Review on Halti Opti-fit Headcollar - No Pull Dog Head Collar, Ideal for Leash Training, Stops Pulling, Comfortable, Adjustable, Humane, Durable, Safe, Effective - Available in 3 Sizes by Wendy Bengtson

We have a 4 year old purebred German Shepherd weighing 120 pounds. He is by no means overweight and is much larger than most of his breed. Our problem with his walking is that he likes to chase birds and squirrels. The collar gives us more control and draws his attention back to walking when he is excited and wants to chase something while walking. I know halti is meant to be a temporary training device, but our dog is going to need a collar forever because it's a lot easier to control him that way than trying to keep him from chasing someone with just the collar. We've been using the Gentle Leader with it for a while now and it seems to be working great. My fiance loves its simplicity and the control it gives us with our excited dog. I recently became aware of the Halti Head Collar and wanted to try it against our Gentle Leader. We chose the large Halti because of its size (Halti recommends the medium size for the breed). Gentle Leader Cons: Thin, unpadded straps that leave marks (no wound or cut, just a visible mark) on my dog's face. Doesn't seem to hurt him, but it bothers me. Sometimes he can remove part of his nose by rubbing his head on the ground (same goes for Halti). The muzzle gets very close to him pulling in the opposite direction to me (more than Halti I would say). Benefits of Gentle Leader: more control. Delivery in many colors. Our dog cannot move the clip that adjusts part of the muzzle. Halti Cons: Our dog can move the clip under his chin to adjust part of his muzzle and open his mouth very wide. While I think it's just because of the face that needs to be left out entirely so it can breathe and drink comfortably, I still think it's something Halty needs to fix. This clip needs to be stronger. He also rubs his head on the ground and can detach a piece of his snout (same goes for Gentle Leader). Advantages of Halti: For me, the disadvantages and characteristics of the Gentle Leader far outweigh the disadvantages. At 5ft 1in and light weight, my dog has an extra neck strap and spare clip that attaches to the collar which gives me more control and confidence. It has a much wider and softer muzzle which I think is more comfortable for my dog - it doesn't leave marks like the Gentle Leader. I also love the sliding details that connect the muzzle strap to the head strap. They also add support and control and help keep the strap on his face away from his eyes (the strap still gets close to his eyes when he's crazy and wants to chase something, but works great for regular walking - Gentle Leader does that . the same ). Whilst I think my fiance would prefer a gentler leader as he is smaller and simpler he is also taller and stronger than me to be able to control our dog. I think Halti offers more control and requires less effort I feel safe and in control when our dog tries to chase something while walking. This is the longest uct product review I have ever written but with a large breed dog with lots of energy it is difficult to find good products and good reviews to help me find the best products for my dog. So I hope this helps someone else!