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@bmacwatt You are bringing up a great point, that for some dogs (I would argue, most dogs!) a head halter of any kind is unpleasant. This is why trainers who embrace LIMA go through the process of desensitizing the dog to the head halter, or at least creating a positive conditioned emotional response to wearing it.
The definition of aversive is something that the individual finds unpleasant or painful.
What is aversive will vary with the individual. As empathetic trainers, we need to observe the dog’s response to what we are using and adjust accordingly. A harness may be a better tool than a head halter. That said, there may be a situation where a head halter is necessary in order to safely work with the dog. LIMA would have us consider all the options before choosing something that is unpleasant for the dog, but we also have to be sure that the trainer/handler can be safe. I know in the shelter where I was a behavior program manager, there were dogs who could only be walked on a head-halter by a trained staff member in order to prevent bites. In that case, we are balancing the welfare of the animal, the safety of staff and the best choice of tools to ethically manage the dog.
In the scientific, peer-reviewed research world, you can be assured that the methods employed are methods that all dogs find unpleasant. Usually, it’s shock collars that they are specifically looking at. How hard the shock is may be set by the trainer using the stimulus – these are trainers who rely on this sort of technique. The parameters will be defined in the research methods section of the paper. This is why it’s good to go to the source and read the entire article for yourself.
I love this blog article by Victoria Stillwell. I thought she handled this topic really well. She gives a great alternative to using aversives of any kind: One of the most effective ways to stop unwanted behaviors is to teach your dog alternative ones. If a dog is doing something that I deem to be unsafe or inappropriate, I will give teach her new coping/life skills to deal with the situation. This gives clients the freedom to teach their dogs’ new skills rather than punishing old ones. For example, I teach a jumping dog to run and get a toy to show off to a new person that has just walked into their home. This gives the dog something to do and diverts excitable energy onto something that makes everyone happy. The dog has the toy, the client does not have to tell their dog off for jumping and the guest is relieved not to be jumped on.