Our dogs and cats will go to a Veterinarian on a regular basis over the course of their lives, and as their owners, we can do a lot to help prepare our dogs for the experience. We can help our dogs and cats become comfortable with having their paws, their ears, and other sensitive areas examined. We do this through behaviour modification!
Desensitization and counterconditioning are behaviour modifying training techniques. The techniques are best started as early in a dog’s life as possible, before negative experiences are formed. However, it can still be useful at any age for dogs and cats with any sort of experiences.
The techniques should be implemented in the most gradual fashion so as not to trigger any stress or fear in the pet. It should be solely a positive experience for the pet. Sometimes we move too fast, or the pet is having a difficult day – and the pet will show signs of stress. This is bound to happen at some point during the training process. When this happens, stay calm and continue the training by taking a step back and always end the training on a positive note by choosing something that the pet will tolerate and rewarding them.
The first signs of fear or stress in dogs include:
- Whale eye
- Panting
- Not making eye contact, or making too much eye contact
- Trying to hide or leave
- Tail tucked down
The first signs of fear or stress in cats include:
- Tensing their body
- Trying to hide or leave
- Sudden or aggressive grooming
- Scratching
- Hissing
- Biting
How behaviour modification works:
Start with a sensitive body area that the pet is already comfortable with and lightly touch it while offering a reward to them. Then, gradually increase the length of time, movement, or intensity of the sensation until the pet no longer resists having it handled. Use lots of rewards during the training. By doing this, we help prepare our dogs and cats to be touched and physically examined by a veterinarian.
Rewards can be:
- Praise, such as “good dog, you’re the best!”
- A good scratch or petting
- Playing with a toy
- A piece of their regular kibble
- Or a treat
Animals can train us as much as we train them. If we respond in a certain way when our pet does an action like whining or hiding, then they will continue to do that action if they want our response. This is why ending on a positive note is so important.
By training our pets with behaviour modification techniques, we can help prepare them for stressful situations such as Vet visits.
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