By Marc Bekoff, Ph.D., and Mary Angilly
Humans have historically treated companion dogs with an attitude of, “You have to do it because I said so.” This authoritarianism, combined with misconceptions about dogs and why they do the things they do, has resulted in a world in which dogs often have little choice or control over what happens to them. This "do it because I told you to" one-sided monologue appears in numerous aspects of their everyday lives, including what, when, and where they eat, when they can leave the house, when and where they're allowed to sniff, pee, and poop, who they get to hang out with, and much more. It also exists in how they receive veterinary and grooming care, both forms of canine husbandry.
The lack of choice and control can be traumatic and emotionally damaging, particularly when it comes to bodily autonomy, something with which numerous humans are all too familiar. It’s essential to provide dogs with the opportunity to make choices and be asked for their consent when and where it’s safe to do so, and their veterinary care and grooming should not be exceptions.
"When your dog has learned the game for one procedure, you can easily generalize it to others, including ear and mouth exams, foot handling, nail trimming, etc. However, this game of choice will only work if you allow your dog to communicate that she wishes to begin, take a break, and stop the game." —Pat Miller, 2021
Cooperative care, sometimes referred to as consent training, involves training an animal to be an active and willing participant in handling and husbandry procedures. Sound cooperative care provides your dog with clarity and predictability, as well as the opportunity to choose whether to consent to a procedure. With the removal of ambiguity, there is a reduction in stress, and with consent, there is more trust, agency, and optimism. Cooperative care can be as simple as giving your dog treats when they go to the vet and as complex as teaching them to voluntarily sit still for a blood draw or vaccination. There are multiple benefits to this:
How can you get started?
Don’t be afraid to seek out anti-anxiety medication with your veterinarian if needed.
Start with "happy visits" and "victory visits" to teach a positive association to the veterinarian and groomer.
Of course, there are occasions in which something is medically necessary and the animal patient isn’t yet ready or willing to face them. If your canine companion is increasingly stressed, do they absolutely have to get the procedure done at that moment? If the answer is no, go home, work with your veterinary and training team, and try again another time. If the answer is yes, think about how to make it less stressful in the moment by using treats and low-stress handling options, and do your best to support your dog's needs when they are frightened and not feeling safe.
Jack is a dog who is generally relaxed at the vet, but so terrified of nail trims that he had to be sedated anytime he needed them done. Without being calmed down, he would vocalize, defecate everywhere, and attempt to struggle free from whoever was handling him. His guardian would often attempt to trim a single nail while Jack was asleep and if he caught her, he would try to bite her. His guardian and Mary worked together to teach Jack how to trim his own nails via a scratchboard. They also spent time desensitizing and counterconditioning him to having his paws handled, so he would not just be tolerant of paw handling, but also comfortable with it. A big key in this training plan was providing Jack with predictability to let him know when it was time for them to handle his paws and they did this using a yellow towel as a visual cue.
Chloe is a dog who is worried in the presence of unfamiliar people and has always been terrified at the vet. She bit her first veterinarian during a vaccination when the veterinarian wasn’t paying any attention to her increasingly stressed body language. Chloe’s guardians decided to switch to a vet who was experienced with fearful dogs. At her first visit to the new vet, they did not examine Chloe and just tossed her some tasty treats. Chloe was prescribed anti-anxiety medications that she takes prior to vet visits, and her guardians taught her how to enjoy wearing a muzzle as well as a stationing (standing still) behavior for examinations, vaccinations, and blood draws.
Maple is a dog with long fur who gets regular grooming to prevent matting. Her guardians noticed she had been reluctant to be left with the groomer the last few times they brought her, so they called a trainer. The groomer let Maple and her guardians come in for "happy visits" where she got to play with toys and eat treats just for arriving there. After several visits that went well, the guardians advanced to victory visits where Maple would go to the groomer and get brushed while she ate treats and then go home or just get a bath while she ate treats before going home. This remedial associative learning was enough to help Maple get over the hump and like the groomer again.
As you can see from these case studies, and there are many more, the opportunities are endless for making different sorts of procedures less stressful both for your dog and yourself. Providing your dog with choice and the opportunity to give their consent creates a relationship of reciprocity in communication between dog and human. It takes time and effort on our part. If we have the means to improve the lives of the dogs with whom we share our lives, there’s no reason not to do so. It's better for everyone concerned—a win-win for all.
References
Mary Angilly is force-free dog trainer.
Miller, Pat. Cooperative Care: Giving Your Dog Choice and Control: How a little bucket can improve a dog's quality of life - and your relationship with that dog. WholeDog Journal, January 20, 2021.
Dogs Demystified: An A-to-Z Guide to All Things Canine; Grooming Dogs: What's Good and Bad From Their Point of View
Consent Training Shows Dogs We Respect Their Points of View
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19.05.2024
By Marc Bekoff, Ph.D., and Mary Angilly
Humans have historically treated companion dogs with an attitude of, “You have to do it because I said so.” This authoritarianism, combined with misconceptions about dogs and why they do the things they do, has resulted in a world in which dogs often have little choice or control over what happens to them. This "do it because I told you to" one-sided monologue appears in numerous aspects of their everyday lives, including what, when, and where they eat, when they can leave the house, when and where they're allowed to sniff, pee, and poop, who they get to hang out with, and much more. It also exists in how they receive veterinary and grooming care, both forms of canine husbandry.
The lack of choice and control can be traumatic and emotionally damaging, particularly when it comes to bodily autonomy, something with which numerous humans are all too familiar. It’s essential to provide dogs with the opportunity to make choices and be asked for their consent when and where it’s safe to do so, and their veterinary care and grooming should not be exceptions.
"When your dog has learned the game for one procedure, you can easily generalize it to others, including ear and mouth exams, foot handling, nail trimming, etc. However, this game of choice will only work if you allow your dog to communicate that she wishes to begin, take a break, and stop the game." —Pat Miller, 2021
Cooperative care, sometimes referred to as........
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