Exercise 1-7: Medication
Dog will swallow “medicine” in a syringe.
Handler fills the syringe with any food or liquid desired. The contents are then delivered directly into the dog’s mouth and the dog willingly swallows it.
Exercise 1-7: Medication
Dog will swallow “medicine” in a syringe.
Handler fills the syringe with any food or liquid desired. The contents are then delivered directly into the dog’s mouth and the dog willingly swallows it.
Purpose: Gaining a dog’s cooperation in taking medication is a great way to reduce stress when a dog is not feeling well. Typically, taking medication is a no-choice situation. If we prepare our dogs for that possibility before it’s necessary, we can make it much more pleasant for the dog AND for the owner.
Equipment: Empty (needle-free) syringe. Soft food or liquid to fill syringe
Exercise set-up: The dog can be in any position and any orientation to the trainer. The trainer has a half-filled syringe available, which should be shown on camera prior to beginning the exercise. The trainer places the syringe in the dog’s mouth and depresses the plunger to deliver the contents to the dog.
Scoring: In order to pass the exercise, the trainer must insert the tip of the syringe into the dog’s mouth and depress the plunger. The dog must willingly swallow the contents.
Non-qualifiers: The dog refuses to let the trainer place the tip of the syringe in his mouth. The dog does not willingly swallow the contents of the syringe.
Tips: This exercise is fairly easy to teach using something tasty in the syringe, such as meat-flavored baby food. You may want to add a cue (though it’s not required) such as “here’s your meds!” or “swallow” to let your dog know what’s coming.
Video example:
Can’t see this video? Click here to view.