When we are walking he gets so excited when he sees another dog and sounds like he wants to tear them apart. He really just wants to see the dog and play…. If the owner of the other dog is willing to come close he will calm down and sniff and wants to play. He also will bark and jump at bikers and joggers as they go by us.

I have been making him stop and sit and stay and I get in front of him when something approaches and tell him to stay but he wiggles around me and it is a chore. It takes all my muscles to hold him and constant verbal cues for him. Every once in a while he will do it beautiful as if to say see I can do this sometimes….. when I want.

We adopted him to be a companion for a Siberian Husky who was rescued from a puppy mill when she was 1. We had our Husky for 3 years when we adopted the Aussie and she is doing great but still skittish about any aggression around her. She trust me completely but really gets scared and skittish if I try to correct the Aussie. She and the Aussie have become fast friends and best buddies though so that is good.

We tried the Gentle Leader a few months ago for about a month and at times it worked like a charm on the Aussie. But most of the time he was a bucking bronco. He kept managing to slip it off his face in a matter of seconds and so we kept trying to tighten it up so he couldn’t get it off. My worry was we had tightened it up too much on his snout and he could not pant enough to stay cool.

Once when we were going on our walk he had the leader on and was starting to walk with me and not pay attention to the leader. He did really well for a few blocks. When we crossed a street (thank goodness not a busy one) he did his quick second maneuver to try to pull it off and got his toe nail caught on the muzzle part and it pulled him down in the street trying to get it loose and off.

I couldn’t help but laugh at his antiques with all his moving around on his side with is paw caught his leash caught around his other feet and he was essentially hog tied. I found myself in tears laughing in the middle of the street with our Aussie’s paw stuck while trying to get out of the Gentle leader. It was a priceless moment I wish I had on tape for how Not to use the Gentle leader.

Would the Halti work any better for our Aussie? We did have some luck with the Gentle leader and are going to try it again now that it is cooler and I won’t be worried he can’t pant enough to cool off. Before we tried it again I have been searching online for something that will work better or we won’t have to fit it so tight to get it to stay on him.

I love the idea of the two ended leash to be used for walking him….. that is a great idea. I use a gentle harness right now for him and think I am going to put a regular harness and try either the Gentle leader or the Halti with it and a two headed leash.

I would welcome any other suggestions! I adore both of these dogs and can get our Aussie to behave but it is a chore. I love to take them on long walks but have to be on constant alert to any joggers, bikers or other dogs in the area.

You may use the Halti as long as you feel it is necessary. Ideally, you will eventually try to wean your dog off of it, but she is still young and there may always be situations where that bit of extra control comes in handy. If she is relaxed and comfortable wearing it, that can also help her relax in those challenging situations. It becomes valuable to her as well as to you. I wouldn’t rush to get her off of it. Used correctly (and preferably with a double ended leash), it is safe for long-term use.