Grooming and Medicinal Support

So you gone through the counter conditioning steps and your pup still squirms, fights, growls etc.. Maybe the issue is more than fear or discomfort. Maybe the pup feels pain while being brushed or while having her nails done or ears cleaned, etc.. When an animal is in pain, counter conditioning might not work.

Advanced Counter Conditioning and Desensitization

Well, it's not really advanced. But this video series just goes into more detail about the process - something to read if you have been trying desensitization and counter conditioning and it doesn't seem to be working - and you've ruled out medical issues of course

Gauze: A Handy Tool For Your Positive Training Tool Box

Ideal for sensitive dogs because it's lightweight.

When one dog gets upset about another dog's procedure

When you have to do something "scary" to one dog, does another dog get upset?

Nail Trims. Part 15. Don't Be Stingy

Not only do I give treats after each toenail grind,  but I also sometimes give a treat after each pass on a single toenail - i.e. grind/treat, grind/treat. Which means one toe might yield 3 treats. Which means by the time we are done, my dogs have eaten anywhere from 18 to 50 treats.

Baths. Part V. Counter Conditioning and Desensitization

In our last post on baths, we talked about how we might make the process a bit less daunting for our pets.  If after applying those remedies, your dog still hates baths, you might need to work on desensitization and counter conditioning.

Baths. Part IV. Dogs Who Hate Baths

So far we have discussed not bathing our dogs, alternatives to pet shampoos, and what might cause our pets to be stinky.
Today begins our discussion on dogs who hate baths. Before we start talking about counter conditioning (in a later post), lets look some aspects of the bathing process that might be scary or uncomfortable for our pets.

Stinky Dogs

Does your dog stink even though he or she gets bathed often?  Consider some of these causes of stinky dogs

It's Been a Year Since My Dogs Have Had a Bath

It's not because of neglect.  I have made a conscious decision to not bathe them. (maybe not never but definitely less often).  It wasn't a decision that I came up with all at once. I just sort of evolved into it:

Grooming. Part II. Instrument Reviews

Videos on dog grooming products:

Grooming

For the past few weeks, we've talked a lot about nail trims. The same principles apply to grooming in general.  Introduce fur brushing, teeth brushing, ear cleaning, etc.. in tiny increments and include a lot of rewards.  See more in the video below

Nail Trims. Part II - Our Nail Trim Saga

It took several years and a lot of trial and error, but I can finally do all of my dogs' nails without help. See the video below. 

Nail Trims. Part I. Feet Desensitization

Before trimming our dog's nails, it's often helpful help them feel better about having their feet handled.