2/6/26

Co-Operative Care

Got your lure and marker at the ready? If you have a few basic skills, you can create co-operative behaviours that will help your dog to manage handling in the vet clinic.

If you can mark your dog for moving off your hand, you have a point of focus.
If you can extend that out, you have a stand and focus
If you can slowly introduce distractions, while your dog attends to that point of focus - you have cooperative behaviour!

There are so many behaviours that can be cooperative, but I love a hand focus as is portable, keeps the face around the handler rather than vet, and is versatile for drawing blood, giving vaccines, or performing a health check.

Next

Foundations of play