Any contact is too much for some dogs
Our rescue dog does not like having his paws touched. We have tried to gently touch his feet while using food to make it a positive experience. The more we try to work at this problem, the more sensitive he seems to get. Now, when we start to reach for him, he darts away. This makes nail trims impossible. How can we get him over this issue?
Working gently and using food are both sound ideas. However, some dogs are so scared, that any contact is too much. The exercise, framed in this way, is not positive to these dogs.
Two modifications are commonly used. One is to use distance. Many dogs are already apprehensive at the sight of human hands reaching. Touching their paws is far too difficult as a first step.
Families should first get the dog used to the sight of human hands reaching. Periodically reach part of the way toward the dog. Only reach as far as the dog can comfortably handle. Then offer the dog some food and give them a break. As the dog begins to relax and enjoy the experience, reach a little further.
Another modification is to begin with the animal’s shoulder. Touch the dog’s shoulder, then offer some food. Starting with the shoulder is a guaranteed way of staying under threshold — under the level where the dog becomes fearful. It’s so easy that the dog can’t help but feel safe.
Once the dog is fully comfortable with shoulder touches, move lower down the leg in small increments. Continue offering food and giving breaks. Families are essentially creeping towards the problem area in manageable steps that the dog can easily tolerate.
Go slowly, especially when nearing the dog’s paw. There will be a grey zone where slow and steady wins the race. Patiently build trust. We read that dogs learn hand signals better than verbal commands. Is this true? If so, should we use hand signals instead of verbal commands?
There are many broad claims made about dogs. The idea that dogs learn hand signals better is somewhat true. This means that it is at times untrue. Exceptions exist.
Dogs, like all animals, can take in information a number of different ways. Dogs will attend to the information that is most salient based on the task and outcome. This means that a dog’s preference will change based on what humans are asking them to do.
In most basic obedience skills like sit, stand and down, dogs tend to notice visual cues. This is why it is common to see dogs that will only lie down if their people point to the ground. The dog noticed the pointing and connected it to the behaviour. The simultaneous, duplicate verbal cue became irrelevant information that was tuned out.
There are exceptions. Animals frequently notice sounds when faced with things that scare them. Researcher Krista MacPherson from Western University found that dogs are more likely to attend to sounds when telling time.
If families want the easiest route, then hand signals make sense for most basic obedience skills. For a fun twist, try teaching dogs American Sign Language. It sounds impressive, but it’s easier than teaching dogs verbal cues.
This does not mean that dogs cannot learn both. Families should teach both. As the years go by, it’s nice to have hand signals for dogs that start to lose their hearing. It’s also good to have verbal commands for dogs that lose their sight.