Hi there, Can anyone tell me if they have tried the Cesar Millan Illusion Collar? I have done alot of obedience with my two year old Otis and off lead he is brill but he still pulls on the lead. Have tried all sorts of harnesses, haltis etc to no avail. Problem is when it was just him it was bearable but now I have two more dogs, both 9 months old, and although they too are great off lead I am again having problems on the lead. Would appreciate some advise and help

Hi you will find that some people on the forum aren't fans of Ceasar Millan so you will get mixed feelings in the replies you receive.
I haven't tried the collar myself, I think Tasha was thinking about trying one, but not sure if she ever got around to buying one. There are some for sale on Ebay here
Have you tried the dogmatic head collar?
I know how you feel when a dog is excited and pulling to get to their walk

How does this illusion collar work?

Welcome BTW

no I never got round to using it, at the end of the day there are other a little more basic training options that will help with lead pulling, stop and start for example if done consistantly is usually successful. Alternatively a halti does the job and is very effective.

I have never seen one of these collars in action but if you look at the warning and the dislaimers on his site:

WARNING: If your dog's neck measures less than 13 inches at the base, or your dog weighs less than 18 lbs, you should NOT use the collar. The Illusion collar is not intended for puppies under one year of age. Dogs with any breathing problems, such as "pushed-in faces" that restrict breathing; dogs with trachea or throat problems, such as Pomeranians; and dogs with elongated, overly slender necks, such as Greyhounds, should NOT use the collar. Consult your local professional or veterinarian for further advice.

Then look at the design of the collar, it seems that it works by holding the part of the collar which tightens when the dog pulls, high up on the neck, in the most vulnerable, delicate part , so in effect it is a device to make it easier you choke your dog more efficiently. Choke chain advocates will tell you to put the chain higher up on the neck if the dog continues to pull.

This is an interesting article about Cesar Milan and his methods:

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/08/31/opini ... ted=1&_r=1

There is no way I'd use one of these collars on any dog of mine

Hello and Welcome

Milo is now 13 months old and is only just learning not to pull, he still has his moments tho

I tried lots of different techniques and approaches before i excepted i had a weimaraner what i have settled on is a halti which doesnt work just by itself so what id do is set off with a Heel command, as soon as Milo starts to go infront i turn on my heel and head for home, he will whine and fuss, but i do not turn around until he is quiet.
This gets repeated until he cottons on.
On our usual walk it takes 5 minutes to get to the field, the first time i used this technique it took nearly 40 mins but my patience and consistency is definately starting to pay off. My ultimate goal is to have him walk on a loose lead using just a flat collar and no halti.

I would suggest if your dogs pull you take them out individually as you will be fighting a losing battle otherwise yes it will take alot of time,but it will be worth it in the end. I would also suggest that if you try this technique be prepared to walk all the way back home and try again later, I have walked Milo and because he didnt walk nicely at all ended up back home 20 mins into the walk, the concentration they use when you are training them can tire them out too.

Have to say i am very lucky as both the girls walk perfectly to heel on loose leads i would have had a nervous breakdown if all 3 pulled on their leads.

Good luck and keep us updated!

Yes, I would take then out individually until they understand the concept, then gradually increase the numbers.
The collar you talk about is used in the same way as the choke chain, Many trainers who allow themn to be used tell the handlers to put the chain right up the neck, just behind the ears. Personally I wouldn't use one but of course we all have a choice to make.

Joan wrote:This is an interesting article about Cesar Milan and his methods:

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/08/31/opini ... ted=1&_r=1

There is no way I'd use one of these collars on any dog of mine

That article sums up everything I am trying to tell people about Cesar Millan and how much of a prat he is. Thanks for posting that, will make my life a lot easier jess

I'm afraid I think some of his training methods work especially with pack orientation. At the beginning of most of the programs he does state that the equipment used is that already in use with the owners of the dogs. Far too many people jump to the conclusion that he provides them

I hope people reading that article don't jump to the conclusion that Prozac is better!

Hi, i have never used the collar, but would like to know a bit more.
I really dont have a problem with his methods, and the important factor here is that he adapts a lot of his training teqniques to suit each individual dog.
Anyone that has seen his canine centre will see the controll he has over so many dogs, from tiny to large, and there is certainly no fear shown to him when he is there, and dogs cant act.
I will say no more on the subject, except he does always say do not try some of the teqniques without the help of a trainer, or words to the affect.
Do let us know how you get on.

Cesar Millan has a wonderful pack of dogs who do not seem in any way frightened of him, in fact they all love him.

A lot of them would probably have been put to sleep if he hadn't stepped in.

Love him or hate him you must give him credit for that.

Thanks everyone for your advice & opinions. I do already take the boys out seperately and as you can guess, they don't pull anyway near as much in fact they walk pretty well to heel. Its hard to take just two out at a time but maybe this is the next step. I did try using a check chain for one day and found that it didn't stop the youngsters pulling at all although my bigger boy did seem to take more notice. I don't think I'll continue along this vein as I'm not keen on that method. I've tried the halti and head collars in different styles but found they don't seem to fit really so next I am going to try the dogmatic head collars which look like they have a better shape, keeping the straps down at the sides of the face and not riding up. Thanks again for all of your help, I am a newbie and was blown away at the response to my question. Many thanks.

I wouldn't try Cesar's headcollar but I think I've tried most of the others and they all have their faults. Taking my two out on a lead walk is a nightmare. Enzo pulls like a train for about 15 minutes or until he has found a suitable place for a poo, but I have to watch him extremely carefully and keep him on a very short lead so he doesn't eat anything off the ground which usually makes him ill. This would work but when he decides he wants to wee on something he'll suddenly make a lunge for it, taking my arm with him. Rossi the younger one barks and lunges at cars going in either direction so I have to have good control of him. He'll also try and chase cats if they decide to run in front of us so I walk him on a headcollar for his and my safety!

Enzo hates all headcollars and will try and tear them off his face - the only he will accept is the Gencon (Gentle Controller). I do find that when Rossi pulls really hard it cuts into his neck so I prefer the Dogmatic for him. I don't think it has enough room for the mouth to open though, so I tend to swap the two around occasionally. I know Kerrie had trouble finding the right size Dogmatic to fit her longhair, Luca because of the shape of his head. Maybe they are related!

As Sarah said most of the various devices have faults and are not suitable for everyone or dog, hence me using a specific technique as well and do
not just rely on the head collar.