When it comes to dog training, people will try a number of things to see what is successful. And one of the things what has enjoyed increasing popularity is the head collar. What is a head collar you might ask? It is a collar that slips over your dog's muzzle as well as the neck and is attached to a lead. The collar, which restraining, still allows room for the dog to open its mouth as well as bark, eat and drink. However, if you apply some pressure with the lead attached to the head collar, the mouth will close.
The design of the head collar is such that even if the muzzle part of the collar slips off, there is still a collar on around the neck; it sort of acts as a back-up device. With the use of a head collar, dogs instinctively react to that pressure. They learn quickly who is the boss - you! Dog trainers sometimes use the head collar because it does not use the normal corrections for behavior. They also use it for the more aggressive dogs during their training as a precautionary measure.
There are some advantages to using a head collar during dog training. First, they are easy to use. And if you are a do-it-yourselfer dog trainer, the head collar will yield more results and is "nicer" than a training collar (aka choker collar). Secondly, a head collar is quite successful in deterring dogs when they pull at the leash.
Incendiary dog training situations can often use the head collar too. When it comes to adding distractions to training, sometimes, the allure of other dogs is too much. With a head collar, you as the trainer, have more control over your dog. In addition, if you have a strong, powerful dog, a head collar is a great tool for training purposes. It will allow you to retain the upper hand. In addition, dogs that still cannot control themselves in heavily public area benefit from the head collar.
And with advantages, there are also disadvantages to the head collar. For instance, the head collar can lure a dog into a sense of dependency. They will use it as a crutch for tempering their behavior. If you switch to a traditional collar, they quickly revert back to their original, bad behavior. And sometimes, if your dog does not like the head collar, they will do everything in their power to get it off. Whether it is rubbing it against a tree trunk or using their claws, they could injure themselves trying to get it off. Keep them moving and distract them from the collar. Hopefully, in time, they become accustomed to it.
With head collars, many misinformed dog owners try and use it as a muzzle and cannot use it properly. It is not a muzzle because the dog still has movement of their mouth. The bottom line is that you simply have to research the product and decide if the pros outweigh the cons in terms of your dog training needs.
