Medical training dog - 5 important commands

This makes a relaxed and stress-free visit to the vet possible. In this blog article, we have summarized the most important information and tips for medical training for your dog. Find out more now.

Content

• What is medical training for dogs?
• How does medical training help dogs?
• How do I get my dog used to it?
• How do I proceed with medical training?

• The 5 most important commands

• What should I look out for during medical training?

Medical Training Dog - what is it?

In short: medical training for dogs is the targeted familiarization with examinations and touches. For less stress for dogs and humans in unpleasant situations, such as visits to the vet or various grooming procedures.

For many dogs, a visit to the vet is pure stress. The many smells in an unfamiliar environment, strangers touching and holding the dog. For your dog, a visit to the vet can quickly lead to sensory overload. Some will become rigid with fear, while others will want to flee or even show signs of aggression.

Medical training helps your dog to master such situations and experience them in a stress-free, cooperative manner. This is because your dog's attention is consciously directed towards a training situation in a stressful situation. As a result, the dog no longer focuses on the visit to the vet or the unpleasant situation.

groomingremoving ticks and much more at home can also be made stress-free for dogs and dog parents thanks to our tips.

What is medical training for dogs?

Medical training involves exercises that are used for medical treatment and care. This allows dogs and their parents to cope with various situations, such as a visit to the vet, with less stress.

What for and why Medical Training Dog

• Strengthens trust and the bond between dog and human
• Simplifies dog care
• Supports dog parents in everyday life (e.g. with ear, eye, tooth, coat, skin, paw and wound care)
• Relaxes the visit to the vet and examinations at the veterinary practice

How do I get my dog used to it?

Trust and goal-oriented learning form the basis of medical training. The best way for your dog to learn cooperative behavior in stressful situations is through conditioning and counter-conditioning. Learning also involves repetition so that what has been learned sticks.

Conditioning: learning a reaction to a certain stimulus

During conditioning, your dog learns to react to a certain stimulus with an appropriate response. Pavlov's dog is a perfect example of this.

• Before conditioning: There is a natural reaction to an unconditional stimulus. In the example, the dogs reacted to the food by salivating. In this case, the ringtone is a neutral stimulus that did not lead to any specific reaction.
• During conditioning: In the "Pavlovian dog" example, the researcher Pavlov wanted to prove that it is possible for dogs to associate a ringtone with food. To do this, the ringtone was first played and then the dogs were given their food. This process was repeated several times.
• After conditioning: After conditioning, the dogs associated the ringtone with food. Therefore, just playing it was enough to stimulate salivation. The neutral stimulus thus became a conditioned stimulus that triggered a conditioned response.

Correct timing is also an important part of conditioning. This is because incorrect timing can very quickly lead to "incorrect behavior" being trained. A certain stimulus should therefore be followed immediately by the corresponding reaction.

Counter-conditioning: combine unpleasant stimuli with positive stimuli

As a dog parent, you use positive reinforcement for counter-conditioning. This involves combining an unpleasant or even threatening stimulus, e.g. an examination or brushing, with a positive stimulus, e.g. the subsequent giving of a treat. For example, you can use grooming more pleasant and less stressful for your dog.

The aim of medical training is to get your dog used to being touched, which is unavoidable in examination or grooming situations, without showing a defensive reaction. For example, touching ears, paws, the mouth and eye area and much more should be possible in everyday life and in special situations, such as at the vet.

Medical training dog - what should I train?

Basically, the more situations your dog is familiar with, the less stressful everyday life will be for humans and dogs. However, there are a few exercises that are essential for visits to the vet and grooming routines:

• Touching the entire body
• Touching and checking the ears
• Touching and checking the eye area
• Opening the mouth and lifting the lips
• Touching and controlling the paws
• Remaining calm in the lateral position
• The following are lifted onto the examination table

How do I proceed with medical training?

In general, it is important to mention that there are different approaches to medical training. We present one approach here as an example. However, you can choose the training approach that suits you best. The only important thing is that the medical training takes place.

Before you start medical training, you should first learn the most important commands from basic obedience, e.g. sit and down. Then you can start with a main command and in a specific place, e.g. on a blanket, to get your dog used to being touched.

Even simply stroking your dog's coat is an exercise in medical training. But touching the ears, mouth etc. are also important parts of the training.

It is also important that you train your dog to touch other people. After all, touching at the vet is not only done by the dog's parents. Include touching "strangers", e.g. friends, in your training from time to time.

Example: Getting your dog used to touching your paw

Let's explain it with an example. You want to get your dog used to touching your paws for future important control and grooming.

You start with your main command, e.g. "training". Your dog should be conditioned to go onto a blanket, for example. You then practise the medical training routine with the individual commands in this specific place.

The blanket not only offers the advantage that you can easily take it with you everywhere. It also gives your dog the opportunity to indicate that he needs a short break. If he leaves the blanket, stop briefly and give your dog the space he wants.

You can slowly get your dog used to having your paws touched by stroking and touching them repeatedly. Slowly increase the duration and intensity of the individual training sessions, your dog will set the pace.

Dogs usually react to having their paws touched by pulling them away at first. Allow this natural reflex and never simply hold the paw. Repeat the touches until your dog accepts them without stress.

Medical training dog - the 5 most important commands

These commands, which are part of basic obedience, can make medical training easier:

• "Sit" and "down": For many tests, it is sufficient if the cooperative dog can be brought into the sit or down position.
• "Give paw": A command for your dog to give you the front paws is useful when it comes to examining/checking the front paws and claws.
• Put chin down: Teach your dog a command, e.g. "chin", in which he places his chin on your hand or a towel. This position is practical for ear examinations or blood sampling, for example.
• Lateral position: Most examinations can be carried out in the lateral position. However, this is a real challenge for many dogs. By getting your dog used to it and using a command, e.g. "lie down", you can remedy this and make the necessary examinations and grooming sessions less stressful.

What should I look out for during medical training for dogs?

With medical training, as with many training sessions, the younger your dog is, the easier it is to get used to. However, medical training is also important and possible for older dogs or dogs with a history of stress. You simply need a lot more patience with these dogs.

• Don't take on too much at once
• Train at the pace set by your dog
• Do not punish your dog for natural defensive behavior
• Reward even small training successes
• Be patient

Pay attention to your dog's signals and build up the medical training patiently, so you can learn a lot about your dog and strengthen your bond.

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