Chapter 50: The Halti

The Halti is a head collar that fits around the dog’s neck and muzzle. You may or may not receive this collar, depending on the needs of your team. Your instructor will work with you. The Halti provides safe and humane control, and enables you to more easily feel the movements of the dog’s head. We NOT do use a snap and release correction when using the halti, just a gentle pull and release.

We will discuss

  1. Orienting yourself to the Halti,
  2. Getting your dog used to the Halti, and
  3. Working your dog with the Halti.
  1. Orienting yourself to the Halti:
  • The Halti has many straps, and can be confusing.

Start with small metal thumb clip. This clip is attached to the safety strap, and affixes to your dog’s working collar.

  • Follow the safety strap up to a metal ring. The safety strap affixes to the ring with a slip knot.
  • The other strap in this ring is the nose loop. The nose loop feeds up througha secondmetal ring, and then opens up to slide onto the dog’s muzzle.
  • With one hand on each side of the nose loop, slide your hands back along the cheek straps, to find the neck loop. The neck loop is short on the one side and long on the other, each ending with a plastic buckle. It is adjustable, and fits snugly high on the dog’s neck, just behind the ears, as tight as a belt or watch. The neck loop buckle will not fasten if inside out or twisted.
  • Take some time to become familiar with the parts of the head collar. Have fun and test yourself – jumble it all up and try again!

2. Getting your dog used to the Halti:All dogs have worked with the Halti, but if it’s been a while, start slowly to get it used to it again. Do positive repetitions with food reward to build a happy experience, making the dog look forward to wearing it. Repeat these happy exposures to keep your dog used to the Halti.

  • If you have our stuffed dogs, practice with them first.
  • Place the nose loop over the dog’s nose, praise, give a treat, and take it off. Repeat a few times. When you take the Halti off, do not praise the dog. We want the dog to be happy with the Halti going on, not coming off. Dogs will easily build a positive emotional response to wearing the Halti. Halti on is fun. Halti off is boring!
  • Now add the neck loop. Place the nose loop over the muzzle, treat again, and then slide your hands back on the cheek straps to find the neck loop, and buckle it high on the neck behind the ears. Treat, praise, and remove. Repeat, with much positive praise and food reward with each step.
  • Now put it on, buckle the neck strap, clip the safety clip to the dog’s working collar, and clip the leash to the lowest ring, the one that the safety strap connects to. Give a treat. The weight of the leash pulls down on the dog’s muzzle a little, so your dog may need to get used to this again.
  • Now heel the dog a bit, keeping the leash slack. If you feel tension, that means the Halti is squeezing the dog’s muzzle. If the dog is pulling, have the dog sit, loosen up.
  • If take off the halti without unclipping the leash, the dog will be free! First reclip leash to working collar, then unsnap safety snap and unsnap neck loop to take off halti.
  1. Working your dog with the Halti.
  • When the leash is clipped to the Halti, it clips under the dog’s chin, forward from the neck, and you’ve lost some of that length. You’ll need to hold the leash under the harness with a smaller loop.
  • Be sure there is plenty of slack in the leash. If you feel tension, the Halti is moving your dog’s head.
  • When heeling your dog in the Halti, keep the leash loose. If the dog pulls or paws at the Halti, redirect with a sit, then praise.
  • If your dog is sitting and pawing, redirect with a let’s go, and change location. If your dog is fussing a lot, back up a step and repeat the positive exposure with food reward.
  • Reward your dog whenever your dog is calm with the halti. Use praise, food reward, and physical praise, whatever works best for your dog.
  • When removing the Halti remember to reconnect the leash to the live ring on the working collar first.
  • A correction with the Halti is simply gently pulling the leash to move the dog’s head, then release, and redirect the dog with a command for a different behavior.
  • Very important – we do not use the traditional snap and release correction when clipped to the Halti. This can cause injury.
  • Avoid using the Halti during extreme heat or for long periods of time. Dogs cannot effectively pant to fully cool themselves down with the Halti on.
  • Do not use the Halti while your dog is eating, drinking, parking.
  • Do use the Haltiwhen you need some extra control or to prevent sniffing in places with food distractions.

A Halti may look like a muzzle to some people – it is not. A side note about muzzles and the public: While the law does not address muzzles specifically, a well behaved & groomed guide dogs are allowed public access by law. Poorly-behaved & unkempt dogs may be asked to leave the premises.According to the Department of Justice, asking someone to muzzle a well-behaved guide dog is in essence denying someone free access as defined by the ADA. Fear of said dog is not justification for requiring a muzzle for right of access. That being said, a Halti may look like a muzzle, and if you need to momentarily concede the point for access, a Halti can be used.

Summary:

Keep yourself and your dog acclimated to the Halti. Go slowly and happily if you need to reacquaint your dog. Leave plenty of slack, don’t use for prolonged periods or in extreme heat, and never snap and release for correction. This sums up the Halti lecture.