Pill Popping Pooch Problems?

Do these scenarios sound all too familiar?

Help! It is a struggle every time I give my dog a pill!
Help! My dogs hates it when I try to give her pills and clamps her mouth shut.
Help! My dog runs away and hides when she knows it is time foe her pill.

The problem is that many of the suggested ways of giving pills to your dog might work the first time but  eventually your dog becomes wise to your ways and learns to evade your efforts to restrain them and pop a foreign object down their throat. Your dog may eventually even evade your approach and efforts to handle them in other situations as well.

There is a better way!

Here are a few different ways to train your dog to be a cooperative if not eager pill recipient!

Meatball Counting Game - 1 2 3 -Ta Da! 

• Prepare a few medium sized morsels of really yummy soft food treats. If you have 1 pill to give then prepare 5 treats, if you have more pills then more treats. 
• Examples of types of treats are medium soft cheese, chicken breast, meatloaf, fish cakes, muffins, etc.  There are also products on the market that you can buy specifically for this purpose. Smooth products such as peanut butter are too different a texture to use easily.
• Embed a pill in one of the treats. 
• Line the treats up and tell your dog it is time to play a fun counting game! 
• Plan. You are going to give all the treats in quick succession so that your dog won't even notice the one with the hidden pill. 
• Ready?  
• Treat #1 - gulp!
• Treat #2 - gulp!
• Treat #3 - gulp!
• Treat #4 (WITH pill inside) - gulp!
• Quickly followed by treat #5, lots of praise and a fun activity!
• Result? Even if your dog did notice the pill he will consider it part of the game and be ready to play again next time! 
• Some dogs will eat some pills if mixed in with their regular food but one day there may be a big or bitter pill that even they will spit out!

Open Wide! 

Sometimes pills must be given on an empty stomach and can't be given with food. Teach your dog to open wide and say "AAAAAAaaaaaaa".

Shaping and targeting methods, along with a marker signal or clicker are used to teach this behaviour. Using positive reinforcement methods this is such a fun and rewarding process!

Eventually you can pop a pill in with either the target hand or your other hand. Keep the behaviour reliable by practicing without being followed by a pill every time.

See video of Rizzo by Root Dog Training:

Proactive Pavlov

 

Pavlov conditioned dogs to react happily to the sound of a bell (and salivate!). You can teach your dog to react happily to different things too - including handling - even to the point of pushing a pill down their throat. Use Pavlovian or Classical Conditioning you can teach your dog (preferably as a puppy) to enjoy being handled in all different ways.

• It is crucial to begin at whatever level your dog is completely comfortable with. 
• Do several short sessions every day. Repeat each step multiple times in a session.
• Only progress to the next step when your dog is eager to play the game whenever the opportunity arises. 
• Touch your dog, reward mark (use a clicker, a tongue cluck or a crisp word such as "yes") and give your dog a high value reward.
• Condition touch to different body parts. 
• Vary the way in which you touch, sometimes longer duration touches, sometimes "grabbier" touches. Remember, always at a level your dog happily accepts!
• Make a game out of it and follow up with a fun activity.  

 

Step One Training Class - March graduates

Rigby does a SIT - STAY while her owner picks up groceries!

STORM - Thoughtful, sweet and smart German Shepherd with a dedicated family!

Rigby - Full of fun and games, this 7 month old Border Collie Mix  is learning so much already!