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Dog training with a head collar
By Barry Gilbert
The head collar has become an increasingly popular dog
training tool in the past couple of years. Two of the
most well known brands of head collar on the market are
the Gentle Leader and the Halti, but there are many other
brands that incorporate the basic head collar concept.
Many people find the Gentle Leader easier to fit that
the Halti, and in addition the Gentle Leader is designed
to fasten around the dog's neck. The advantage of this
design is that even if the dog is somehow able to wriggle
out of the muzzle, it is still wearing a collar. This
safety feature is very important, especially during
training outside or in novel situations. On the other
hand, the Halti offers better control of the dog, and for
this reason it is often favored when working with very
aggressive dogs.
Training a dog with a head collar has a number of
advantages over training with a traditional or training
collar. For one thing, head collars are often easier to
use for beginning dog trainers than are training collars.
Head collars are also quite effective at preventing dogs
from pulling, or controlling and retraining dogs that
tend to pull.
Head collars can also be quite effective at controlling
dogs in difficult situations, such as controlling a dog
that wants to be with other dogs. Most owners know of
some situations in which their dogs are difficult to
control, and head collars can be quite effective at
controlling these volatile situations.
Head collars can be excellent for controlling dogs that
are very strong, or for working with a dog in an area
that contains a great many distractions. For instance,
head collars are great for when your dog is on an outing,
or in an area where there will be other dogs and other
distractions.
Even though a head collar can be a great tool, it should
not be used as a replacement for effective dog training.
A head collar is most effective when it is used in
combination with strong and sensible dog training
methods, such as reward training and other forms of
positive reinforcement.
Disadvantages of head collars
Even though head collars have many advantages, they have
some distinct disadvantages as well. For one thing, head
collars tend to make many dogs dependent on the
equipment, and they quickly learn the difference between
their regular collar and the head collar, and adjust
their behavior accordingly.
In addition, some dogs, particularly those not
accustomed to wearing a head collar, dislike wearing it
and paw at it, try to rub it off or pull excessively. If
your dog exhibits this behavior, the best strategy is to
keep it moving until it learns to accept the collar. A
good alternative is to have the dog sit by pulling up on
the dog's head.
Another disadvantage of the head collar is the reaction
that many people have to it. Many people think that a
head collar is a muzzle, and react to the dog as if it
may bite. While this is not necessarily a defect of the
head collar, many people do find it troublesome.
In conclusion, training with a head collar is much like
training with a training collar or any other equipment.
While the head collar can be an important and useful
tool, it is important to use it appropriately, follow all
package instructions, and to combine its use with solid
training methods. The eventual goal of dog training with
a head collar should be to have the dog behave as well
with a regular collar as it does with the specialized
head collar.
About the Author
Barry Gilbert
Our Dog Obedience Training Secrets TRANSFORM Your
Dog's Behavior Problems! "And puts an End to the
Stress and Annoyance of Your Dog's Behavior!
http://www.auctionbusinesssite.com/dogs/
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