An increasing number of guide dog puppies are being seen raised in haltis. A halti is a nylon halter that goes loosly around the dogs muzzle and snaps behind the ears. The leash attaches below the dogs chin and is also snapped to a nylon or chain slip collar. Although the halti may look like a muzzle at first, it is fit loose enough for the dog to open its mouth fully. A dog can eat, drink, and even yawn comfortably while wearing a halti.
Halti's act like a halter for the dog. They follow the principle that the dog's body must go where the head goes. The halti allows the trainer to control where the dog's head points with minimal pressure, and thus, control where the dog goes without having to give strong leash corrections. It is important that all dogs returned for their formal training have a neck that is sensative, so that they respond to leash corrections promptly. Dogs in haltis do not recieve direct leash corrections on their necks and this preserves their neck sensativity. Halti's are especially useful for dogs that are otherwise difficult to control.
Guide dogs has increased the use of haltis greatly in the last two years. Although not every puppy will need a halti, once the recomendation has been made by Guide Dogs for the Blind to place a pup in a halti, they must stay in it until they are returned for formal training. The pup only wears the halti when it is being socialized in public, or places that the pup may be hard to control. Now GDB has every dog that is returned for formal training recieves at least some instruction while working in a halti. The halti allows people who are not as physically strong, those with less than perfect timing for corrections, and people with high energy dogs a way to train their dog in a controlable fashion.
Note most of this Information came from Canines in coats club.
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