Heeling Hairry

Do any of you have problems getting your dog to behave properly on a leash? Do you envy those people whose dogs walk sedately at their side, with slack on the leash? If you answer YES to these questions, run, don't walk, to your nearest pet store and purchase the product pictured above!

I pride myself on raising well-behaved dogs. Our dogs have always known who the pack leader is in our house; MOM. They are so well house-broken, that they won't pee on pavement. They MUST have grass to relieve themselves. They know how to sit, stay, come, leave it, lay down, and shut up, before they're 4 months old. When it comes to heeling, I've always had problems.

Our first dog, Buddy, was 1/2 Husky. A Husky's instincts tell them to PULL, the minute they are attached to a lead. Buddy responded well to a choke collar. The instant the collar became tight, he would back off and heel.

Our next dog, Boo, was a golden lab. Boo was extremely BOSSY and we continually butted heads with her. SME and L were always members of BOO'S pack, and Z was HER baby. Boo was well trained and behaved very well, in the house. Leash training was another story. Boo insisted on walking with the leash in her mouth, which circumvented the choke collar. I COULD have trained Boo out of this habit, but I just didn't have the time. I became pregnant with Z, when Boo was 4 months old; so leash training got put on the back burner.

Hairry, another golden lab, has NEVER had authority issues. He'll meekly let much smaller dogs bully him into submission. I always thought that Hairry's leash problems were a result of his enthusiasm. The minute he sees his leash, Hairry totally loses control and goes WILD! He immediately lunges to the end of the leash, tightening the choke collar, which makes him cough, gag, and wheeze. He merrily pulls us along, gagging and wheezing all the way.

I have been working with Hairry, in the house, using the one-step-at-a-time method. With this method, you command the dog to sit, as soon as they get one step in front of you. We were making SOME progress, in the house, with this method. The only problem is that this method requires DAILY reinforcement! Between work, homeschooling, and daily chores, I can't find the time for this.

I came across the Headcollar while shopping for rawhide bones at Menards this week. The enclosed instructions state that pressure at the front of a dog's neck, makes them want to pull. The Headcollar transfers pressure to the back of the dog's neck, which signals them to stop. In addition, the Headcollar has a loop which goes over the dog's nose. When the dog exerts pressure on the leash, the nose loop gently pulls their head back and towards you. This motion immediately tells the dog that YOU are in control. When the dog allows the leash to go slack, he regains his head motion.

The trickiest part of the Headcollar is fitting it properly. Hairry sat patiently for 1/2 an hour while I tightened and loosened the clasp according to the clearly written instructions.

Thursday afternoon was the only rain free time we've had all week, so I decided to take Hairry for a walk with his Headcollar. Hairry obediently allowed me to put the collar on his head. The minute I snapped his leash to the collar, Hairry went wild. Hairry stepped out the front door and lunged to the end of the leash. The nose loop immediately brought him up short, and looking at me in disbelief. Hairry then rolled his eyes and proceeded to have an all out temper tantrum. He leaped in the air, then threw himself on the ground, just like a spoiled 2 year old at the toy store. Hairry continued his tantrum for a full 5 minutes, while I stood calmly holding the leash. So this WAS a control issue with Hairry!

After exhausting himself with his tantrum, Hairry sat down and looked at me expectantly. We then took several tours around the yard so Hairry could test the limits of the collar. I got a few resentful looks, but he quickly realized that MOM and the leash were in control of the situation. We then went on the 2 block walk to my parents house. Hairry tested his limits several times, but he eventually resigned himself to allowing the leash to go slack.

The walk home was a dream come true. I allowed Hairry just enough slack on the leash so he could happily snuffle the ground as he walked at my side. He never ONCE pulled the leash tight!!

I found the Head Collar a bit pricey, at $16.95, for a couple of buckles on a couple of feet of nylon strap. After our walk, I thought it was worth EVERY PENNY!