I'm not easily impressed, especially with dog training gadgets, but this definitely impressed me. We recently rescued a 2 year old pit bull, weighing a skinny 65 pounds. He loves to run after anything that moves (dogs, cats, chickens, deer, etc), and will nearly pull me across the field when he gets a bead on something. Once he gains some more weight, I will not be able to hold him back if he decides to go after something. I bought the Halti (size 3) to try. WOW!!! Fortunately, he didn't fuss too much about it being on his muzzle he pawed at it a little, but I distracted him with a treat. Took him for a walk and he immediately learned that if he pulls, it tightens around his snout and it pulls his head towards me, whereas if he walks without pulling, it's very comfortable. He walked so good the first time, that I took him near the chicken pen just to test it out. As soon as he lunged, the Halti did what it's designed to do. He immediately quit lunging and walked obediently. I'm still amazed at how easily and quickly this worked.
I was so impressed that I went to buy one for my other dog (a pit bull mix, about 55 pounds, loves to pull while walking). They were out of the size that I needed, so I bought the more expensive Gentle Leader instead. She did not like it at all. Where the Halti is not snug on the muzzle unless the dog pulls, the GL has to be somewhat snug just due to its design. I did not like how the GL seemed to pass right under her eye sockets. I will be taking it back and getting the Halti.
The other feature that I liked about the Halti is that it has a semi-muzzle function to it. As the dog lunges forward, the band around the snout tightens making it difficult for the dog to open its mouth. The GL doesn't do this at all. The Halti is designed more like a horse halter and fits the larger, longer snouts of dogs exceptionally well. It does not cut up under the eye like the GL. (I can see where the GL might work better on squishy-faced dogs.)
I won't rant and rave about the benefits and drawbacks of using a headcollar each dog is different and responds differently to various training tools, and I'm assuming that you've found this product based off your own research and recommendations from trainers and friends.
The hard part is deciding which headcollar type to use. In the past decade, I've used several different headcollars, including the Halti, the Gentle Leader, the Petmate AKC Headcollar, and the Holt. In my opinion, the Holt is the sturdiest, most comfortable, and most flexible headcollar of the whole bunch, and is a worthy successor to my previous favorite, the Halti.
The Company Of Animals Halti Head Halter Black Size Halti Head Halter Black Sz 0 Training & Behavioral Aids
The Halti was, previously, the best halter for a very simple reason: it had side-straps on either side of the dog's face that prevented the noseband from riding up a dog's face and digging into the dog's eyes. It also worked without cinching the dog's mouth shut, like the Gentle Leader. However, the noseband was not padded, and while I made my own homemade padding for the noseband, it was at least very wide to prevent the material from biting into the dog's skin (unlike the Gentle Leader). The Halti generally came only in black, though colors could be found online. The Halti, despite being designed to function loose (and allowing a dog the full use of its mouth), often made your dog look "vicious" by wearing a "muzzle", particularly in the black color. Prior to the holt, this was the most comfortable.
HALTI PROS: comfort, looseness, prevents noseband from riding up, safety buckle connects to collar
HALTI CONS: limited colors, no padded noseband, can not be cinched tight for short-nose breeds
Gentle Leader Head Collar, Size: Small, Color: Royal Blue
The Gentle Leader, however, was the choice for short-nosed breeds. The Halti suffered when a shorter-snouted dog pawed at the noseband to remove it. The Gentle Leader's design cinched the dog's mouth closed with a locking mechanism, allowing it to be used snugly on short-nosed breeds. For standard-shaped noses, the cinching could be kept more loose to allow for more comfort. It did not have the side straps like the Halti, so it could ride up into the dog's eyes. The noseband was narrow and not padded (unless you shell out extra $ for the premium version not found in stores), so it bit into the dog's skin at the top of the nose. However, it came in multiple colors which helped it look less like a muzzle.
GENTLE LEADER PROS: color choices, cinches tight for short-nose breeds, safety buckle connects to collar
GENTLE LEADER CONS: uncomfortable narrow non-padded noseband (note: premium GL has nose padding, but still narrow), can ride up into eyes
Petmate 3/4-Inch by 16-24-Inch Medium AKC Padded Dog Halter, Brown
New to the game was the Petmate AKC-branded headcollar. This came in many colors and was pre-fitted with a fleece padded noseband. The noseband color is always brown, and there are additional options for colors of the straps. This headcollar looked the least like a muzzle. However, the locking mechanism was not sturdy and would often slide, allowing dogs (even long-nosed breeds) to paw the noseband off their face. It also did not come with a safety strap to connect the headcollar to a dog's normal buckle collar (though one could be homemade very easily). It also buckles underneath the neck, rather than on the side of the face.
