It is common for puppies and dogs to be skeptical of new gear that they have to wear. Whether it is your puppy’s first time on a leash or you are introducing your active dog to wearing a backpack so they can carry their own items on a hike, you might be met with resistance. Here are some helpful tips for successfully acclimating your dog to a new outfit.
Harness or Muzzle
These restrictive items may be scary for your pup to wear — particularly the muzzle. A slow introduction will minimize their wariness. Lay the item on the ground and ignore it. Any time your dog investigates it, reward them with a treat. After a few days, use treats to lure them into the gear. Hold a treat at the front of the muzzle so that your dog needs to stick their snout in to reach it or use it to guide them to stand in the loops of the harness. Over time you will be able to clip the equipment on them. Start with clipping for just a few seconds, then work up to minutes. Once they can handle wearing them for 10 minutes, you can move your training sessions outside and use them on walks.
Backpack
If you and your dog love going on long walks, hikes, or camping, you likely have felt the frustration of having to carry both your equipment and your dog’s. You can share the load and give your pup a job during your next hike by getting them a backpack to carry their bowl, water, poop bags, and other items. Most dogs are more than happy to have a job, and carrying a few extra pounds can help burn more energy in a shorter amount of time.
When you get the pack, fit it snugly to your pup to avoid slipping to the side when some weight is applied. Let them wear the empty pack for a few minutes at a time and reward them with treats. After a few days of training sessions, you can try the pack outdoors. Take your dog into the yard and try to encourage movement by throwing a ball or stick for them to chase. Once they are comfortable moving in the pack, you can hit the streets! Don’t load them with a lot of stuff all at once. You need to build up the amount of weight they can carry slowly. Never put more than 15% of their body weight in the pack.
E-collar
This can be a tricky one since e-collars (aka Elizabethan collars, or the colloquial “cone of shame”) is necessary for your dog’s quick recovery from a surgery or injury. You don’t have time to introduce the collar slowly — instead, you have to do your best to get your pup used to it quickly while wearing it. You mustn’t give in to their moping face, though, since removing the cone prematurely could lead to infection or ripped stitches and ultimately lengthen the time they need to wear it.
When you get home, do your best to widen the paths through your house to make your pup less likely to bang the wide cone on obstacles. Give them lots of praise and treats, especially in moments when they stop fretting about it. Play with them and show them that you can still have fun with the cone on. Finally, take the cone off during meal times—e-collars are usually longer than your dog’s muzzle making eating with it exceptionally frustrating. In 12-24 hours, your dog should be used to the cone.
If additional training is needed, check out Gulf Coast K9 Dog Training. We are a professional dog training school located in Bradenton, Florida.
