No animal likes
to be restrained, but in order to care for your dog properly you will need to know a few restraining techniques.
Often we need to
restrain our dogs for their own good. We need to be able to groom them, trim
there nails, clean their ears, express anal glands, brush their teeth, give
them medication: the list goes on forever.
Your dog’s
veterinarian needs to be able to examine your dog and someone needs to hold him
so your Vet can accurately determine your dog’s health.
A stressed dog
can be unpredictable and an injured dog even more distressed and difficult to
control. A dog in pain may bite, even his owner, unintentionally. So you need
to know how to restrain your dog for everyone’s best interest.
I will go over a
few methods of restraint. Remember, less restraint is always better. Stay calm
but be firm. Heavy restraint can cause your dog to struggle, escalating his
fear and further stressing the situation.
NECKHOLD
The neck hold is
the most common and reassuring restraint. This restraint stops the dog from
turning its head around and biting. This is a great hold for cutting nails if
nail trimming is a two person job. Cradle your dog’s head and wrap your arm
around his neck. Using the other arm give your dog support under his chest.
Petting and talking softly always helps the
dog to remain calm and to distract the dog from the task at hand.
STRING MUZZLE
When examining a
dog that is aggressive or disoriented a string muzzle may be necessary. A long
shoe lace will do. Simply loop the shoe lace or rope into a loop. Loop the
muzzle of your dog. You can wrap around the muzzle again then tie in a bow
behind his head. Use a bow not a knot for easier release. Some dogs can get so
stressed being muzzled that there gums may turn bluish or purple: if so, then
remove the muzzle immediately. Never muzzle a dog whose breathing is
restricted.
LEG
HOLD
The leg hold
starts off by laying your dog on either of his sides. Kneel on the ground
facing the back side of your dog. Leaning over the spine take hold of both the
front and back legs that are closest to the ground. Use your arm to lie across
the dog’s neck. This hold prevents your dog from being able to get up.
Another method of restraint for shorter
procedures is the pillow hold. This is a gentler form of restraint. The pillow
hold keeps the dog from turning around to bite while being examined
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