Head Halter
The head halter is a tool that is intended for a dog who is a strong puller. It works on the negative reinforcement principle—when the dog stops pulling, the bad thing (the pressure on the dog's muzzle) stops.
The head halter works on the same principle as a halter on a horse—control the head and the body must follow. People learned centuries ago that they could control the horse, an animal weighing over 1,000 pounds, by putting a halter on his head. Only recently did people realize that this same tool could work for dogs.
At one time, the head halter was widely embraced by the positive training community, and indeed it appears far more positive than choke chains, prong collars, and shock collars. However, while some still use them routinely, many positive trainers are increasingly realizing that a good percentage of dogs find the head halter significantly aversive. Most dogs need to be introduced to the halter slowly, and they may resist unless it is done gently and gradually. Even then, some dogs never accept it, and others may only learn to tolerate it. Given the opportunity, most will still try to rub it off with their paws, on the grass, or on their owners' legs—which gives us a clue as to how much they don't like it. In addition, the head halter can act to suppress behavior, causing the dog to shut down, which actually interferes with his ability to learn and enjoy learning.
The author uses a treat as a lure to get Josie to offer a desired behavior. (Photo by Paul Miller)
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