Haltie face collars are good, in fact they are the "most humane." Unfortunately, unless the dog is very submissive, there are usually problems with using and introducing them. Many dogs will not accept the wrap-around nature of the "collar" and simply won't walk anywhere. They will spend all of their time trying to get it off and will not have any interest in going for a walk. Other dogs will take personal offense and bark and snap at you that you "muzzled" them. Some dogs will whine, cry, and bark for whatever reason and run around francically. It also gives the unknowing public the impression that the dog is muzzled which will keep many people away from your dog and limit your dog's socialization.

Also mentioned above is the Pro Stop Gentle Harness. It didn't stop my mother's silky terrier from pulling, so I don't see how it would stop a German shepherd. It works by putting pressure on the back of the front legs near the shoulder when the dog pulls, akin to having someone pull your arms behind your back farther than they are supposed to go. This scares the dog and can really hurt the dog, but won't stop the most determined pullers. The jumping and yelping is not out of frustration, but because the dog is truly in pain and wants to get off of its front legs to aleviate that pain. The most determined pullers, like my mother's silky, will simply build up muscular resistance to the harness and choker action over time.

As a dog trainer, I have seen more dogs that do not agree with the haltie collars and harnesses than those that do (and we are talking probably close to a hundred dogs we attempted to fit with the collar in the last five years). They worked for about thirty percent of the dogs, the rest would not accept it and couldn't acclimate to it within the two weeks that most manufacturers recommend. We do not recommend any harness style control devices in our club.

Far more effective for relief of pulling is the prong collar. It works almost immediately. It is more humane and effective than the slip-chain collar (which requires plenty of training for proper usage) and the dog will acclimate to it in minutes. Unfortunately for the prong collar, most people look at it and think that it is a sort of medieval torture device that must be hurting the dog. Used improperly, it will hurt the dog so I will also let you know how it is to be used.

You, as the trainer, should do nothing to correct the dog if using a prong collar. The dog will do all of the work. The first time that the dog attempts to pull on the leash, it will correct itself. The second time it pulls on the leash, if it hasn't learned already, it will learn that pulling on the leash is unpleasant. Usually by the third time the dog tries to pull on the leash, it realizes that if it does it will be uncomfortable again and will stop before the correction. By the end of the first walk, the dog is usually walking right by your side.

As with any collar or harness, however, it can be abused. When the dog corrects itself, it stops before the point of pain. If you, the handler, pull out of anger or because you think that you have to pull back and pull back too hard, you can cause the dog pain.

Choosing a prong collar is pretty simple, though people often choose incorrectly. If your shepherd is short haired and less than about 95lbs., choose a medium sized prong. Only if your dog is a long, stiff haired breed or very heavy (i.e. Newfoundland big and heavy) would you need a large prong. The smaller the prong, the more effective it is and the less likely it is to hurt your dog. Get the smallest prong that will reach through the dog's fur and still be strong enough not to break if the dog pulled with all their might. For most German shepherds, this is a medium prong.

Please try this if the harness doesn't work of if it appears that the harness is hurting your dog.