We made some mistakes after first adopting Gimili from the shelter. I have learned from those mistakes and now want to pass along those learnings to you. Let me tell you his story...
We adopted Gimli from a shelter. He and his litter mates were abandoned in a box on a porch. Talk about a crappy start to life…
We took him home, we got the potty training handled quickly, crate training was a breeze, he walked on a leash well, he ate his food well, and he was focused on us.
You know where we failed though?? Vet visits, nail trims, and body handling. He learned, through his eyes, that these are bad things, and it has stuck. The way he reacts to these negative things… running away or giving a snap in the air and growling.
We have worked on counter conditioning, we take things at a nauseatingly slow pace, the past couple of years have been spent doing nail trims in a positive manner, doing practice handling at home, working with our vet, and our vet even lets me handle him for his vet visits. But he is still nervous during the visits. He does much better than he did two years ago when we started, but that single super negative event from puppyhood has hung on.
I was talking to my vet last week about Gimli. She said it happens more than they would like to see, and where it all starts is when they are a puppy. It is hard on the dog, the owner, and the staff at the veterinary office. It is okay to not know how to do this! We can start now and make a big difference in the life of you and your puppy! We learned so much from Gimli and we made a big difference with our other dog, Poe. We also adopted Poe as a puppy, we were able to make a huge change in the dog he would become. We did “happy” vet visits, practiced handling, nail trims, foot touching, grooming practice (he is fluffy), and let me tell you, it has made an enormous difference. He does great at the vet. He is cooperative for all parts of the exam, vaccines, listening to heart and lungs, temperature taking… you name it, he handles it well.
Let me help you avoid the mistakes I made ten years ago. Let’s make a difference in your life and your puppy’s life. We have an upcoming puppy foundations masterclass. It will make a difference.
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