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The Head Collar, also called a Halti or a Halter Training Collar
There is a saying among wrestlers that, undoubtedly, has been recited and restated endlessly as it has been passed down continuously from one grappler to the next since ancient times, which is this: To control the head is to control the man. The head collar, also called a halti, works on much that same principle.
The head collar, which actually fits around your dog's skull rather than his neck, has a strap that runs around the animal's nose. That way, if your dog begins to pull against the lead, be it straight ahead, sideways, or any other direction, he will quickly discover what every wrestler learns the first day on the mat, that if his head can't go to some given location, then, the rest of him can't go there either.
That's the beauty of the head collar. When he is wearing a head collar, it takes very little strength for you turn your dog's head, and by so doing, you can restrain his movements without having to engage in the kind of tug-of-war that might ensue if the animal were wearing some standard variety of halter or collar.
The problem with the head collar is that when used over time, it can cause injury to your dog's neck.
Office workers often injure themselves by repeatedly craning their necks over to one side and holding it in that position as they cradle a telephone receiver between their head and shoulder, in order to free up their hands, so they can write down what is being said.
Bending your neck as you twist your head at an angle like that every once in a while won't hurt a thing, but if you do it often enough, then, beyond the slightest doubt, you will develop a painful, debilitating injury. The same thing can happen with a dog wearing a head collar.
Some dogs get in the habit of pulling against the head collar just as much as they can stand. The result is that they get in the habit of walking with their heads twisted at an awkward, unnatural angle for long periods at a stretch. They may even go for an entire lengthy walk with their heads drawn off to the side like that. The result can be the canine equivalent of an ergonomic neck injury, just like we see with human office workers.
If your dog responds to the head collar by walking with his head habitually twisted at an angle, you should immediately discontinue use of the device.
It is a great irony that the prong collar, which looks so cruel, is actually not at all harmful. While the head collar, that appears altogether benign, can so often be a source of significant injury. In the way of a slightly more sardonic observation, it is interesting to note how many people there are who do not hesitate to inflict serious injuries on their dogs as they punish them by twisting their necks with a head collar, who would never dream of punishing by way of a completely harmless nose chuck.
The head collar is not recommended for obedience training or any other serious work with your dog. Although, if you have a well behaved little dog who does not respond to the Halti by walking with his head twisted to the side, who you take out only in secure circumstances, then, you can probably make do with a head collar.