Is there anything I can do to help my dog get used to his cone/collar?

[ShinyAndNew]

He has just been neutered and has to wear one of those lightshade things to stop him biting his stitches and also partly to stop him biting his back, because the vets believe that while it was initially fleas causing his biting, it's now just become habit.

He hates it. He hasn't stoppped whining and crying since we got him home. He doesn't seem to able to settle and is just wandering around bashing into things with his collar.

The only advice I can give is to put it on and leave it on. If your dog realises that you will take it off if he makes enough fuss it will be even harder for him to get used to it. Most dogs do learn to tolerate collars eventually but some do feel quite miserable. The best thing is just to remember that the alternative is another anaesthetic to put the sutures back in!