What is cooperative care?

Cooperative care, or care with consent, is the idea that a learner should be given agency to opt in to their own care practices. These care practices can refer to in-home grooming like nail trims and brushing, or veterinary procedures at the clinic.

As pet guardians and caretakers, we're responsible for our companions' health and wellbeing.

Our pets don't understand why uncomfortable procedures like nail trims are important for their quality of life (long nails can be painful, can get torn, can cause issues with their gait). And while pets can understand some human language (sometimes surprisingly much), we can't simply rationalize these procedures to them.

So how do we help them feel safe during these procedures? The answer is gradual introduction, often paired with some sort of tasty reward, alongside teaching them how to communicate when something is too much (the tricky part here, as the human, is remembering to listen when our learners say as much). This is similar to how a dentist gives you the option to raise your hand when you need a break. Simply knowing you have control makes the experience less stressful. I don't know about you, but just knowing that I have this option helps me to need it less. This is largely to do with the trust that is built in the process and the fact that I learned that my behavior influences my outcomes.

In the video below, you'll see how I've developed this two-way communication with my dog Bodhi. I allow, and reward, him for communicating when he needs a break, I listen to his requests to slow down, and because of our established trust, he willingly opts back in when ready.

Not every dog will learn to willingly accept any given procedure, but even if we can’t get full cooperation like you see in the video below, there are still things that we can do in order to decrease our pet’s stress during handling, grooming and veterinary procedures.

The journey that Bodhi and I took to get to this level of trust and communication was not always linear, and it was not always straightforward. If you and your dog are struggling with stressful grooming or veterinary procedures, I am here to help troubleshoot that journey with you.

Cooperative nail trims