Collar Trouble

We have a 14 week old corgi who will not tolerate a collar, much less a leash. I have never encountered this before in a dog or puppy and it is becoming quite a problem. When the collar is on, he shakes, scratches at it, and goes into "I will not be happy now" mode. If I attach the leash, he completely shuts down and will not move. If I walk, I drag him along on his back. I've tried treats and talking in a ridiculous "baby talk" voice but it does not work. I've tried leaving the collar on for short bits of time and just leaving it on all day. It is affecting his house training because when I take him out to potty without a leash, he simply runs around wildly playing with the cats and our other dog. In fact, he is becoming very focused on our other animals and paying less and less attention to us. I've massaged him all around his neck and find no evidence of pain or any physical problem, so I'm assuming this is quite a stubborn streak he has. Any suggestions?

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Permalink Reply by John Wolff on February 21, 2011 at 1:10am

http://www.mycorgi.com/forum/topics/some-info-about-collars

I really like our modified Martingales. They slip on/off easily; ours do not wear them inside. I removed the chains, metal rings, and buckles to minimize weight and noise.

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Permalink Reply by Anna Morelli on February 21, 2011 at 11:50pm

I too like the nylon adjustable martingale collars (with the little bit of chain) They carry them at PetsMart, they fit loosely, but can be adjusted so a dog, on leash, cannot slip out. Pups can back out of a collar if something scares them, so you want something that can fit snugly if the pup pulls, without choking him. They are quite safe to leave on the dog. I think your attention to the dog's behavior when you put on the collar may be compounding the problem. Put on the collar and go about your business, let him deal with it and expect that he can do that. I would not be dragging him on leash, he will hate both leash and collar. Let him wear the collar 24/7 for a few days, then attach the leash and follow him around. If he just stands still, that's OK, encourage him to come to you with a small treat. Give him time, he's made a bad association with the process so be easy about it. Try outside in the front of your house (rather than in the back yard), sit next to him and pet him if he seems scared, give him time to figure it out. Puppy classes are fun and should help too.

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Permalink Reply by Anna Morelli on March 1, 2011 at 5:38pm

At this point it may be worth taking a private lesson with a trainer that is knowledgeable and uses gentle methods and techniques, so you can get him evaluated and ready for a puppy class in a second step. Puppy classes should be fun and you will not benefit if he is so frightened that it triggers aggression. The collar and leash and all that comes with it, the dragging, the biting, the being held on his back, have become his worse nightmare. It sound like your pup is panicking.