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Handling and Examination

Guest Contributor - Lotte Griffiths – Accredited Behaviour Consultant (Canine) (ABC of SA™)

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To prevent your puppy from becoming aggressive or fearful during grooming and veterinary examinations it is very important to teach her to enjoy being handled.

Notes to Handling and Examination:

This exercise should only be done by older children, under strict adult supervision, and only when your puppy is totally comfortable with handling by yourself.

1.   First find a nice and quiet area for this practice where both you and your puppy can feel comfortable and relaxed.

2.   Have a lot of really tasty treats ready and while offering your puppy a treat, begin by petting her gently on areas of the body where you know she enjoys being touched.

3.   While letting her nibble on the treat, very gently slide your hand from an acceptable area to a potential ‘problem’ area such as, for example, the base of her tail or in between her toes.

4.   Touch the area briefly and immediately return your hand to an area where she enjoys being touched.

5.   Repeat, each time lingering slightly longer on and around the ‘problem’ area.

6.   When your puppy is comfortable with you touching her all over her body, help her to generalize by having other nice and calm people touch her, starting with known people and finally progressing to strangers.

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