4 Fun Tricks to Use for Cooperative Care Training with Your Dog
One thing about me is that I love doing silly tricks with my dog.
Even though it doesn’t feel very practical, I’m more likely to spend time doing trick training with my dog than working on other skills. Why do hard things when you can instead do silly things, right? Just me?
And this is why I love using tricks for teaching cooperative handling!
It makes cooperative care training seem more fun — and thus I am more likely to do cooperative care training!
Tricks can also be used to teach our dogs to voluntarily position themselves, making certain care tasks easier and less coercive.
I also love to use tricks as “start button behaviors” that allow JJ to opt-in to care tasks.
Let’s look at four of my favorite tricks that can be applied to cooperative care training.
Chin Rest
This is where your dog rests their chin on your hand, knee, or a flat surface like a chair.
How I use it:
With my dog, JJ, her chin rest is her “start button” or consent behavior for different care tasks like looking at her eyes or ears. I would love for her to opt-in for ear cleanings with a chin rest, but that’s a work in progress.
Side Lay
aka “play dead”
Teaching a dog to voluntarily lay on their side can be a great way to see more of their body at once.
How I use it:.
I primarily use this trick for looking at JJ’s belly or armpits as needed. She recently scraped her belly up, and it was a lot easier to clean from a side lay position.
Some dogs like using this one as a start button behavior for tasks like nail trims, but JJ wasn’t a huge fan of those two things combined.
Paw Targeting
aka “shake”
I know you know this one, lol. But just in case, this trick is where a dog lifts their paw and places it on your hand.
How I use it:
This is JJ’s start button behavior for practicing cooperative nail trims & paw handling. It allows her to clearly tell me when she is comfortable with her paws being handled.
Digging
Are you surprised by this one?
Teaching a dog to dig on cue is a pretty adorable trick but also has one specific cooperative care application....
How I use it: We use this one for scratchboard training! A “shake” to the scratchboard is a decent start, but for JJ, digging at the scratchboard is more effective & fun than just placing her paw on it.
P.S. Do you want to learn more about cooperative care and how to teach tricks like these?
Every month we have a new webinar or training class for Confident Mutts Club members - past topics have included scratchboard training, the basics of cooperative care, and silly tricks for confidence.
P.S. Do you want to learn more about cooperative care and how to teach tricks like these?
Every month we have a new webinar or training class for Confident Mutts Club members - past topics have included scratchboard training, the basics of cooperative care, and silly tricks for confidence.
