How to Help a Dog Get Used to a Cone
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A cone stops a dog from licking, chewing or scratching a wound while it heals, but most dogs find one strange at first. This guide covers how to teach your dog that a cone is nothing to worry about, how to check the fit, how to set up your home, and what to do about eating, drinking, sleep and walks while your dog wears one.
How we wrote this: the training steps and home tips come from the UK charity Dogs Trust, whose cone page is reviewed by its veterinary team, and from its neutering aftercare page. The body language and pacing advice comes from Best Friends Animal Society’s guide to helping dogs tolerate grooming and vet handling. All were checked on 1 November 2026. We did not test any cones ourselves, and we do not show prices or ratings.
Your vet comes first. This page is about getting your dog comfortable in a cone. Wound care, how long the cone stays on, whether it can come off for a while, and what to do about licking or chewing at stitches are questions for your vet. If a wound looks red, swollen or smelly, is leaking, or your dog can still reach it with the cone on, call your vet.
Why dogs find cones hard
Dogs Trust explains that a cone, also called an Elizabethan collar, buster collar, lampshade or donut, sits around the neck and stops a dog from reaching a wound while it heals. Cones come in soft plastic, reinforced fabric or inflatable tubing. Each one limits how the dog moves, narrows what they can see and changes the way smells reach the nose.
Dogs Trust says that being unable to do normal things can leave a dog frustrated or worried. A little training helps the cone predict good things instead.
Start before your dog needs it
The best time to teach a cone is before surgery: Dogs Trust’s neutering page suggests introducing one ahead of the operation. If your dog has a planned operation, ask your vet which type of cone they will send home and practise with the same kind.
Before you start
Dogs Trust suggests a few things to get right first:
- Practise without your dog. Cones can be fiddly. Learn how to put the collar together and fasten it on your own first, so you feel confident when your dog is there. Ask your vet if you are not sure how to fit it.
- Start big. A larger collar can help at the start, because your dog can move their head in and out of it easily.
- Pick the moment. Begin when your dog is happy and relaxed.
- Keep sessions short. Repeat each step several times, and do not rush ahead even if your dog seems fine.
- Have rewards ready. Small rewards your dog really likes make the training work. If you use food rewards, our sister site inthekibble.com covers treats.
Learn the signs of worry
Best Friends says to learn your dog’s body language before any handling training, and never to push past the point where your dog is comfortable. It lists lip licking, pursed lips and yawning as signs of stress or anxiety. If you see them, go back to an earlier step. Dogs Trust gives the same rule for cones: stop right away if your dog’s body language says they are worried or uncomfortable, and go back a stage, even to the beginning, if either of you is struggling.
Best Friends also suggests a quiet space where your dog can move away from you if they want to.
Step by step: teaching your dog to wear a cone
These six steps follow the Dogs Trust plan. Move to the next step only when your dog is relaxed with the one before.
- Cone on the floor. Put the cone on the floor and scatter a few rewards around it for your dog to find. They get used to seeing it, sniffing it and maybe touching it, and they link it with good things.
- Cone as a bowl. Turn the cone so the opening faces up and drop rewards inside, so your dog has to put their head through to reach them. Dogs Trust says this is a safer way to learn, because your dog can pull their head out easily if they suddenly feel unsure.
- Tilt it up. Hold the cone a little off the ground at an angle, so your dog pushes their head through to reach a reward from your hand. Let them take their head out, then toss a reward away for them to chase. If they do not come back to you, let them relax and try again later.
- Lift it. Hold the cone up. A dog who expects a reward will often put their head straight in. Reward once their head is through, take the cone away and toss another reward. If your dog backs off or gets overexcited, go back a step for a while. Then slowly build up how long your dog keeps their head in the cone, waiting a little longer between rewards each time.
- Move together. Hold the cone around your dog’s neck and start to move slowly. Reward as soon as their head is in and stays there, then every few steps. This teaches your dog that moving with a cone around their face is fine.
