My puppy hates her collar and freezes. How can I get her used to it?

Try putting the collar on for very short periods of time while you distract her with her favorite treats or a meal. As soon as she starts to seem distressed take the collar off. She should start to get used to the collar relatively quickly once she makes the association between the collar and a treat.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! It sounds like you are doing everything right. Normally, if you are able to fit 2 fingers then yes that should be ok. You can try to give her a treat when you put the collar on so that she starts associating the collar with something positive. They do get used to it relatively quickly within days to weeks. It may just take a bit longer for her. Good luck!

Sounds like the collar may still be pretty scary for your pup! Some puppies may also just be very excited and become wiggly or nip/chew on you in excitement. Here are a few things you can do: Leave the collar/harness on the floor and let your puppy approach it first on his own. Toss a treat and give lots of praise any time he shows interest in it or sniffs it. Practice handling your puppy around the neck and shoulders by petting, playing with, cuddling, etc and giving a favorite treat and praise every time you do this so he begins to associate it with a positive experience. Practice snapping a collar/harness closed next to your pup but not on him, offering a treat and praise every time he is curious about it. Practice sitting while placing the collar or harness on, and giving a treat every time you do. If puppy becomes too wiggly or excited, take a break and try again in a few minutes. Offer extra treas and lots of praise when he successfully puts on and wear the collar, even if it's only for a few minutes.

Your town may require that dogs wear license tags at all times, so whenever Snowball is outdoors she should have a collar with the tag on it . . . I would also recommend an ID tag in case she gets lost. However, you can attach the tags to the vest or leash as well. The only problem with that solution is if she gets out by mistake and has neither vest nor leash on. If it is the type of collar that you can manipulate with one hand, you can try holding a treat in the other hand while you get it off. But I am concerned that, at nine months old, she is aggressive with you. I would suggest that she attend a dog obedience class so you can learn to balance your relationship with her. She should allow you to remove her collar without any adverse reaction. If you have questions or need more information, you can click on the prompt to initiate a consult. Good luck with this!

Try using a simple leash and collar. Gradually acclimate her to the harness by leaving it out in plain sight. Do not force the harness on her until she is acclimated. This should be done in steps: let her see it, let her sniff and touch it, lay it on her for short periods then try placing it on her. A pheromone product such as the Adaptil collar or DAP diffuser may decrease any anxiety. Use plenty of praise and rewards as she progresses. Be patient and don't force her to wear the harness until she is ready.

Training a new puppy can be hard work and I am going through this myself. Start by just leaving the collar on the puppy at first until she gets used to that. Next, attach a leash to the puppy, in the house and let her drag it around the house. Keep an eye on her at all times so she doesn't get snagged at all. Reward her with lots of praise and treats but do not hold the leash yet. Once she drags it around and runs around with it, start picking it up. Follow her around the house, tossing treats so she will get them. Do not pull her and do not try to make her go your way. Next, take this to the backyard and let her drag a leash there. Then start letting her walk around the back yard while you trail behind her holding the leash. LOTS of treats and praise for any forward motion. be patient! Try some squeeze cheese on a big plastic or wooden spoon to get her to move froward if needed. You can also get her used to a harness. For a puppy, or any dog, I recommend an easy on harness that the dog steps into and snaps over the back. For a small puppy, you could also use one that looks like a small vest as well. Use lots of treats and cheese to put the harness on so the puppy is not afraid and thinks the harness is good.

First of all, Shih Tzu/Pom mix is just that, a mixed breed. She could look more like one than the other. There is no telling if she is really that just by looking at her. She does appear to have some Pom. My suggestion would be to get a DNA test if you really want to know. ( https://www.amazon.com/Wisdom-Identification-Canine-Genetic-Ancestry/dp/B01EHX2BH0 ) As for the crate behavior, you are best off to get the help of a professional trainer now before these bad behaviors get too ingrained. I'm not sure if you have been properly crate training her in these last few weeks since you got her but you should have started this day one. So it's going to be really hard to get her used to it now. There are plenty of articles and YouTube videos on how to do this properly. As for the collar, just put it on her and leave it on. Who cares if she likes it? You need to be the boss. It sounds more like she is training you! If she scratches at it, ignore her. Anything you say or do will just re-inforce the negative behavior. She will eventually get used to it. Be sure it is tight enough so she can't get a foot caught in it. It should be snug enough that you can only put one or two of your fingers between the collar and her neck. Again, especially if this is your first puppy, you should have a professional trainer helping you.