PETMATE AKC PROS: color choices, fleece padded noseband
PETMATE AKC CONS: loose & slide-able lock, no safety strap to connect to collar
Now, onto the Holt. The Holt is identical to the Halti except for two key features: a "camlock" and a foam-padded noseband. The camlock is a very tight locking mechanism that does NOT budge when the dog paws at the noseband. It is a great tool to keep the headcollar ON your dog. For short-nosed breeds, the camlock can be set tight and will stay in place. It has the same great features of the halti to prevent the noseband from riding up into the eyes, and the safety strap to connect the headcollar to a buckle collar. In addition, the noseband is padded with black foam material, not fleece, and is extremely soft and comfortable. It is sewn on the underside of the headcollar, and does not interrupt the color (can not be seen while the dog is wearing the headcollar). The Holt comes in a variety of colors, including red, pink, and blue.
HOLT PROS: extremely comfortable, foam padded noseband, noseband doesn't ride up into eyes, camlock keeps noseband in place even with short-nosed breeds, multiple colors
HOLT CONS: ???
If you are considering a headcollar to train your dog, I highly recommend the Holt for all breeds. It is a worthy successor to the Halti and addresses the cons of that headcollar.
Please note that I have included customer photos showing the Halti and the Holt side-by-side in the "customer photo" section here:
Coastal Holt Dog Walking Collar, Blue, Size 0
Buy Coastal Holt Dog Walking Collar Now
We have purchased a great many collars, but even the gentle leader, which is a similar product, could not keep our big dogs at heel, but this did. The other reviewers are correct, dogs may chew through it. But that is true of most soft collars, and this is a much better choice than metal chokers. Simply keep an eye on your dog and you should be okay, because when the halti is taught, on walks, it's unbeatable. I rarely write reviews, but it's such a pleasure strolling with it, we thought it was helpful that we share.
Read Best Reviews of Coastal Holt Dog Walking Collar Here
We have used the Holt Dog Walking Dog Collar on several dogs who have "pulling" problems when walking and have found it to be very effective. The Holt Collar should only be used when walking and training your dog. It it not meant to be escape proof and should only be used when you are with your dog (i.e. do not tie the dog to a pole and walk away).
The collar has a safety strap that is to be attached to your dog's regular collar to prevent your dog from getting loose if they pull the Holt off their head. It is important to read the manual that comes with the Holt Collar and to fit the collar to the animal correctly. You can view the manual at the manufactures web site.
[Amazon won't allow the link to the web site, just do a search for Coastal Pet Products]
Several dogs I have used this on did not like it at first (ok they loathed it entirely) but you just need to work with them in steps and they will get used to it.
Holt Size Breed Examples
0 Miniature Dachshund, Papillon, Toy Poodle, Yorkie
1 Border Terrier, Cairn Terrier, Jack Russell, Standard Dachshund
2 Beagle, Border Collie, Cockers, Saluki, Schnauzer, Standard Poodle
3 Afghan, Boxer, Chow Chow, Dalmatian, Doberman, Greyhound, Husky
4 Mastiff, Clumber Spaniel, Great Dane, Newfoundland, Rottweiler
5 Bloodhound, Large Danes, Mastiffs, St. Bernard
(more breed examples listed in owner's manual found at manufacture's web site)
Unfortanately Holt uses breeds instead of actual dimensions for sizing. Keep in mind that dogs of the same breed can very in size, if your dog is smaller or larger then average you might have to adjust the size up or down accordingly.
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The Halti must be correctly sized and unfortunately the sizing info to determine the correct size is poor. The Holt sizing chart is based on breeds and didn't work for my mutt. Way too big. Why don't they provide the sizing info based on the circumference of the muzzle and neck?
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The action is very smooth and certainly won't cause tingling in your fingers as some will. I would recommend this one for indoor use and with sensitive pets. For outdoor use at a distance you may want something a bit louder. Dogs have excellent hearing when they want to, and this is certainly something they want to hear!
