Desensitization to Head Collar

Helping your Pet Adjust to Wearing a Head Collar

Desensitization to Head Collar (i.e. Halti or Gentle Leader)

Head collars can be great management tools while you are working on polite leash walking with your dog; they can help keep you both safe on walks and reduce the pulling on your arm and shoulder, they can also help while you are working on training for dogs who are reactive, or dogs who like to try to eat things they shouldn't while out and about.  For some dogs, they can take some getting used to.  Most dogs aren’t immediately comfortable with something placed over their nose and may paw at the head collar or rub their face on the ground or other objects in an effort to remove it.

Positive Associations

Never punish your dog for trying to paw at or rub the head collar.  You want to create positive associations with wearing it so your dog can get used to it and become comfortable with having it put on his nose.

The Right Size

Make sure the head collar is the right size for your dog.  You can bring him to the store and have him try it on before you buy it and ask for help fitting it if you’re not sure what size he needs.  The head collar should be loose enough that you can slide one or two fingers under the band behind the ears, but not so loose that it slides up into your dog’s eyes or that he could back out of it.  Try to pull the nose loop over the tip of his nose - if it can slide off, then it's too loose.

Step 1

Put a treat through the nose loop of the head collar so that your dog has to stick his nose through to get the treat.  Give him the treat and remove the head collar (out of sight).  Each time hold the loop over his nose a second longer before giving him the treat.  When the head collar goes away, the treat bar is closed.  When the head collar comes out, the treat bar is open again.  Keep these sessions very short and sweet to begin with, you can just do a few trials before each meal, or a few times per day when your dog is relaxed.

Step 2

Once your dog is comfortable with the first step, then clip the head collar behind the ears and feed your dog a few treats, then remove it again.  Do this a number of times a day, for only about 20-30 seconds at first, then slowly increase the length each time.  Give your dog a few treats and remove the head collar before he gets to the point of wanting to paw at it or rub his nose on things, the goal is to "quit while you're ahead" and end on a positive note.

Step 3

Once your dog can have the head collar on for a longer period of time, put the head collar on and give him his meal, adding a few treats to the bowl to make it extra special.  Let him eat his food while wearing the head collar and remove it as soon as he has finished.  If your dog will not eat with the head collar on, go back to step 2 and work on that for a while longer.  Keep in mind that you want the head collar to have positive associations, so go at your dog’s pace and reward heavily when he is wearing it.

Step 4

Take your act on the road: once your dog is able to eat a meal with the head collar on, start using it for very short walks.  Remember to give him treats for putting it on, and bring some treats along with you on your walks.  If he starts to rub or paw at his nose, simply redirect him: call his name in a cheerful voice to get his attention, pick up your walking pace slightly, then give him a treat for paying attention to you and moving forward.  If your dog is rolling on the ground and absolutely refusing to move, go back to step 3 and give him more time to get used to it.  The end goal is safer, more comfortable walks for both of you so you want to make sure you’re both enjoying the benefits of the head collar and it doesn’t become a battle.  Keep these walks short, sweet, and fun and then gradually increase the length of time your dog wears the head collar.

You'll know you're on the right track if your dog has an excited reaction when you pull out the head collar.  He should be thinking "oh goody, treats!" and "oh goody, walk time!" when he sees it.

About The Author

Jillian is a fear-free certified and CPDT-KA certified animal behaviour specialist and has been working in the animal care and behaviour field since 2009.  

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Photo Credit: Audrey Fear