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To prepare your puppy to be handled,
restrained, and groomed throughout its life.
Tools you will need
- Cotton balls or plain
cleansing pads
- Nail trimmers and short,
wooden match sticks
- Scissors
- Electric clippers
- Brushes and combs
- Strips of an old t-shirt or
sheet (or real gauze)
- Yummy treats
Overview
One of the saddest things to see is a dog that
is absolutely terrified of something as simple as a nail trim. I have seen dogs
lose control of bodily functions, scream in terror, struggle violently, and
bite and scratch in their frantic attempts to avoid having their nails trimmed.
Some dogs have to be sedated or even anesthetized for this simple procedure.
Others go without nail trims, which might results in dangerously long nails
that can get caught in carpeting and can also cause the dog to adopt an unnatural
gait which can cause joint discomfort. It doesn’t have to be this way.
All dogs will eventually have to be groomed, vaccinated, examined, restrained,
etc., so it’s best to teach your dog, early in its life to, if not enjoy
these procedures, to at least allow them to be carried out.
The following procedures apply equally to young
and older dogs. A gradual process of desensitization to the equipment as well
as the discomfort associated with many handling procedures will help your pup
avoid the psychological trauma described above.
Step-by-Step Tips
There are several things you should
address in routine handling exercises throughout your dog’s
life:
Restraint
It is easiest to teach a young pup
to cope with being restrained if you teach it at a very young age,
e.g., 6-10 weeks of age. Older puppies will struggle more and have
developed more strength and coordination to resist your efforts.
Regardless, in no case should this procedure turn into a wrestling
match or a test of who is "dominant." It is a natural reaction for
animals to resist being restrained. It is not a show of dominance!
It’s scary to be restrained and fight they will since they
are hard-wired to do so.
Start by getting some yummy
treats handy
Hold your puppy comfortably
in your lap. Gently place your hands over his/her shoulders
with the heels of your hands on the top and your fingers wrapping
around toward the chest. Briefly (no more than a second or two)
apply a smallamount of pressure, say "Yes!" for the puppy
not reacting (if she/he reacts, you are using too much pressure or
doing it for too long), and give the pup a treat and pet and
praise him/her. Gradually build up until you can exert a
little more pressure for longer periods of time without your pup
resisting. Reward profusely each time.
When the puppy is accustomed to
having his/her shoulders held, use the same gradual
process to accustom the pup to: Having his foot
held
Having his leg (each one, one
at a time) held
Having his shoulders
held
Having his hips held between
your hands
Having his head held between
your hands
Having
his entire body held (tucked against your side, with the
front end held by your hand and the hips tucked in by
your elbow)
Having
his head held in the crook of your arm (do this only if
you have successfully performed all of the above, and be
sure to keep your face away from your dog’s
mouth)
If your puppy fights,
struggles, growls, or bites during the beginning stages of
these exercises, obtain the services of a positive
reinforcement trainer to help you. Practice these exercises
with your growing puppy and throughout his/her life!
Physical Exams
(including tolerance for discomfort/pain)
Accustom your pup to a variety of "mock examinations."
Mouth
Gently open your pup’s
mouth an inch or so. Say "Yes!" for the puppy not reacting
(if she/he reacts, you need to back up and just briefly
touch the puppy’s lips or open the mouth less), and
give the pup a treat and pet and praise him/her.
Gradually build up until you can open the mouth
wider, move your fingers around the lips, and gently press
down on the tongue.
Reward profusely each time.
One trick that works well after the puppy is accustomed to
having you handle his lips and mouth is to open your
pup’s mouth and press a treat down on his tongue for
him to eat. Surprise!
Ears
Lift or touch the flap of
one of the pup’s ears and gently and briefly touch the
skin around the ear.
Say "Yes!" for the puppy not reacting, and
give the pup a treat and pet and praise him/her. Gradually build
up until you can touch all areas on the outside of the ear and eventually
press a fingertip into the inside of the ear (don’t poke down into
the ear canal; just the surface outside it). Reward profusely each time.
Next, take a cotton ball or plain cotton pad (sold in stores as face cleansers),
and gently wipe the ear flap and the area just outside the ear canal.
Again, reward profusely each time!
Feet and Toes
Gently hold your pup’s
paw in your hand and reward him/her for letting you hold it
for longer and longer periods of time.
