Gail Fisher, All Dogs Gym & Inn - The perfect place for pets and their people

We adopted a new dog a few months ago. He was a stray—a “village dog” from a foreign country. He’s a survivor, and definitely knows how to get out of tight spots. One of the tight spots he tries to avoid is nail trimming—and they need it. So I’ve been training him to overcome his dislike. This effort fits well with an email I got recently from a reader who wrote: “I have a question for your column in the NH Sunday News. How do you get dogs used to blow dryers? Mine want to run away fast!”

Both the reader’s question and my efforts with our new dog to accept nail trimming are “husbandry” behaviors—being handled, examined, touched, held and groomed for both veterinary visits, grooming and every-day upkeep. We teach husbandry in our Basic Manners classes, and it’s worthwhile for all owners to spend some time on this, starting with puppies. The secret to training your dog to accept nail trimming, blow drying, ear cleaning, or other husbandry is to take it slow—very slow. Be prepared for many, many, many repetitions. Don’t push it, and don’t rush it.

It is tempting to simply gather the tools and dive right in. Dog owners often jump right in because we can—we are able to physically overpower our dogs. But just because we can, doesn’t mean we should. It’s far more stressful to the dog to overpower him, than it is to gain his cooperation. Consider how a zoo keeper must handle husbandry with an elephant weighing over five tons. They can’t simply flip him over and do his nails. They must shape him to work with them, and they do! If they can, so can we with our dogs.

There are several aspects to consider from your dog’s point of view. First is location (grooming table, kitchen floor, etc.). Then there’s the dog’s physical position and movement (sitting, standing, lying down, holding a foot out, etc.). There are the tools (blow dryer, nail trimmer or Dremel grinder, brush and comb, cotton balls and cleaner, toothbrush, etc.), and the odors, taste and sounds (the smell of hair in the dryer motor, the slight burnt smell of nails when they’re ground, the odor of the ear cleaner, the toothpaste, etc.). And finally the physical sensations and manipulation of the dog.

So here’s how I’m handling desensitizing our new dog to the Dremel grinder I use for nails. This same approach will work well with the reader’s question about the blow dryer, and any other grooming implement. Treat each element independently.

Start with location and position: I’m getting him comfortable where I want to grind his nails, sitting on the sofa next to me. I call him onto the sofa, have him sit and give him a treat, then another, and another. I groom Cannon on a grooming table, so he gets treats there. Or sit on the floor and teach your dog to lie on his side. Wherever it is, whatever the position, do loads of repetitions with nothing else—no brushing, no nail clipping, nothing. Just treats—over and over.

Next is tools. If your dog has no prior experience with the tools, you can include these as part of your initial training—simply have them nearby, so the dog gets used to their presence. On the other hand, if your dog has had prior bad experience, such as the reader’s with the blow dryer, do this separately.

To desensitize to something your dog already fears such as a blow dryer, have it around (not in your hand) at pleasant times unrelated to grooming. Put it on the floor near you and give your dogs treats near it. Have it near you when you’re petting your dogs. Put it on the floor while they’re eating, and the like. Next, get them used to it when you’re holding it. Hold it one hand and give them treats with the other – over and over and over. The idea is to condition your dogs that the presence of the blow dryer means treats, petting, and all good things.

More on conditioning your dog to basic husbandry next week.