He Hit Me

Lack of appropriate raising caused this

Hard,

with all the force of his will, body weight, determination and strength. Immediately I had to take a seat. It was one of those, “tweety bird” moments when you think, just for a second, that could not have hurt worse. After shaking it off, I returned him to the kennel run with a playmate.

Then I started to process:

How badly was I hurt. Well, it turned out to be an emergency room visit, a sweet young Doctor, my head examined (I did need that) and my eyes and focus looked at. The good news... a beautiful, seriously swollen eye, with lots of bruising and pretty colors to wear for days. The bad news, headache with mild concussion and a smidgen of a stress crack on the eyebrow bone. No big deal, life rolls on.

But it gave me something to think about. How to turn this negative situation into something positive. Therefore I began to think (not always a good thing).

Today's lesson at my Prison Canine Inmate Program was "Grooming and handling skills" (Husbandry skills for the agricultural crowd). What they are, why it’s important for dogs (or any critter) to have them, how to teach them, and how to incorporate this into my student class lessons.

What are Husbandry or Handling Skills?

If you are into agriculture it means the skills that help you a better livestock handler, but in my world it also applies to handling dogs.

What does it actually mean?

Being touched all over

Clipping nails

Grooming

Bathing

Shaving

Clipping

Brushing

Teeth exam

Ear exam

Eye exam

Paw exam

Or to put it quiet simply, it means letting a stranger (vet, vet tech, groomer, trainer) give them an examination or care for them without violence or fear on the animal’s part. It means to tolerate the handling by the person and be okay with it.

Why is this important?

Well, one good photo deserves another... to keep the animal and the person from stress and injury.

How to teach handling/husbandry skills:

1. Get a clicker

2. Get some yummy treats

3. Start with , “can I touch you here”, Click/Treat.

4. Can I pick up your paw? Click/Treat

5. Can I examine your ears? Click/Treat

If the dog (horse, cat, rabbit, etc.) resists, they are telling you they are no longer comfortable with the procedure. Stop at that point and hold. Continue to click/treat until the dog relaxes and tells you to proceed further. (If you can not read your dog then learn calming signals and body language).

Now, back to the story. What happened?

Another trainer and I were grooming an owner/breeder turn in dog to our rescue. It needed to be clipped down as he is a poodle/aussie mix of 30 lbs (give or take). He did not take kindly to the bath and grooming needed, but we got through it with a lot of patience on everyone’s part.

At the end of the grooming, as I lifted him off the grooming table, he threw his head back just at the perfect time and point to meet my eye as I was bent over him. Needless to say, I caught the blow full on (head on if you like puns), and when ask by Tiffany, the other trainer, if I was alright, I said, “no”.

Now that we know he offers this behavior we can teach him appropriate manners and behavior.

Step 1: Start him with just standing on the grooming table, Click/Treat

Step 2: When comfortable with Step 1, then move on to touching him all over, Click/Treat as you go.

Step 3: Add the grooming tool, one at a time with lots of Click/Treat for acceptance.

Step 4: Follow the same procedures with the blow dryer.

Step 5: Give him lots of practice being picked up and held and lifted, Click/Treating the appropriate behavior. If he struggles or fusses, drop back to the last comfortable step.

If you have a pet, please teach it all of the skills it needs to live in the real world.

Those skills are not, Sit, Down, Stay, etc. The skills that matter are self-control, making good decisions, and how to appropriately interact in real life. Focus on those. Obedience is not the answer, manners and self-control are.