’t like regular haltis |
| PetSafe Gentle Leader Chic Dog Headcollar & Leash | Yes – as young as 12 weeks old | Complete training kit with book, DVD, chick halti, and coordinating lead |
| Sporn Head Control Halti | Yes – as young as 12 weeks old | Halter easily converts to a standard collar for versatility |
1. Pet Safe Premier Gentle Leader: Strong Enough for Large Breeds & Gentle Enough for Puppies
If you’ve just gotten a Dog puppy, then now’s the time to take control of your pack walks using a head collar that’s safe for puppies as young as 8-weeks-old (but strong enough for adults).
The Pet Safe Premier Gentle Leader Halter has been around for a long time for good reason.
With dogs of all sizes, shapes, and ages, the product has a long history of proven success. If you’ve never tried a head halter, then this brand is for you to start your halti training with.
There’s an instructional DVD to get you started on the correct way to introduce your dog to wearing a halter included for free.
Benefits
- The collar sits high on your dog’s neck and doesn’t put pressure on the throat which prevents choking and coughing.
- Safe to use on puppies as young as 8 weeks old.
- Converts to a regular collar if needed.
- The reinforced padded nose strap offers less fur wear and skin irritations for your Dog’s sensitive skin.
2. Halti Nylon Halter: Double-Duty Headcollar and Soft Muzzle
Halti is a name brand that’s known in the dog training industry.
Their head halter has no metal parts that come in contact with your dogs’ skin.
This model sits further down the nose and away from the eyes to cause less discomfort for your Dog.
The Halti Dog Headcollar offers the handler additional perks.
The Halti is also washable and fully adjustable. If you want a training tool that offers dual-action muzzling and self-correcting action, then this Halti brand may suit your needs.
Benefits
- It is usable as both a passive means to stop your dog from lunging and pulling or as an active training aid to teach nice walking manners.
- Dual-action: features on-off muzzling to close your dog’s jaws for any safety concerns.
- Unlike the Gentle Leader listed earlier, you cannot “lock” the muzzle band, so it tightens down when the dog pulls but loosens when they relax. Many owners prefer this type of halti for a gentler correction.
- No metal pieces come into contact with your dog’s skin.
3. Halti OptiFit: For All Shapes and Lengths of Faces
If you think you might have a challenge fitting your Shepherd for a head halter, then consider the Halti Optifit.
The Halti Optifit is especially for dogs with longer noses that traditional headcollars don’t fit and slip off their faces.
The halter includes a self-adjusting chin strap and specially designed cheek straps that follow the contours of your dog’s face. It won’t slide down the nose and bothers your dog’s eyes less.
If you’re concerned about fitting your dog or Dog mix breed into a head halter, try the Optifit model first. Many owners also prefer a self-adjusting chin strap, so their dog doesn’t feel pressure when they walk nicely and tend to pull less.
Benefits
- Suits hard to fit dogs
- Doesn’t push into your dog’s eyes
- Reflective cheek straps increase night visibility for added safety
- Chinstrap self-adjusts, meaning if your dog puts pressure and tension on the collar the chin strap tightens for a correction – when they release their tension the chin strap loosens
4. Walk’n Train Dog Halter: For Added Safety and Puppies
This halter is one of the few models on the market with an added safety strap.
The Walk’n Train Dog Head Halter keeps your dog safe in case your dog pulls the halter off their face.
The provided safety strap attaches to its collar and keeps your dog from escaping from you. So, it connects your dog to your leash, saving you from having to chase your dog if they escape the head halter!
The heavy-duty quick-release is great for owners who are on the go frequently and need a speedy way to secure their dog safely. This model also self-corrects so there’s no pressure on your dog’s nose when they walk in a good heel position.
Benefits
- Self-correcting chin strap only tightens when your dog pulls but rewards them once they stop as the strap loosens
- Added safety strap attaches for extra security to your dog’s collar
- A heavy-duty release makes taking on and off the halter easy
- Padded noseband for comfort and less rubbing
5. Kurgo Snout About Halter: The Gentle, Comfortable Head Collar
Popular for dog training and owners new to head halters, the Kurgo Snout About Head Halter is often used as an alternative to a traditional head halter, gentle leader, or no-pull harness.
Owners find this easier to use and take on and off, and some dogs prefer not having a chin strap connection to their collar.
The face and nose straps are almost double the width of regular headcollars for a more comfortable wearing experience for your Dog.
This is a gentle alternative to other traditional headcollar models mentioned in this article, but the strap is still strong enough to prevent unwanted behavior in large breed dogs.
The Kurgo face halter is easier to wear for many dogs. If you don’t want to deal with attaching the halter to a collar, then this model suits you best.
The strap attaches directly to your leash to provide control during walks.
Benefits
- Reflective ribbon for an additional night safety
- Easy on/off
- Lifetime Warranty
- Strong nylon webbing with comfortable padding
- Extra-wide straps for added comfort
6. PetSafe Gentle Leader Chic Dog Headcollar & Leash: The Complete Training Package
The Gentle Leader Headcollar Complete Training package is best for first-time head halter users since there’s so much information to using the halti.
