How to Help a Dog Who Hates Having His Collar Put on

For this Omaha dog training session we worked with Sampson, a young dog who hates having his collar put on.

This sweet 1-year-old Goldendoodle is reactive to other dogs, especially on walks. His guardians moved from a house in Tennessee to an apartment in Omaha; which made things more challenging.

Although Sampson is not what I would call a super high-energy dog, I found he was under-exercised. Since he no longer had a backyard and reacted badly to other dogs when his guardians would walk him, he was being exercised less.

I recommended some new exercises and suggested that Sampson’s family keep a journal to track his behavior and exercise. Then, I was prepared to help Sampson overcome his fear of wearing a collar.

Helping a Dog Who Hates Having His Collar Put on

Dogs learn by making connections. If they avoid a collar or object, it usually means they link it to something bad. It’s possible that since Sampson encountered new dogs shortly after having the collar put on that he now runs from the collar to avoid being around other dogs.

I decided to create a Conditioned Emotional Response or CER to help. Then, I was prepared to help this young dog overcome his fear of wearing a collar. You can learn how to use this positive dog training method by watching the free video below.

As you saw at the start of the above video, just having the collar present made Sampson fearful, anxious and nervous. By using patience and the power of positive dog training, I was able to easily slip the collar over his head AND have him feel good about it.

The great thing about using a CER to help a dog get over a fear of something is it becomes a permanent fix. It is easy to do, just requiring practice a few times a day for a week or so. I find it very rewarding to help dogs overcome their fears. As a dog behaviorist, I know this improves their overall quality of life.

If Sampson’s guardians do the CER exercise a few times daily for a week, he will start to enjoy wearing his collar.

What to do if a Dog Keeps Slipping Out of Collar?

It’s important to regularly check the fit of your dog’s collar, especially if they’re still growing. To prevent dogs from slipping out of their collars, consider using a martingale collar. This type of collar tightens when the dog pulls, ensuring they can’t slip out.

Now because of how reactive Sampson is on walks, I passed along a number of dog walking tricks and loose leash walking tips, then showed them how to use the special twist of the Martingale collar to give them more control.

But it will be equally important they learn how to read his body language and respect him when he communicates he is uncomfortable with his proximity to another dog.

Many people miss the dog’s warning signs and keep plodding ahead. While we see it as simply walking past another dog, Sampson sees it as his guardians leading him into danger. Since they had not listened to him, he had learned to act aggressively towards other dogs to keep them away from him.

Final Tips to Overcome a Dog’s Fear of Wearing a Collar

I’m hopeful that the dog behavior tips I shared with his guardians will help Sampson learn to relax and rebuild his trust in his humans to take the lead and keep him safe. But if he continues to be reactive around other dogs a month or so after the session, they may want to enroll him in our Loose Leash Walking Course to address any lingering fears or anxieties, especially on walks.

To help the guardians remember the dog behavior secrets I shared with them in this in home dog training session, we shot a roadmap to success video that you can check out below.