Today’s training tip is to do with an important part of owning a dog – caring for her physically. Teaching your dog to enjoy being handled and checked over is important – there are unfortunately too many dogs who experience unnecessary stress at the vets because they are not taught that being handled is great, or who become stressed when they need ear or eye drops, or need dental work.
And it’s so easy to do, especially if you start in puppyhood. So today’s training tip is: Check your dog’s ears, eyes and mouth/teeth.
Take it slowly, watching your dog for any sign of discomfort or pulling away from you. If you see this, STOP. You might need to start by, for example just touching the ear ;then gradually touching the ear for longer; then holding the ear; then lifting the ear – just take it all at your dog’s pace.
The exercise most likely to cause your dog to pull away from you is looking at and in her mouth. If this happens, start by simply placing your hand under her chin; then holding it there for a second; then building up to five seconds; then touch a lip (a lower lip is best first); then touch the lip for a second; then pull slightly on the lip; and continue until you can pull or push all four lips to inspect her teeth.
Here’s the full exercise:
- Check her ears, one at a time. Lift them up and fondle them. Hold them still as if ready to put drops in. Praise her all the time and give her treats for allowing it.
- Check her eyes by gazing into them from close in front of her, praising her all the time and giving treats for being good. This can be challenging for some dogs, so again build it slowly.
- Gently lift her lips to check her teeth, by using your hand from underneath her jaw and lifting or pulling down each lip with your thumb or finger. Praise her really well and give a huge fuss and treats for her accepting it. Be gentle and take your time.
- If you can do all this easily and want a bigger challenge, teach your dog to have her teeth brushed – ask us if you want to know how.
Handling practice should be done every day for the first year of your dog’s life and you should aim to brush your dog’s teeth 2-3 times a week. Please remember that you MUST use doggy toothpaste – human toothpaste in not suitable for dogs.
Finish each session with food or toy play and fuss.
Keep training,
Carol