The set includes the head halter, matching leash and instructional book and DVD.
If you’re worried you might need step-by-step help to get you started with using a head halter, then this is for you.
It’s also a perfect gift for a new Dog puppy owner!
The DVD is packed full of helpful hints, especially on how to help your dog get used to wearing the halter. The book and DVD are easy to understand and put to use in real-world scenarios and are both included for free as part of the set.
If you’re a visual learner this will definitely help you understand training your dog with the headcollar.
Benefits
- Best for those owners who need extra help in using the head halter
- Chic designs for those who prefer patterns over typical black
- Neoprene padded nose strap for added comfort
- Provides gentle control to your dog’s neck, reducing choking and throat pressure
7. Sporn Head Control: For Extreme Leash Pullers
The Sporn head control dog halter is unique by design.
Traditional head halters wrap under both the top and bottom of the muzzle.
But the Sporn model only covers the top of the muzzle and integrates the rest of the halter into the collar.
If you’ve tried a traditional halter that didn’t work, then give the Sporn a try.
This headcollar is more easily tolerated by sensitive dogs who don’t like wearing the Halti models.
It’s built with a larger nose piece that helps many dogs wear it more easily than other traditional headcollars and offers gentle guidance behind your dog’s shoulders, not his face, to instantly stop your dog from pulling while giving him comfort.
Benefits
- Padded nose bridge to offer less rubbing and irritation
- Easy fit for energetic dogs and busy moving puppies
- Halter converts quickly to a neck collar only giving this halti multiple uses
- The special design has less pressure on your Dog’s face and is more comfortable for them to wear than a traditional head halter
- Strong, durable material for powerful Dogs that lunge
- This halti offers gentle guidance behind your Dog’s shoulders and not his face to stop them from pulling while providing a more comfortable walk
Best Dog Halti and Head Halter Training Tips
Many dogs readily accept their new halti or head halter, but some dogs find them uncomfortable if they’re not introduced properly to wearing them.
The adjustment process to wearing a halti or headcollar is different for all dogs.
How to Train Your Dog to Wear the Halti or Head Halter Collar
It’s a wise idea to introduce your dog slowly to using this new tool following the tips provided.
- Try introducing your dog with treats to the halter. Give them a treat for sniffing the halter, another for letting you put it on them for a few seconds, and then take it off.
- During the first week of use, place the collar on during mealtime immediately before and after feeding for them to get accustomed to the collar.
- Put the halti or head collar on your dog daily for about 3 minutes or less and while in the collar give your Dog plenty of praise and treats to help them associate the halti with positive actions.
- From there, continue to repeat these steps while they wear the head halter indoors.
- Then, try to take your Dog on a 5-minute walk while giving praise and treats for a positive outcome.
- If they seem too overwhelmed, turn around gently and lead them back home to work on acclimating them to the halti with more treats and praise indoors.
- Try another walk later.
Understand this tool may take longer for some owners than others. Keep working in very short increments with your dog to acclimate them to the halter.
Use all these tips to help your dog adjust to the new tool. Have patience and stick with the training.
How NOT to Use Your Halti or Head Collar
Even the best head collars for Dogs take time and patience to learn to use appropriately.
But, there are some things you might accidently do that make your dog dislike their head halter.
- Use the tool in a positive way – don’t use it for punishment or to get your dog to stop barking as that’s not what it’s designed for.
- Don’t jerk your dog around by the leash with the head collar attached since this can cause injury to your dog.
- Use only gentle guidance to coax your dog to follow you or guide your dog in the direction you want to go.
- The headcollar is not meant to prevent barking. Your Dog should still freely open their mouth to pant, drink water, or take small treats from you.
Eventually, with positive training, your dog adjusts to the halter and becomes more enjoyable to walk.
The best headcollar for Dogs is one that allows you to have more control over them while on walks and is comfortable for them to wear.
Keep trying until you find one that you both like and enjoy.
Having a healthy Dog also means meeting their physical needs, too. Not just walking them, but a complete fitness program.
Follow this healthy Dog exercise routine for fitness and health to complement your daily walks and extend the healthy years of your beautiful companion.
Choosing the Best Halti for a Dog and Training Them
There are so many models to choose from it’s sometimes overwhelming to pick the best halti for your Dog!
But using a training halti is only half the battle.
While you can buy the best tools to help your Dog, they’ll still need plenty of fun and interesting training to learn how to become the dog of your dreams.
💡 Dogs are one of the smartest breeds and need plenty of mental and brain stimulation, and Brain Training for Dogs sets your dog apart from the pack using fun games to develop your dog’s innate talents.
If you haven’t already started training your Dog then now’s the time!
You’ll feel accomplished and proud to walk your beautiful, well-behaved dog through your neighborhood with the best tool and training for the job.
And, you’ll be more at ease when you have a trained dog that listens to your commands and is the envy of every dog owner in town.
🐾 And that’s much less embarrassing and stressful for both you and your Dog.
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