Exercise 4-4: Elizabethan Collar with Duration
The cone is placed around the dog’s neck, left on for 5 seconds and then removed.
Purpose: Cones can be both a necessary and useful tool. They are helpful if a dog has an incision site, or another bothersome area that they need to leave alone to allow it to heal. The exercise timing begins when the cone is fastened on the dog.
Equipment: An Elizabethan collar (cone, can be either hard plastic or fabric), or an inflatable neck ring, and treats.
Exercise set-up: Stand or sit in front of or beside your dog. You may place the cone on your dog or allow them to put their own head through. Once the cone is on it must remain on for at least 5 seconds. When the 5 seconds are completed, remove the cone.
Scoring: In order to pass this exercise, the dog must willingly allow the handler to place the cone, or willingly place their head through the cone. The dog must remain calm and comfortable when the cone is on for a count of 5. The handler must remove the cone.
Non-qualifiers: The dog repeatedly moves away or tries to avoid the cone. The dog paws at, or tries to remove the cone. The handler must use constant verbal cues to get the dog to leave the cone alone. The cone is not left on for the full 5 seconds. Removal of the cone is not shown.
Tips: Go slow! Having something put over their head such as a cone can be scary. Take time to introduce them to the open cone and build in small increments to closing the cone and then placing it over their head.
Video example:
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