Refusal of collars and leads...help!

[MikanNami]

My 4month Pem Maggey refuses to wear a collar (with or without tags on it) or a lead or harness. If any of those things are placed on her, she goes completely limp and lays around (as if depressed or if her neck were weighted to the floor). I've tried everything I can think of: leaving the collar on her all day, treat encouragement, trying to get her to play or follow me, leaving the leash dragging behind her; nothing works.

Any suggestions? It seems on this training point she's very willful and refuses to learn.

[Louwants]

Sounds to me like a little one throwing a tantrum. Just leave the collar on, just be sure to watch her. Before you know it, they will forget about the collar. Right now, she knows that you will take it off of her when she acts like that long enough.

[Peggy]

Originally Posted by MikanNami

My 4month Pem Maggey refuses to wear a collar (with or without tags on it) or a lead or harness. If any of those things are placed on her, she goes completely limp and lays around (as if depressed or if her neck were weighted to the floor). I've tried everything I can think of: leaving the collar on her all day, treat encouragement, trying to get her to play or follow me, leaving the leash dragging behind her; nothing works.

Any suggestions? It seems on this training point she's very willful and refuses to learn.

Just use a lightweight buckle collar. No tags, no lead. Don't use a harness for her. Just put the collar on her and ignore her. Go about life as usual. She's come around and soon forget she's even wearing the collar. Leave it on her as long as there is a person with her. If you have to go out take it off her, but put it back on as soon as you get home.

When she gets used to the collar, then you can attach a leash to it for her to drag around. She'll probably do the same thing and again you just ignore her.

Puppies are very resiliant and she'll adjust once she knows there is no other choice. Right now she knows if she holds out you'll take it off and then she wins. You have to turn that around.

Peggy

[MyPemCharlie]

What type of collar are you using? Charlie's first collar was a real cheapie Walmart collar (since I knew he would outgrow it in a month or two) that was very lightweight nylon and only 3/8" wide. He itched and rolled and "aroo'd" for about 2 days before he figured out that it was his mandatory "wardrobe" and quit bothering it. Lou Ann and Peggy are correct...you're just going to have to leave the collar on, regardless how much Maggey protests.

[Michael Romanos]

Most dogs are not fussed with collars and some find them almost unbearable. I very seldom use a collar on any of my Corgis and definitely don't start the training process with a collar. I use a slipchain which if put into reverse ceases to have a chocker element. Slipchains are super lightweight (the real skinny conformation show ones) and once the reason for leashing is over, a slipchain can be ... well, slipped off. Very unlikely a dog can slip out of a slipchain like they can with collars.

[glencorgi]

One needs to be careful about using the slip chains also known as choke chains as they can get caught on things.

Great tips have been given on getting a puppy used to a collar and I agree with getting a light weight cheap buckle collar and just leave it on until the "drama" is over. Then add the leash and let her drag that around - supervised of course.

The slip chains/choker collars are very close to being slip proof. Others in that same vein are the martingales/greyhound/sight hound type collars.

Debbie

[glencorgi]

PS: In many puppy classes and basic obedience classes, slip chains/choker collars are VERY much frowned upon and may not be allowed.

Debbie

[LaRogue]

Just to add my 2 cents, I wouldn't advise using a slip lead or collar/chain on a small new puppy, either.

[MikanNami]

I guess I'll just have to be a little tougher about it.

Right now she's got one of those (I think it was originally for a cat?) flimsy nylon collars with the stretchy safety-loop things built in. It used to have a bell on it, but I took it off and put her nametag on it. I'll remove the tag now as well and tell my boyfriend to stop feeling bad for her and taking it off. Thanks for the suggestions, guys.

[Louwants]

AHA! So, your boyfriend is guilty of taking the collar off, also. And they say men are tough....r-r-r-right!

Tell your boyfriend that what you have, is a dog that will be equalivent to a 5 year old in thinking when it grows up; and we know how 5 year olds can come up with some pretty intelligent ways of getting what they want. So, you'll have to be sure to let them know you are the boss and that's it. Almost like telling a child, because I said so, when they don't want to do something.

[Peggy]

Originally Posted by MikanNami

I guess I'll just have to be a little tougher about it.

