Training a Tricky Dog? Put Games to Work for You

Maybe not chess, but playing games with your pup can help you both

Last February, just before the pandemic, we traveled to Washington to pick up an adolescent female Papillon. We named her Civetta, Italian for “little owl.” It’s also slang for a girl who’s a troublemaker - and it soon became clear she’d live up to her name. 

When shelter-in-place restrictions hit a month later, I was glad to have extra time to train Civetta. But restrictions also made life with a young dog more challenging. We lost the ability to do long decompression walks. I had to be careful with feeding because she was burning fewer calories. And this teenaged Papillon needed loads of mental stimulation. Did I mention she was smart? 

To help keep her occupied, we came up with the “Where Is It?” game. Civetta would go into her crate and I’d show her a puzzle toy with a scrap of food in it. Then I’d release her from the crate, asking her “Where Is It?” and she’d find the toy. We started off easy, placing the toy just outside of the crate, then progressively moving it further away. Once she found it, we’d repeat the game. I soon learned that three games were good, with five games the most she could do in a session.

Since those early days, we’ve greatly increased the complexity of the game. Now I’ll wrap a puzzle toy in a blanket, stuff it in a bag, put it in a box, and hide it under the couch. I may tie a puzzle toy in a dish towel with knots. I may hide several toys. I may just hide scraps of food. Civetta’s become a true detective, ferreting out these prizes no matter how ingeniously I hide them.

But much to my surprise, the “Where Is It” game has helped with cooperative care as well.

Cooperative care is a training approach started by Deb Jones that relies on the physical handling of animals to prepare them for the types of procedures and medical care that are likely to happen to them throughout life, such as eye drops, shots, toe-nail clipping, etc. (Jones has a book, a YouTube channel, and a Facebook group all focused on teaching the basics of cooperative care). 

As a vet tech myself, I had learned, “Do it to the animal - just don’t hurt yourself or the animal.” But when I started realizing how animals felt about most procedures, I became disillusioned with that approach. After 20 years in the industry, I left it in 2014 to become a full-time dog trainer, and helping animals learn to participate in the rehabilitation process is now a gratifying experience. Because of this background, I was committed to teaching Civetta how to participate cooperatively in her grooming and medical care, with nail maintenance as one of my top priorities. 

I had always trimmed nails with clippers, which can be difficult for dogs. The pressure/crushing sensation can be stressful, and if you mistakenly cut through the bloodline, it’s painful. But through my cooperative care group, I learned if you use a Dremel tool instead, you can polish the nail around the bloodline without danger of cutting it. A Dremel is far more precise, and it has a light so you can see what you’re doing. 

Along with my Dremel, I also bought a special head that has minimal vibration and does not heat up. It was a bit pricey, but I considered it a worthwhile investment.

I spent a couple weeks just getting Civetta (and myself) used to the appearance and sound of the tool and learning to feel comfortable with it. But how could I help make the actual experience better for my dog? I thought about my own childhood. I liked going to work with my grandmother, even though I had to sit quietly and read, because she would always take me to the beach afterwards. I learned to tolerate something slightly annoying because of the good thing that followed after. 

I applied that same concept to our work with the Dremel tool. First, I set a calendar reminder so I could keep track of our sessions. Every other day, I would Dremel a single foot, three strokes on each toe. And then we always played three fun games of “Where Is it?” right afterward.

After three months, I can now put the Dremel tool on the floor, where Civetta will whack it with her paw and jump into my lap for a nail session. I can do all four paws in a single evening.

And I literally have to keep the Dremel out of sight. Otherwise she will harass me to do her nails.

So I challenge you to look at your own training goals for 2021. Is there something you could do to make routine care easier and more pleasant for your dog? Civetta’s Dremel training took some work, but it’s going to last a lifetime. And we’re both happy that my little troublemaker  loves her pedicures with me.