Mastering Dog Handling: Grooming and Emergency Prep for Pet Owners

It’s important to have your dog used to handling both for everyday grooming and in the case of an emergency. Especially if you have a dog(s) who like poking their nose into every nook and cranny.

Ideally, you’d have your dog acclimated to handling starting from puppyhood but not all of us start off with a puppy. We adopted Mr. N when he was three but I’ve worked with him on this since then. He is not a wash and wear dog so he has to put up with a lot of grooming. I frequently tell him, if he doesn’t like it, he can come back in his next life as a short-haired dog but then he probably won’t be in our household because I like fluff.

I can clean Mr. N’s ears, brush his teeth, remove things from his mouth (like chicken bones), trim his eye hair and examine his paws. I can cut his nails in a pinch but I’ve quicked him twice so he usually goes to the groomer. I did teach him how to file down his nails using a filing board though.

Mr. N always gets treats and praise and petting when I have to groom/handle/examine him. So he’s used to it and tolerates it. A previous groomer told me that he was the only dog that didn’t try to bite her that day! And if your dog isn’t used to it, start off with baby steps. Acclimate them slowly so they’re comfortable and relaxed throughout the whole process.

Things happen. Sometimes your dog will end up with a face full of burrs. And you will have to remove them one by one with your fingers. You and your dog will be much more comfortable in this situation if your dog is already tolerant of handling. I promise.

How does your dog(s) feel about handling?

Welcome to First Monday’s Positive Pet Training Blog Hop hosted by Cascadian Nomads, Tenacious Little Terrier and Rubicon Days. Please share your responsible pet owner positive pet training tips by linking a blog post or leaving a comment below. Any positive reinforcement training posts or comments are also always welcome. The Positive Pet Training Blog Hop goes all week long. Our next hop will begin Monday, March 2nd.