Shih Tzu – Training Your Shih Tzu With A Head Collar

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 than the Halti,
and in addition the Gentle Leader is designed to fasten around
the shih tzu’s neck. The advantage of this design is that even
if the shih tzu 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 shih tzu.

Training a shih tzu 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 shih tzus from pulling,
or controlling and retraining dogs that tend to pull.

Head collars can also be quite effective at controlling shih
tzus in difficult situations, such as controlling a shih tzu
that wants to be with other dogs. Most owners know of some
situations in which their shih tzus 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 shih tzu in an area that contains
a great many distractions. For instance, head collars are great
for when your shih tzu 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 shih tzu training. A head
collar is most effective when it is used in combination with
strong and sensible shih tzu 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 shih tzu 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 shih tzus, 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 shih tzu 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
shih tzu sit by pulling up on the shih tzu’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 shih tzu training with a head collar should be to have the
shih tzu behave as well with a regular collar as it does with
the specialized head collar.