Not all dogs enjoy being touched.
Some even fear it.
And this can cause problems when it is time to go to the groomers or the veterinarian's office. Dogs might cower and hide in fear. Others may lash out in more fear-based aggressive behaviours, with ferocious air snapping or worse, and on goes the muzzle!
This is why, as a certified professional pet dog trainer, I incorporate structured body handling and restraint into my training sessions.
Body handling involves touching the dog anywhere on the body, including ears, mouth and tail. And when done properly, body handling can even be used to calm and settle a dog!
Restraint involves holding the dog in a way that prevents him or her from flight or fleeing. For example, needing to restrain your dog to administer ear medication for yeast infections. Even grabbing your dog's collar is a form of restraint, and after enough bad encounters, your dog won't appreciate that collar grab anymore.
With practice, patience and consistency, we can help dogs tolerate body handling and restraint. Even more, we can help dogs start to associate body handling and restraint with good, fun things. And if we want to train for cooperative care, we can even train our dogs to be a part of the body handling process: giving them agency and a sense of control!
It helps to practice body handling and restraint before a sensitivity to touch arises. However, if your dog does have body handling issues, there are protocols to change this around.
Building tolerance to body handling and restraint does not happen overnight, but it is worth the effort. To learn more about how I use body handling and restraint in my training, feel free to contact me. I'm here to help you and your dog take on this world as a confident, well-balanced team!
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