Basically I have the same advice Critter Crazy had. Listen to the instructions that come with them.

What i did though is pull out the Halti and show it to the dog and treat when it walks up to it. Move the Halti away a bit and treat the dog when it goes up to it again. Now hold up the Halti so that the dog has to slip its nose through to get the treat. Depending on how shy to new things are you can stop here for now for about an hour. Put the Halti away and ignore your dog. Ignore it. Hey, no peeking. Yes, I know it's difficult. Oh, and while you still have the Halti out and are giving treats give verbal or physical praise too... whatever your dog likes. Now it's been an hour. Repeat the process. This time with the collar portion adjusted to be a bit loose clasp it and treat and praise your dog. Give more treats and praise. If this is going well and your dog isn't freaking you may adjust the collar portion. Otherwise you way want to take if off before your dog freaks. That way they don't associate the freaking with getting the Halti off.

Now this is where a professional trainer came in handy. Workers at two different pet stores were less than competent. I was afraid of the Halti being adjusted too tight. I definitely had it too loose. If fitted properly the dog won't be able to pull out of it, but you'll still be able to fit two to three fingers flatly under it.

To know you have the right size your dog should be able to fully pant, but when you pull on the leash the Halti should fully close their mouth. Also, the collar portion will sit high on the neck.

Again... FULLY READ THROUGH THE INSTRUCTIONS THAT COME WITH IT!!!

The trainer prefers the Gentle Leader, but for this dog I much prefer the Halti. What a lot of people won't tell you is that the Halti also has a LOT softer of a mesh.

Also, If you have a dog with out aggression issues that just likes to pull I HIGHLY suggest trying a chain leash first. (I prefer the ones with the leather handles but those are no longer in production ) With a little bit of training and a chain leash a lot of people that have tried it have noticed a huge difference in walking their dog. They didn't believe me until they tried it.

However do NOT use a chain leash or any other heavy leash with a Halti or Gentle Leader. It will put constant pressure on the dog. In the very least it makes it uncomfortable for the dog. I suggest any lightweight nylon leash or rope. If you normally use a 1 1/2 inch leash, switch to a 3/4 inch leash for the head collars. You'll notice a difference in how your dog reacts to walking with the Halti.

Good Luck EVERYONE!

Quote Originally Posted by Suki Wingy
I have the same problem and it really bothers me! What did you do to get them used to the halti?