Defensive Handling
Have you ever felt like getting a dog out of a kennel is more exciting than lion taming? As dog handlers, we are often faced with dogs who don’t want to co-operate when they are being handled. Luckily, there are strategies that we can learn to keep us safe when handling difficult dogs. We have to get dogs in and out of kennels and runs, restrain them for husbandry practices, and walk them from one place to another, and often they don’t want to participate. The good news is that with some planning and education, we can keep ourselves and the animals we interact with safe and still get through whatever we need to do.
The very first thing we need to learn about is being aware of the environment within which we find ourselves. The ideal environment to interact with a dog would include things like enough space to work, without things to trip upon, and without any other dogs or humans to get in your way. This is all well and good until you get to work, where you find that there is a mop bucket outside of the run you need access to, and the person who is mopping the floor has just finished mopping, the floor is wet, and the mop is leaning against the kennel door. Where ever possible, you want to be in control of the environment you are working within.
Equipment is another important aspect of staying safe with the animals you handle. Any equipment you use should be in good condition; inspecting snaps and buckles as a daily practice will help you to be aware of when equipment is beginning to fail and allow you to get it repaired before you need it. Knowing how each piece of equipment works and being comfortable with it before an emergency is an important part of being prepared.
Recognizing dog body language can give you a big leg up on being ready to deal with the dogs you are handling. Most unpleasant behaviors in dogs are forecast long in advance through the posture, facial expressions, and movements of the dog in question. Being able to sort out what the dog is going to do before it happens means you can take evasive action if needed.
Good handling also means being aware of the dog’s age, gender, sexual status and general health. A ten-week-old puppy who is snarling and biting is usually much less of a risk than is the 2-year-old, intact male in the company of a bitch in heat. You should always be aware of the dog’s particulars before you set him into a situation that might be problematic.
We often hear from those who don’t have a background in dog behaviour that behavior happens out of the blue, and this is likely true for many people. Pro dog trainers are sometimes told that they are “scary fast” or have a second sense of what is coming. The fact is that an experienced trainer walks through the world looking for obstacles that need to be accounted for or navigated and checks his leash, collar, and other tools each time they pick one up. The pros find out the dog’s age and reproductive status and check for lameness or other signs of pain as soon as they meet the dog. They also read dog body language really well. This is not accidental. This is by design; pro trainers have learned through the years, often because they didn’t do some of what has been mentioned above, to be present and mindful whenever they interact with any dog. These people genuinely understand defensive handling.
If you want to learn more about defensive handling, register for our self-study defensive handling course here.