Gradually apply a little bit
of pressure to the paw &endash; think of what it looks like
when you hold the paw while doing a nail trim. Make this
process fun by feeding one of your pup’s favorite
treats. Gradually build up to the point where you are
touching each toe and exerting mild pressure on each toe to
the point where the nail is lifted. Many dogs dislike
their feet being touched, so go slowly; this is the
foundation of a nail trim and for checking between toes for
those nasty foxtails (plant seeds that cause pain and
abscesses).
Here is a great exercise
developed by a very creative British trainer named John
Rogerson. In separate handling exercises, accustom your
pup to the sight and sound of the nail clippers by
placing them on the floor for the puppy to
sniff.
Reward for any curiosity
or interaction with the clippers. Next, pick up the
clippers and flex them in your hands so the pup gets used
to them in your hands, both the sight and the
sounds.
Take a wooden matchstick,
and clip the matchstick into several pieces, tossing the
pup a treat each time you clip. Clipping the matchstick
sounds very similar to the sound made by trimming a
dog’s nails!
Only when your puppy
thoroughly enjoys having his feet and toes handled and is
accustomed to the sound of the clippers clipping the
matchstick do you go to the next stage: fake clipping of
the nails. Pick up the puppy’s foot and place a
matchstick under the foot and clip the matchstick while
it is in the same hand as the pup’s foot
Reward, repeat, reward.
When your puppy is used to this, trim the very tip
only of one of the pup’s nails
Reward profusely. Stop.
Do additional nails in several other, separate sessions
and only gradually build up until you can trim several
nails in one session.
This may sound like a
lengthy process; however, with daily sessions many dogs
can be trained to tolerate nail trims in a very short
period of time, i.e., a week or so. It’s worth the
effort!
Bandaging
Practice this exercise only
after you have completed Step 1, Restraint, above. Use gauze or
cut an old t-shirt or sheet into strips about an inch or so
wide and several inches long (this will vary depending upon
whether you have a Papillon or a St. Bernard). Gently wrap a
few inches of the cloth around your pup’s front leg or
foot
Reward frequently for not pulling the foot
away or for grabbing the cloth. Make this a pleasant activity. (It is recommended
that your do this exercise when your pup is relaxed or sleepy and not at
his/her highest energy time of the day!) You may want to have a helper hold
the pup while you do the wrapping. Another variety of this exercise is to
"dress" your pup in old t-shirts so that she/he gets used to having items
placed on and around his/her body.
Note:
Inappropriate use of bandaging can cause more harm than
good. This exercise is to get your pup used to having
bandaging material placed on its body only after supervision
of your veterinarian.
Grooming
Accustom your pup to all of the different
tools used in grooming. This includes brushes, combs, scissors, and electric
clippers. Place each item on the floor for the puppy to sniff
Reward for any curiosity or
interaction with each item. Gradually build up to placing the
brush in your hand and gently brushing.
It is especially important to
get your pup used to the sound of electric clippers even if
your dog will not be routinely groomed with them. Many
veterinary procedures involve the use of them, and dogs are
often afraid of the sound if they have never heard them before.
Let the pup sniff them on the floor with the power off and give
him/her treats for sniffing them. Next, hold them and reward
the pup for sniffing them. Then, turn the power on (be sure to
hold it a few feet away from the pup initially) and toss
treats!
Gradually build up so you can
have the clippers next to your pup’s body so she/he can
feel the vibration. Congratulations! You’ve just
acclimated your pup to something that has the potential for
being pretty scary!
Discomfort and Pain
Tolerance
If you can get your pup to tolerate all of
the exercises above, you can then try and teach him/her that brief discomfort
and pain are also a part of life. Using the gradual desensitization procedures
as you’ve used in the prior exercises, we will now teach your pup to
tolerate discomfort. Again, with yummy treats handy, take a small fold of
your pup’s skin between your fingers (on his/her back or between the
shoulders).
Exert a small amount of
pressure. Say "Yes!" and reward for not mouthing or struggling.
If your pup does react, you have to take a step back and apply
less pressure. Eventually, you want to be able to build the
pup’s tolerance to a mild pinch. Think of how much easier
it will be on the pup when she/he is vaccinated and always gets
treats and praise for these brief moments of pain or
discomfort!
Recommended Reading
The Perfect Puppy: How to Raise a
Well-Behaved Dog by Gwen Bailey
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