I’ve seen the results when puppies haven’t been taught this lesson during the critical socialization period (from birth to about 16 weeks). Sometimes, a puppy adds up all the unpleasant collar grabs and grows up to be a teenage or adult dog who growls when you reach for his neck. You may even just go to pet him, or to move him over on the couch, and he’ll growl at you.
To prevent this from happening, start training as soon as you bring your puppy home. Say “Gotcha!” in a happy voice, then lightly take hold of his collar. Then give him a treat. It’s important that these steps happen one after the other, not all at once. One step needs to predict the next so that your puppy makes the correct association. First, he hears a cue, then you take hold of his collar, and only after that does he get a treat. Practice about 10 times a day, randomly throughout the day.
This is an important – and often comical – part of my puppy kindergarten classes. Puppies can be fast! It’s not always easy to snare one, so folks have to be on their toes. It takes only a few repetitions, however, before the little scamps are wagging their tails during “Gotcha” practice. This exercise can go a long way in preventing handling aggression as these puppies grow up.
“Time out!” I called. Seven people answered with a happy “Gotcha!” and scrambled to grab their puppies’ collars and immediately offer them a treat. Once they finished munching, puppies were released again to play.
You’ll still might have to sometimes grab your puppy’s collar to fish things out of his mouth. You can make this a more pleasant experience for him by giving him praise and a treat when you take something from him. Never chase your puppy when he has something he shouldn’t have – instead, encourage him to come to you, then reward him when you take the item from him. With the addition of your collar desensitization training, he won’t find the process so awful, and he’ll be a lot easier to handle as he grows up.
How to Properly Handle a Dog’s Collar
So what should you do if you need to grab Rover by the collar? There are alternative things you can do to prevent collar sensitivity.
How to Grab a Dog’s Collar to Prevent Collar Sensitivity
The main point is to stop grabbing the collar, and to make sure that if the leash needs to be snapped on, only positive consequences take place. If your dog is already affected by collar sensitivity and nips at your hands when you try to grab the collar or snap the leash on, the following program may be helpful to you.
If your dog attempts to bite you when you are snapping on the leash or when you are grabbing him by the collar, you need to make safety your top priority. Use a muzzle if need be to protect your hands. Your next step is then to habituate your dog to the sensation of being touched by the neck area and counter-condition him to actually enjoy and look forward to it instead of dreading it. Here is a sample of a program to treat collar sensitivity in dogs.
Does your dog fight the collar grab? Plus I forget what to call me fingers.
Sometimes you need to catch your puppy by the collar if he’s eating something dangerous or about to take a flying leap and you need to stop him quick. Here’s how to successfully teach him to like having his collar handled so he doesn’t respond aggressively during these incidents.
“Time out!” I called. Seven people answered with a happy “Gotcha!” and scrambled to grab their puppies’ collars and immediately offer them a treat. Once they finished munching, puppies were released again to play.
This is an important – and often comical – part of my puppy kindergarten classes. Puppies can be fast! It’s not always easy to snare one, so folks have to be on their toes. It takes only a few repetitions, however, before the little scamps are wagging their tails during “Gotcha” practice. This exercise can go a long way in preventing handling aggression as these puppies grow up.