Alternatives to the "E-Collar"/Cone for a dog after surgery?

There are soft sided cones instead of the hard plastic. Here’s one

You could try putting something over it, like a t-shirt. We used to put a lot of t-shirts and socks on our dog when he had to wear a cone.

My mom is using one of these rather than the cone to keep her Bulldog from licking his knee incision. It’s big enough that he can not get to his knee (it is his back leg), but doesn’t obstruct his vision or interfere with eating like the cones sometimes do.

@Seaofclouds – that looks like the collar you wear when you have whiplash! Definitely preferable to the cone. You could probably make one yourself from an old throw cushion. Although the price wasn’t too bad.

You could also try a soft muzzle, that is what I do for my golden when needed. She can’t handle the cone either, but tolerates the muzzle. You will have to take if off periodically so the dog can eat and drink, and monitor the dog when the muzzle is off.

Our dog has to wear the cone of shame one week out of every month (usually). She has an allergy and we are in the process of trying to find the culprit.
I ended up cutting her cone quite a bit shorter. It is long enough to reach the end of her chin. She can still lick her body but not scratch her head region (which is the itchy area). You can cut yours but a bit longer than the chin, as you don’t want licking. I cut it then taped it.
The Cloud E-Collar looks good too. It’s similar to the home-made one I created for my previous dog (he had many surgeries over his years). It worked great for him. He didn’t hate it like he did the cone.

My freshly neutered dog is wearing the same cone that is pictured in Judi’s link. WAY better than the stupid plastic one. It’s very soft and pliable, but still prevents the dog from licking at his sutures.