If your dog hates being handled, do I have the solution for you! Cooperative care.
Cooperative care refers to the idea that the animal can give consent for a procedure to be done- we get their cooperation for the care to be done, get it?
Wait, wait, wait you say. You might be going through these responses in your head:
That's absurd. I shouldn't need my dog's consent to do nail trims!
But dogs can't give consent....right?
Okay, but there are some situations that just need to happen. What about an emergency?
Alright, you've got some great questions and reasonable objections.
Maybe you think you shouldn't need your dog's consent for nail trims, but doesn't it go so much easier? Imagine if you didn't have to fight your dog, or go to the vet to do their nails. Imagine if life was just...easier.
If you're questioning whether you need a dog's consent, I would also encourage you to question where that push back comes from. Many of us are very used to demanding things from our dogs, and we feel like we deserve a pleasant attitude from them. And sure, dogs are man's best friend! But they are also living animals, and many have learned to associate nail trims or vet visits with unfriendly things.
Imagine if aliens abducted you, you got held down, and were then disciplined for being afraid. You'd start to show some unease, too, maybe even fight back. But we could prevent all that if we simply asked for your consent.
Onto the next question- wait, dogs can consent?
You bet they can! Try this: when you're petting your dog, and they seem to be enjoying it, take your hand away for a second, and see if they move into it. If they have, presto, they've asked to be petted again. They have very clearly given consent.
Think, too, of a dog choosing whether or not to share a bone with another dog. Dogs already know how to consent to things, it's just a matter of teaching them how to communicate that to us.
We teach dogs to communicate consent by teaching a consent behavior. You train a behavior- for many dogs, this is a chin rest, or laying down with their head on the floor, or looking at a target- and teach the dog that as long as they hold that position, x thing will happen. If they break from that behavior, you stop doing x thing.
Now, what about an emergency?
Good question. In cases where you can't guarantee you will get consent, you don't ask for it. The behaviors I referred to earlier should have cues- pulling out a target for the dog to stare at, holding your hand out for their chin to go on, etc. Don't present them with those cues, and get the job done as quickly and effectively as you can.
In The Meantime
Training for cooperative consent can take a while. In an emergent or urgent situation, you can use things like lickimats to keep the dog's focus on the food and not on what's happening. If doing a vet visit, the use of drugs may be encouraged, too. Muzzles can also be a force for good- in fact, I recommend muzzle training for every dog.
If you are interested in learning more about cooperative care, reach out today! We offer group classes as well as virtual training for this kind of thing.
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