You know that feeling when you really want something, but your dog just won't cooperate? Well, I could answer yes 1000 times (you have a beagle, right?) 😊 But I had the issue that her claws grew really fast (I think) and she started lying there biting and tearing at them.
When I came with the clipper, she was gone in a split second. THEN I thought of a course I had taken about Voluntary Handling. It is, very briefly explained, that the dog is given a voice, and through trust (which is earned) says “yes please just continue”, or “no please, stop, I need a break”. It is NOT something you earn in 1 day – it requires patience – but I thought it should be tried.
First I wanted to teach her the "OK just start" signal, and here it's best to find something that is comfortable for the dog to put its head on - and that fits in height when it stands on all 4 paws. I had a pouf for a chair - perfect 😊 You can also use a chin target (the dog puts its head in your hand), but it becomes a bit difficult when you have to work with the dog 😊 BUT the principle is the same - it just has to make a chin target on the thing you choose.
When the dog offers it himself - puts his chin on the thing - I sometimes reward it so that it feels like a good thing to stand there.
When the dog is comfortable there, I start petting/stroking her in places I know she wants to be petted. But the second she moves her chin away, I stop immediately ! When the dog then returns with her chin on the thing, I try again. Once you have done this (many times. It can take days), you can start, for example, lifting one paw up a little and petting it. And again, if the dog removes the chin, STOP immediately.
This is how you quietly achieve communication with your dog - he notices that you stop when he asks for it, and that you only start when he himself has asked for it 😊
It took me 3-5 days at a very slow pace - and not very long at a time, max 10 min. - to get her claws trimmed 😊 😊 and REMEMBER: lots of praise/reward (treats) 😊
Where voluntary handling doesn't work - unless it's learned - is when health is at stake. There we humans may have to "abuse" the dog - so that it doesn't suffer permanent harm.
I experienced this when Emma was diagnosed with KCS in both eyes, and her eye condition was critical. There was no time for fun here. Every day counted, to ensure her eyesight. We ended up buying a camping table, which we set up in the utility room. Here the dog came up to “working height”, like at the vet. I put a harness on her and held her on the table – firmly but lovingly with lots of sweet words and treats, and my husband was there to dig the pus out of her eyes and smear them with the ointment.
It took a couple of weeks with the table and then it could be packed away – and after that we haven't had any problems, she stands completely still and looks up when I bring the ointment (she will have it every day for the rest of her days) 😊 So PATIENCE and LISTEN TO THE DOG (unless it is a serious illness) 😊
A little about the blogger.
Her name is Lotte. She spends most of her free time training with her dog Emma, who is an 11-year-old beagle girl. They have trained and competed in Schweiss tracks for several years. Agility without much success (you can't lure them with treats) and now they train Nose Work. They compete at NW3 level, and they have a party together when they apply <3 – because the most important thing for this dog handler is that the DOG has fun, and that you learn the most from the mistakes you make. So instead of being angry/disappointed about a test that didn't go as planned, learn from it! - in most cases it's not the dog that makes the mistake <3
Voluntary handling - can I do it myself... YES?
You know that feeling when you really want something, but your dog just won't cooperate? Well, I could answer yes 1000 times (you have a beagle, right?) 😊 But I had the issue that her claws grew really fast (I think) and she started lying there biting and tearing at them.
When I came with the clipper, she was gone in a split second. THEN I thought of a course I had taken about Voluntary Handling. It is, very briefly explained, that the dog is given a voice, and through trust (which is earned) says “yes please just continue”, or “no please, stop, I need a break”. It is NOT something you earn in 1 day – it requires patience – but I thought it should be tried.
First I wanted to teach her the "OK just start" signal, and here it's best to find something that is comfortable for the dog to put its head on - and that fits in height when it stands on all 4 paws. I had a pouf for a chair - perfect 😊 You can also use a chin target (the dog puts its head in your hand), but it becomes a bit difficult when you have to work with the dog 😊 BUT the principle is the same - it just has to make a chin target on the thing you choose.
When the dog offers it himself - puts his chin on the thing - I sometimes reward it so that it feels like a good thing to stand there.
When the dog is comfortable there, I start petting/stroking her in places I know she wants to be petted. But the second she moves her chin away, I stop immediately ! When the dog then returns with her chin on the thing, I try again. Once you have done this (many times. It can take days), you can start, for example, lifting one paw up a little and petting it. And again, if the dog removes the chin, STOP immediately.
This is how you quietly achieve communication with your dog - he notices that you stop when he asks for it, and that you only start when he himself has asked for it 😊
It took me 3-5 days at a very slow pace - and not very long at a time, max 10 min. - to get her claws trimmed 😊 😊 and REMEMBER: lots of praise/reward (treats) 😊
Where voluntary handling doesn't work - unless it's learned - is when health is at stake. There we humans may have to "abuse" the dog - so that it doesn't suffer permanent harm.
I experienced this when Emma was diagnosed with KCS in both eyes, and her eye condition was critical. There was no time for fun here. Every day counted, to ensure her eyesight. We ended up buying a camping table, which we set up in the utility room. Here the dog came up to “working height”, like at the vet. I put a harness on her and held her on the table – firmly but lovingly with lots of sweet words and treats, and my husband was there to dig the pus out of her eyes and smear them with the ointment.
It took a couple of weeks with the table and then it could be packed away – and after that we haven't had any problems, she stands completely still and looks up when I bring the ointment (she will have it every day for the rest of her days) 😊 So PATIENCE and LISTEN TO THE DOG (unless it is a serious illness) 😊
A little about the blogger.
Her name is Lotte. She spends most of her free time training with her dog Emma, who is an 11-year-old beagle girl. They have trained and competed in Schweiss tracks for several years. Agility without much success (you can't lure them with treats) and now they train Nose Work. They compete at NW3 level, and they have a party together when they apply <3 – because the most important thing for this dog handler is that the DOG has fun, and that you learn the most from the mistakes you make. So instead of being angry/disappointed about a test that didn't go as planned, learn from it! - in most cases it's not the dog that makes the mistake <3