Easier Vet Visits
Not only do I enjoy teaching my dogs that nail clipping is fun. There are many more behaviors I teach that are so useful. Chin rest is one of my favorites. It’s cute as heck and I can use this when grooming my dog or brushing their teeth.
I can ask my dogs for a chin rest so the vet can touch them. Even a blood draw is possible with a chin rest. Of course, you don’t want to use it only for ” bad things” because then it will become the predictor of an unpleasant experience.
Another thing that is really important is finding a veterinarian that uses low stress handling or is fear free certified. I’m so lucky to have found one that understands me and my pet’s needs. 
Chin Rest
The chin rest is very useful for vet visits. It comes in handy when you need to apply medications such as ear or eye drops. Instead of wrestling with a dog that doesn’t know what evil things I may be up to, I teach that being handled is a normal part of life and always rewarding.
Handling
Another handling exercise I practice is picking up my dog’s tail and taking their temperature, so they don’t freak out when someone they don’t know needs to do these things to them.
They even get to say “I need a second” when they are not ready!
How do they get to say no you ask?
Let’s take a look at the bucket game by one of my favorite trainers Chirag Patel.
The Bucket Game
Chiraq invented the game that allows an animal communicate with his care giver. The dog gets to decide when he is ready to keep going with a procedure (being touched, giving blood, trimming nails…) and when he needs a break. I love giving dogs choice in participating. It empowers especially small and shy dogs, because they are often the ones that are not being asked for consent to be touched.