- Fasten it. While your dog is busy finding rewards on the floor, fasten the cone loosely around their neck and let go. Keep rewarding while they wear it, at every step at first and then every few steps. A trail of rewards across the floor helps them walk with it. Then take it off and toss one more reward.
Best Friends notes that every dog moves at their own pace, and going too fast can overwhelm a dog.
Once your dog is happy in one room, Best Friends suggests practising in other places and with other people, so the skill carries over.
Check the fit
Dogs Trust says a cone needs to be big enough to do its job while being as comfortable as possible, and it suggests talking to your vet about which type suits your dog. Your vet or vet nurse can check that the cone they send home sits right. A few things to look at at home:
- Your dog can breathe, swallow and move their head without the collar digging in.
- Your dog cannot reach the wound with the cone on. If they can, call your vet, because the cone is not doing its job.
If the cone rubs or slips off, ask the practice to check it.
Get your home ready
If you know your dog will need a cone after an operation, Dogs Trust suggests setting up the house in advance:
- Clear the way. Keep doors open and floors clear, so your dog can get around without hitting things.
- Block the stairs. Close doors or use a gate. Dogs Trust notes that this may upset a dog who is used to going everywhere, so be ready to help them settle. Our best dog gate guide compares gate types.
- Move valuables. Put breakable things out of reach of a swinging cone.
- Raise the bowls. Dogs Trust suggests putting food and water bowls on a slightly higher, secure surface so your dog can reach them comfortably with the cone on.
Living with a cone
Eating and drinking
Watch your dog eat and drink, because a cone can make it awkward. Dogs Trust warns that a single brief chew can harm a wound, so if your vet agrees that the cone can come off for meals, stay with your dog the whole time and put it back on straight away afterwards.
Sleeping
Dogs Trust says dogs can sleep with the cone on. Keep an eye on your dog in case they get stuck or need help while you are not with them.
Walks and toilet breaks
Keep your dog on a lead outside while they wear a cone. Dogs Trust says to stick to short toilet walks if needed, and your vet will tell you how much and what kind of exercise your dog can have while they recover.
Boredom and itching
Healing wounds can itch. Dogs Trust suggests keeping your dog busy with long-lasting toys and giving them plenty of company and attention.
When your dog still will not settle
Some dogs stay upset however slowly you go. Dogs Trust says to speak to your vet if your dog is still fearful or shows uncomfortable body language in a cone. Its neutering page adds that if your dog struggles with the cone they were given, you can ask the practice about an alternative, such as a fabric collar, a soft donut collar or, for female dogs, a recovery suit. These are sold at vet practices and pet stores.
Our best dog cone alternative guide covers each type, how to size it and the picks a hands-on reviewer has tried, including the All Four Paws Comfy Cone, a padded fabric cone, and the BiteNot Collar, a neck brace style collar. Only swap the cone your vet sent home if your vet agrees that the alternative blocks the spot your dog must leave alone.
FAQ
How long does it take a dog to get used to a cone?
It varies from dog to dog. Dogs Trust advises going at your dog’s pace and stepping back whenever they look worried. Starting before surgery gives you the most time.
Can my dog sleep with a cone on?
Yes. Dogs Trust says dogs can sleep with the cone on; just keep an eye on them in case they need help.
Can I take the cone off so my dog can eat?
Ask your vet first. Dogs Trust says that if the cone comes off for meals, you should stay with your dog and put it back on straight away, because a single brief chew can harm a wound.
How long does my dog need to wear the cone?
Your vet decides. Keep it on until your vet says it can come off.
What can I use instead of a cone?
Dogs Trust lists fabric collars, soft donut collars and recovery suits for female dogs as options to ask your vet about. See our cone alternative guide for the types.
Working on other gear? See how to muzzle train a dog and how to get a dog used to wearing boots, which use the same slow, reward-based approach.