How to be successfull with Dog Cone Collars & Recovery Apparel

The video in this article is an example of training you can do with your pup to make the Elizabethan collar a non event for you and your pup.

This discussion came up with my Dremel Like a Boss students and I thought the topic was excellent as an article for all of you!

The question asked was about using pet recovery collars (AKA Elizabethan collars, e-collars, cones, etc.) and ideas on how to get our dogs used to it before a surgery. This is the mindset we want in the membership is how do we prepare our dogs for any husbandry procedure before it happens, instead of fixing it after it happens. We want to prepare our dogs for the event in the best way we can.

There are now many devices to allow our dogs to heal after surgeries. I will list some of them below:

1. Recovery suits- great for many types of surgeries (especially spay/neuter surgery) as long as the suit covers the wound/incision and your dog won’t lick/chew through the suit. Make sure they are not too big. If your dog is between sizes get the smaller size.
2. Recovery Sleeves- these can be great for leg wounds/incisions that traditional recovery suits do not cover.
3. Recovery Boots- these are great for bandaged paw or lower leg wounds that need to be kept clean and dry even outside. Medipaws are super easy to use for keeping a bandage dry during potty breaks.
4. Soft e-collars and donuts are good for maintenance and wounds that your dog can’t reach with them on. These are also good alternatives for when the dog is supervised if they need a break from the hard plastic Elizabethan collar, but still aren’t one hundred percent trustworthy to leave the wound/incision alone.
5. Hard plastic Elizabethan collars (usually given to owners from the vet after surgery) - There are some surgeries where the wound location can only be managed with the hard, plastic Elizabethan collar. A good example is a TPLO surgery. Some dogs will never be able to use a different device no matter how simple the wound/incision is. If your dog can easily get to the wound site or if they are determined to lick or chew the wound, then this device is your best bet for recovery. We also recommend that this device has collar tabs as you will see below in our product recommendation.

I want to discuss the hard plastic Elizabethan collars in more depth, because many times we need to keep our dogs in them so I have some tips so you and your dog can survive it. 🙌

1. Setup an expen area (for some dogs you may also need a cover on a wire expen). This allows your dog to lay comfortably without the Elizabethan collar bumping everything. This will also protect your home from them beating up your woodwork/walls with the Elizabethan collar. 😝
2. Buy a cheap snap buckle collar. Put the collar through the tabs on the Elizabethan collar. This will allow easy on and off access to the Elizabethan collar and keep the collar securely on your dog.
3. Train your dog to put their head through something. Practicing with a large martingale collar or harness is a great way to simulate this. You want to pay your dog for putting their head through while putting it on and even when you take it off. Many dogs do not like their ears being rubbed each time which is why some dogs do not like the off motion. Here is a link to my harness training. This is a good training plan that can be adapted to the Elizabethan collar. https://youtu.be/Ar4oSDM4bAY?si=GUSAsksGgw9NlvoE
4. If you do this right, when you unsnap the collar on your Elizabethan collar and offer the opening to your dog, your dog will shove their head into the the plastic Elizabethan collar and put it on themselves.

Vet procedures for our favorite four legged friends are stressful enough. Training any equipment necessary before hand can reduce the stress when you bring your beloved pet home after the procedure.

Let me know how your Elizabethan collar training is going by commenting below. We also have a free 4 Paws Adrift Facebook group where you can ask questions and start discussions with other like minded pet owners. Join us here! 

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