Right now she's got one of those (I think it was originally for a cat?) flimsy nylon collars with the stretchy safety-loop things built in. It used to have a bell on it, but I took it off and put her nametag on it. I'll remove the tag now as well and tell my boyfriend to stop feeling bad for her and taking it off. Thanks for the suggestions, guys.

Cat collars aren't safe for dogs. You can't put a leash on this eventually (when she gets used to it) as it will streach and she'll be able to get out of it. Also if she fights it she can get her jaw or paw under the collar and it will streach and possibly break. If it doesn't break she can get injured.

Get her a flat cheap web (not leather) buckle collar for puppies. That's the best thing for her right now.

And yes, the boyfriend is not helping here. The more she wears it, the faster she'll get used to it. You just have to ignore her antics and leave it on her.

I start putting collars on my puppies at 5-6 weeks of age. They tug on each other's collars, which is good for them to get used to (as a leash does almost the same thing). They manage to get them off each other and I put them back on. By 8 weeks when they're ready to start learning to walk on a leash they are used to the collars and I can start leash breaking. So by the time they go to their new homes they are used to collars. In fact I send mine to their new homes wearing their puppy collars.

Peggy

[MikanNami]

Ah! I didn't mean to say I was putting the leash on the kitty collar (again, I think it's a kitty collar) since it seemed kinda out of place for some of the same reasons you mention, Peggy. I was putting it on either a cheap puppy collar (that she likes even less) or a puppy harness (there's no word for how much she dislikes it). I hesitate on the harness because, as you say, she struggles and rolls and eventually gets one paw under it. I think the harness will wait. The only reason we'd gotten a kitty(?) collar is because my mom trained the Papillon we had when I was young with one. She said it's less obtrusive or something and the little safety loop-thing inside the collar would be safer if it got caught on anything.

What do you mean by a web collar? Like nylon or some sort of fabric?

I sure wish the breeder had collar trained the puppies...but seeing as he was the only corgi breeder within a few hours drive, I couldn't be too picky. ><

@Louwants: I talked to him about it today, he's just so ready to spoil her it's not even funny (ok, well it is a little funny, she's like his furry daughter). I told him he could take it off of her by 10pm if he promised to leave it on her the rest of the day and it works for now. Actually today she seemed to tolerate the collar ever so slightly more than usual, so I feel hopeful.

[LaRogue]

What do you mean by a web collar? Like nylon or some sort of fabric?

Yes nylon. The buckle is one that has the holes in it that can be adjusted for growth, rather than the one that closes by snapping the pieces together.

[MyPemCharlie]

Here's a nylon collar photo. (I'm not recommending the sellers, just pulled them for the photos.)
Buckle Nylon Dog Collar

Charlie's first collar came from WalMart for $2-$3 and had the plastic connector instead of the buckle, like this one:
http://www.nylondogcollar.net/shop/P...?item=32105538

[Peggy]

Originally Posted by MikanNami

Ah! I didn't mean to say I was putting the leash on the kitty collar (again, I think it's a kitty collar) since it seemed kinda out of place for some of the same reasons you mention, Peggy. I was putting it on either a cheap puppy collar (that she likes even less) or a puppy harness (there's no word for how much she dislikes it). I hesitate on the harness because, as you say, she struggles and rolls and eventually gets one paw under it. I think the harness will wait.

My personal opinion is that harnesses should only be used if a dog has a neck injury. A harness on a dog allows and teaches him to pull. You have more control if you use a collar.

A kitty collar might be ok on a Pappillion, as that is a toy breed. A corgi is a much bigger, stronger dog, even as a puppy. IMO, a kitty collar is not suitable for dogs. But that's just my opinion.

What do you mean by a web collar? Like nylon or some sort of fabric?

Yes, exactly. Not leather, plastic or chain.

I talked to him about it today, he's just so ready to spoil her it's not even funny (ok, well it is a little funny, she's like his furry daughter). I told him he could take it off of her by 10pm if he promised to leave it on her the rest of the day and it works for now. Actually today she seemed to tolerate the collar ever so slightly more than usual, so I feel hopeful.

Good, yes, she doesn't need to wear it at bedtime but for normal hours when you are awake and someone is with her she should be wearing it. Put her tags on it once she is used to it and ignores it.

Peggy