Your dog will likely have to wear 'the Cone of Shame' at some point in their life. But there shouldn't be any shame involved, because dogs can easily be taught to view it as 'the Cone of Awesome'. Here are four steps you can use to help your dog start to learn to love putting on the cone/buster collar/Elizabethan collar.
Helpful tips: Repeat each step twice a day for several days, before moving to the next step. Always start at step 1 at the beginning of the session, so that your dog knows that they are playing the Cone of Awesome game. If your dog seems unsure or worried at any step, go back a step or two and work there until they are comfortable.
Once your dog is eagerly putting their own head in at step 4, you can begin to increase the time they have the cone on, and gradually tie the gauze that attaches the cone around their neck. You can also help them get comfortable moving while wearing the cone. Remember to give your dog treats every step along the way! In this clip I have puréed chicken baby food in a 6 ml syringe, which makes it easy to dole out tasty treats to my awesome helper.
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