How to Make Your Puppy Wear a Collar

Providing identification for your dog is an easy way for the animal to be identified should he become lost. However, the reasons for training a dog to be comfortable wearing a collar extend beyond the chance he may become lost. In fact, some cities require any dog in a public place to wear a collar with tags indicating proof of rabies vaccination and a current pet license. Working with your puppy will make him familiar with collars from an early age.

Things You'll Need

  • Buckle collar
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Instructions

    • 1

      Fit the puppy with a buckle collar made of material such as webbing that will not cause discomfort when it rubs on her neck during wear. Choose a collar that is an appropriate width and weight for your particular puppy. Dogs should be able to easily hold their heads up and freely move their neck while fitted with a collar. Check the fit by sliding two fingers underneath of the collar. Your fingers should slide comfortably, yet snugly, between the collar and the puppy's neck. A collar that is too tight will be uncomfortable, while a collar that is too loose may easily slip over the puppy's head and come off.

    • 2

      Introduce your puppy to the collar in a positive environment. Place the collar on the puppy's neck and praise him for wearing the collar. Leave the collar on the dog and go about your normal activities for increasing lengths of time. First, leave the collar on for an hour before removing it. Next time, leave the collar on for two hours and so on until the puppy is used to wearing the collar on a consistent basis.

    • 3

      Distract puppies who are distressed while wearing a collar by playing their favorite games or going on a walk. Associate wearing the collar with a positive reward such as game time or a small food treat to help reinforce the fact that the collar is not a form of punishment.

    • 4

      Check the fit of the collar on your puppy's neck often and adjust the fit as needed to compensate for growth. Puppies grow rapidly in the first months of life and will need to be consistently comfortable in their collar to enjoy wearing it.