# Puppy hates collar



## Tracy in Idaho (Dec 8, 2002)

Hi, I'm hoping to get some advice on my puppy. I have a 10 week old 
Daschund puppy that absolutely hates having his collar on. We've been 
working on this steadily for over a week now, and have made no progress at 
all....in fact, I think he is getting worse.

We've been doing the "put it on and ignore it" bit. It went on and has 
stayed on. This is a narrow, soft, adjustable nylon collar btw.... I doubt 
the thing weighs a full ounce.

He trembles and refuses to even move. He will no longer play, and scratches 
constantly at it -- to the point that I am afraid he's going to end up with 
a staph infection from it -- it's just a matter of time before he gets 
through the hide!

Housetraining means that I am picking him up now and carrying him outside, 
where he finally decided that he "could" go -- in between bouts of 
scratching, that is. Before he would happily run to the door when I asked 
him to "go potty?" While he is outside, IF I can get him to move at all, he 
only takes 2 steps before sitting down to scratch and cry.

To put it bluntly, I'm not liking this "new" dog very much. His normal, 
happy-go-lucky attitude is gone, and this whining, neurotic dog is wearing 
thin on my patience. I'm really starting to dislike him .

I've replaced the nylon collar with a small cotton strip off my kid's toy 
weaving loom.....it is stretchy and soft, and I really cannot imagine HOW 
he can notice it. But still, the whining and scratching continues -- it's 
like we've conditioned him to do it. I'm loathe to leave him bare-necked 
since I don't want him to think he's "won", but how on earth do I deal with 
this?

Thanks,

Tracy


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## Selena (Jun 25, 2005)

My great-aunt had a daschund who was allergic to grass (but ate tootsie rolls so as a small child I liked him a lot). The dye could be the problem. Don't know if they make unbleached organic cotton collars or not. A harness might be a better fit if you need to have him leashed when he goes outside. IMHO, the pushing of this collar is making the dog unlikable.


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## cricket (Dec 15, 2004)

There are animals that get clausterphobic just like humans. Try a halti or a harness...


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## Maura (Jun 6, 2004)

I prefer to use a harness on a puppy. You can get a Step In that is easy to put on and off and only put it on when you are taking him outside. Put harness on, give treat, rush to door, puppy sits, open door and go outside. The instant he relieves himself, praise and treat. Play roll the little ball. Bring inside and remove harness. He will associate good things with the harness.

He's probably got a boo boo on his neck from his fussing, and everytime a collar is on, it rubs against said boo boo. Reintroduce him to the collar at a much later date, like around Christmas. But, again, put it on, treat, take him outside for a walk, then take it off once you get back inside. Keep leaving it on a little longer when you get back in until he's broken to the idea.


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## Tracy in Idaho (Dec 8, 2002)

A harness *completely* unhinged him! Talk about a wig-out.
If he can't tolerate a string around his neck, how can a harness be better? 

He has no sores on his neck at all yet, but I do worry about the scratching .... maybe his hide is tougher than I think. :shrug: It doesn't seem to be an allergic thing.

The point is, he *HAS* to be able to wear identification! Yes, he will be microchipped when he is neutered, but he still needs visible ID. Most folks around here wouldn't bother to take a loose dog to the vet to be scanned -- they'd just figure "no collar, no owner" and take him! The collar is more about the ID issue right now than it is for walking him or taking out to potty. When we start on the leash, we'll go with the harness (I hope!)

He is doing better with just the one string on. He is still scratching at it some, but is moving about more and seems happier. I may snap his regular collar on at bedtime (he sleeps with me) because he doesn't seem to pay any attention to it then....just work on desensitizing him while he's asleep maybe?

Or maybe I should just get my name and phone# tattooed in his ear!

Thanks for the ideas!

Tracy


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## trappmountain (Jun 22, 2005)

It can't hurt to try putting it on him at night. If he isn't fussing with it in the morning don't remove it. That is why I like collars used right away. We used these little stretchy collars in different colors when my LMIL bred dobies. It got them used to having something around their necks. Do you have more than one tag on the collar? It may be the jingling. You can get ID tags that attach(rivoted) to the back of the collar, if you think that may be the problem.


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## Tracy in Idaho (Dec 8, 2002)

Yes, my mom bred show Boxers and Danes when I was growing up -- she always used little safety cat collars to ID them as soon as they were born -- never a collar problem with them! 

I have never seen such a freaked out reaction in any dog I've ever raised. My toy poodles never did such a thing, and neither have any of our big dogs! Makes me wonder if he had the cord wrapped around his neck at birth or something? :shrug: 

Thanks for the rivet tag idea, Trapp! Yes, I did have a dangly tag on the collar (just one) but took it off fairly quickly as I thought that might be the problem with him so low to the ground. No change though.

