
Exercise 3-9: Eyes
Introduce drops.
Handler will lightly restrain the dog’s head or ask for a chin rest. Handler will use a dropper or syringe to drip water onto the dog’s head and muzzle.

Exercise 3-9: Eyes
Introduce drops.
Handler will lightly restrain the dog’s head or ask for a chin rest. Handler will use a dropper or syringe to drip water onto the dog’s head and muzzle.
Purpose: Many dogs will need eye drops at some point in their lives. This exercise is a good step in that direction. Getting used to drops of water falling from above is a good introduction to actual eye drops.
Equipment: Pillow or towel for chin rest. Treats. Syringe. Water.
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 the exercise the dog must hold his head still while the drops of water are applied.
Non-qualifiers: The dog does not hold still (gentle verbal encouragement is allowed) for the procedure. The trainer does not deliver 3 water drops to the dog’s head or muzzle.
Tips: You can begin training this exercise by touching an empty dropper to your dog’s head and muzzle. Then touch a dropper with a small amount of water in it. Then release a drop from ½ inch away, and so on. The goal is to hold the dropper a few inches from your dog to release the drops.
Video example: