Hold the cone, or place it on the ground in front of you. Do not try and put it on your dog in any way. Reward with a treat any time your dog shows interest in the cone. Any time they sniff, touch it with their nose, or even look at it, praise and give a treat.
2. Now hold the cone with the wide opening facing your dog (backward as far as the dog is concerned). Praise and treat for any head movement into the cone area by your dog.
3. Switch to presenting the cone with the small opening facing your dog (the correct way) — praise and reward for any movement they make to put their nose through the opening.
4. Start to add duration. Praise and reward your dog for keeping their head in the cone longer and longer. You can start to clip the collar closed, reward, and then immediately unclip.
5. Continue to increase the duration your dog is wearing the cone. Add in rotating the cone around their head while they're wearing it. Reward heavily throughout.
6. Walk around with your dog while they're wearing the cone to help familiarize them with the environment and learn how to maneuver with it on. Encourage them to keep their head up while walking to avoid catching the cone on the carpet or floor.