If I can ever get him to wear a regular collar, I'll definitely get one of the rivet tags -- he is supposed to be a traveling companion for me as well, and I certainly don't want to loose him in a strange city with no collar and tag 

He is happier this afternoon with his one little cotton loom loop.  I guess I may have to add one loop at a time until we're up to normal collar weight? I'll try putting the normal one on him at bedtime too.

Thanks!

Tracy


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## trappmountain (Jun 22, 2005)

Sounds like you are handling it the right way. One morning, he may just wake up and forget it is there!


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## deb (Jul 27, 2002)

My rat terrier/blue heeler foundling initially hated her collar and would drag herself along the floor trying to dislodge it. I bought a very light weight collar and only put it on her for short periods of time. When she wore the collar I always praised her & feed her treats for tolerating it. She also started wearing it when she went outside and soon me reaching for the collar was a GOOD thing because she knew she was going to go out. 

When the collar started to smell like her and had been associated with enough good things/good times, she went from tolerating it to liking it. Now an adult, she lets me take it off before I give her a bath, but after the bath is over, she always noses the collar to remind me to put it back on.

Patience on your part is key to success!

deb
in wi


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## Queen Bee (Apr 7, 2004)

Welcome to the world of Doxies! I have had them for 34yrs. and right now we have three. I raised them for several yrs. and I have never had one that wasn't food motivated! Find a treat that he loves put the collar on him--give him a treat and praise him.. tell him he is handsome... Motivate him to move around by placing tiny bits of the treat far enough away that he has to move. Or if he has a favorite toy--play with it just out of his reach. IF this doesn't work , I suggest you remove the for a few days and then try it again. But don't make a big deal out of it--just put it on and then ignore him and his scratching, rolling etc. DO NOT sit and watch him, fret over him, speak to him.. Just put it on and leave him for a while--if he is bothering you place him in a crate (somewhere that you can watch him but do not give in. ). Doxies are stubborn and once they learn they can boss you around you are in for long haul! It took one of our males 4hrs but after that he was fine and I WON.. He turned out to be a great family dog.. Good luck Queen Bee


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## Pamela (May 10, 2002)

I had this same problem with our youngest Doxie also. What worked for us was a light weight leather collar. He went crazy with any and all nylon collars we tried. The leather collar was accepted right away. I thought is was maybe a reaction to the nylon, but he wears a nylon harness for going out of the yard walks without any trouble. He was well worth the trouble, a great little dog.


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## TedH71 (Jan 19, 2003)

Almost every pup that I've bought or raised hated collars regardless of breed. Main thing is to: IGNORE IT! Yep, don't give in to the poor me expression. It's completely normal! It will go away around when the pup is 3-4 months old. Enforce the law. Make sure the pup starts walking with a leash daily from NOW ON! The dog quickly learns that you're the BOSS, not the pup! That's what she is trying to indicate...change it. Crack down and still be a good dog owner. She'll appreciate you more for it.


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## Tracy in Idaho (Dec 8, 2002)

Update!

Well, I won the war ;-) The turning point was it getting cold, and he decided that as awful as it was, he REALLY liked having that polar fleece coat on! Whenever he had the coat on (it fastens around his neck) I don't think he could tell he actually had the collar on too. After a few coated days, he'd still scratch some when you took the coat off, but nothing like before. 

Now he is almost a "normal" dog, lol. He still scratches occasionally at it, but nothing like before. He is happy to run around the farm with me again.

Pamela, I am going to pick him up a leather collar next time I am in Petsmart....I think it will look better on him too 

Ted, I've NEVER had a problem with any of our other dogs -- it was always just a put it on and forget it type of thing. Can't recall a single Anatolian, Boxer, Dane, or Border that fought like this little guy. He can't do too much to be boss when he is only 4 pounds, but he does fit the description that one book had of them -- manipulative!

Thanks for all the help, and I'll include a picture of the little demonspawn -- wearing his collar too! 



Tracy


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## Pamela (May 10, 2002)

Thanks for the picture. He is just beautiful! I'm glad he's not fighting so much anymore too, with the collar. We had never had a dog that went that crazy with wanting a collar off either, till Hank! I also like the looks of a leather collar. Good luck with your little guy.


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## trappmountain (Jun 22, 2005)

He's very cute! Glad he is settling down for you.


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## Maura (Jun 6, 2004)

It's nice to see a doxie with real legs. Cute pup.


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## TedH71 (Jan 19, 2003)

Type in Google "Hunting Teckel" and they're German Dachshunds with more leg. Germans prefer their dogs to have more leg for obvious reasons. The real hunting dachshunds have wire hair as a general rule. I know of only two breeders in the US that breed from German bred dachshunds and they're wirehairs. One is in TX the other one is elsewhere. American dachshunds have been bred with too short legs because buyers think that is a cute trait.


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