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weight ratios and walking on lead. . .halter for a chihuahua

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Foxxy

Pocket Wolf		 
 
Barked: Thu Feb 10, '11 1:50am PST 
so, the difference between a 250 pound man and his 5 pound chihuahua is about the same as that same man and an empty boxcar.

this is something to think about when you see a little one straining on his collar. Would you like to be pulling a boxcar around by your neck?

This is something I have to explain to people with little dogs honking and wheezing at the end of their leash. Yet these same people will chide me for putting a snoot loop on Foxxy.

Yes, she has a snoot loop. She has a hard time staying on task with me. Taggert has a collar because he never pulls, but Foxxy is distracted by everything, and wants to be everywhere. She actually walks beside me if I lead her by the head. The funniest thing is that I see people back away from foxxy. they won't ask to pet her when she's wearing her snoot loop because they think it's a muzzle. Is it right for someone to see the snoot loop, mistake it for a muzzle, walk up to you at petsmart and tell you that you shouldn't have vicious dogs in the store? come on.

does anyone else use a gentle leader or snoot loop for their tiny dog?
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Butters

~7lbs. of- spoiled rotten~		 
 
Barked: Fri Feb 11, '11 7:21am PST 
Oh wow! I've never even seen a small dog on a head lead. But, I suppose it does make for a great idea for those pullers.

Butters is a puller and, I've got a "no pull" harness for him that works somewhat, but it honestly hasn't helped much. I kind of wonder if I should try a head lead with him...thinking
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Foxxy

Pocket Wolf		 
 
Barked: Fri Feb 11, '11 12:28pm PST 
yeah, foxxy uses the snoot loop. I found it at the humane society bow-tique. I liked it because it came with a dvd about how to use it.

I tried th eno pull harness with foxxy, and it didn't work for me, she just kept pulling

http://www.snootloop.com/page3.html

Edited by author Fri Feb 11, '11 12:32pm PST

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Halo

Howling good- times to be had- with me.		 
 
Barked: Sat Feb 12, '11 12:29pm PST 
Halo is not exactly a small breed but, though he works on just his collar at home, in public (PetSmart, the local co-op and other places he is permitted) I do use a snoot loop. No that I don't trust him as I do all of my angels but, I don't trust other humans, especially young children not to do something he may react badly to and the snoot loop gives me that extra bit of control if I ever need it.
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Foxxy

Pocket Wolf		 
 
Barked: Mon Feb 14, '11 5:45pm PST 
That's exactly how I use Foxxy's as well. I can control her in the pet store and on long walks better, and control her barking without carrying a water bottle all the time.

The only problem i have with the snoot loop is that the petite size uses knots instead of clasps on the sides. It took me a couple days of experimentation to get it to fit properly so that she couldn't paw it off, yet still be able to yawn. I bought the B model for her, but I had to wind up clipping the forehead strap off because it tied in the back and wouldn't stay properly, but she doesn't seem to need that extra strap to keep it on the face properly. Maybe if I had a chin instead of a chi, it's just that the only model they had left on clearance was the brachycephalic one. I haven't seen a gentle leader or halti that fits her. Do they make them in Chihuahua size?

Edited by author Mon Feb 14, '11 5:46pm PST

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Bianca CGC- TT HIC Thd- ♥

What big ears- you have...
 
 
Barked: Sat Feb 19, '11 11:33am PST 
They do make a Size 0 Halti which is supposed to fit a Chihuahua.
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Conker - CGC, CA

OBEY ME!		 
 
Barked: Sun Feb 20, '11 5:00pm PST 
Conker's not exactly a really small dog (Shiba Inu) but people always want to pet him. I'm not too confident on trying a halti-leader thing since he tends to bolt at prey critters and run from strangers so he might snap his head around or something. I use a harness with him but if I want more control I use a martingale collar.
Maybe I should get a gentle-halti and just have him wear it so people will think he's mean and not want to pet him XD

I've seen plenty of smaller dogs like Chihuahuas, Pomeranians and Doxens with head things and don't think it's weird at all. A smaller dog is just as capable as a larger one of injuring itself while pulling hard with a collar.
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Byron

Small dogs can- have BIG jobs!		 
 
Barked: Sun Feb 20, '11 7:40pm PST 
I think that if one wants to use any kind of head halter style lead on a small dog (or any dog for that matter), one needs to be very careful how one uses it. Pulling the head up and back can be traumatic to the spine. And when you are working with a small or tiny breed, it is basically impossible not to do so, if the lead is pulled taunt, because you are naturally much taller than the dog. Unless every time the dog goes to the end of the lead, you crouch down on the ground. One shoud be VERY careful to not let the dog hit the end of the leash or pull on the leash with any strength when in a head halter. I have seen advanced trainers make this same mistake and it makes me cringe every time. I would prefer the use of an Easy Walk harness, if you are able to find one that fits. But most importantly, no training gear is for life. Training gear is there to assist you with training. The end goal is to put the dog in a regular collar or harness, once it has learned loose lead walking. If you are not there yet, then keep up with the positive reinforcement loose lead training. All the best.
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Foxxy

Pocket Wolf		 
 
Barked: Sat Mar 5, '11 12:24am PST 
I have noticed that with the halter, foxxy will not charge to the end. When she gets there, the leash turns her head aside, and she will either stop or sit.

The trick with the halter is applying slow, gentle pressure. You absolutely cannot snap the leash. YOu are not ever to apply enough pressure that the dog's feet come up. Sure it's a learning process, but the anti pulling harnesses weren't really working
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Tinker

Villian		 
 
Barked: Thu Apr 7, '11 3:32pm PST 
I personally hate gentle leaders, haltis, snoop loops...etc. I always encourage my clients to try not using them and we try other ways. I think they mask problems instead of working through them. This being said if after working with my clients I will work with them the way they feel comfortable because it is more important for the dog to get out and experience walks and life, this is more likely to happen when the owner is comfortable and happy!! My chihuahua walks on a harness but she walks next to me or behind me, she was a puller at first but it did not take her long to learn to walk a way I wanted her to, as long as the leash is slack I am happy!! I think she walks behind me to stay out of the way of the other 3 dogs...lol
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