Exercise 2-9: Eyes
Tolerate head restraint or hold chin rest for eye exam with equipment.
Dog holds its head still (handler may use any variation of a chin rest or other light restraint) and tolerates a 3 second visual eye exam for each eye with an ophthalmoscope or a substitute piece of equipment.
Exercise 2-9: Eyes
Tolerate head restraint or hold chin rest for eye exam with equipment.
Dog holds its head still (handler may use any variation of a chin rest or other light restraint) and tolerates a 3 second visual eye exam for each eye with an ophthalmoscope or a substitute piece of equipment.
Purpose: A part of every routine veterinary exam is a close look at your dog’s eyes. Helping your dog become comfortable with this procedure can make a vet visit go much more smoothly.
Equipment: Treats. Ophthalmoscope or substitute piece of equipment.
Exercise set-up: The dog can be in any comfortable position. The trainer should be facing the dog. A chin rest or light head/muzzle restraint may be used during the exercise.
Scoring: In order to pass this exercise the dog must hold his head still and allow the trainer to gaze intently into each eye using the tool for at least 3 seconds.
Non-qualifiers: The dog does not hold still (gentle verbal encouragement is allowed) for the exam. The trainer does not gaze into each eye for at least 3 seconds. The trainer does not use an ophthalmoscope or similar piece of substitute equipment.
Tips: For some dogs, a person staring directly into their eyes can be intimidating. It’s good to smile and talk gently to your dog to reassure him that everything is fine. Work up to more duration and more intense gazes over a number of training sessions. Introduce the tool into your training sessions first at a distance, gradually moving it closer and closer as your dog is comfortable.
Video example: