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The All Dogs Blog

Body handling

1/6/2020

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There are a myriad of reasons your dog needs to have his or her body handled. From veterinary visits to grooming, to being hugged, pet, and tugged on by a wide variety of people, a relaxed tolerance of handling does not come naturally to our dogs. The easiest way to ensure your dog is able to tolerate handling is to start when they're still very young indeed, ideally as soon as you bring your puppy home. 
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Start with the basic tools needed for grooming. A comb, brush, toothbrush, nail clippers, scissors, and any other grooming tools can be laid out for the puppy to explore. When she does, give little rewards for such brave curiousity. Next, practice examining the dog. After each 'exam', give a treat. For example. Hold one of your puppy's paws. Then release and give a treat. Check inside the ears. One ear, check! And treat! Other ear, check! And treat!

Repeat this until your puppy is delighted to have you handle these sensitive body parts. If the puppy tries to get away, or is squirmy and unsettled, simply withhold the treat and say something like, "Oopsie!" You can always start again in a little while. Feel between the toes, the nails, the windpipe, the belly, the tail - and gradually, over a few days, try to get to a whole body exam. 

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Practicing grooming with your dog follows the same principles. You can expect to be treating your dog often while you condition her to tolerate and even enjoy grooming. With every brush stroke, treat! Then two brush strokes, and another treat! Do this until your dog can tolerate a whole body grooming, and even add a little pressure for a nice, deep brush through. Once your dog  is comfortable with having feet and nails touched, you can practice touching her nails with the clippers. One touch, one treat! Then a few touches for a treat. Next, hold the paw  in your hands and press on the toe to make the nail come out. Treat! Continue like this, adding the clippers into the equation slowly and gradually, until you can effectively hang onto your dog's paw and clip those nails without a fuss. ​
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Many dogs find themselves quite traumatized by the grooming experience, having never been conditioned to tolerate or even enjoy the process. By taking your time, starting early, and staying consistent, fear of grooming does not have to be a reality for your dog. Instead, make it a joyful, relaxing experience with these important grooming practices. 

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    Camille Salter is the founder of All Dogs Pet Services and a certified, knowledge-assessed dog trainer (CPDT-KA)

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I cannot say enough good things about Camille and her team. A few months ago, I had to temporarily close my own dog walking business due to an unexpected and debilitating health issue. Camille's team not only stepped in to cover a significant number of "my" dogs, they did an exceptional job. This would not have been possible without Camille's management capabilities and her walkers' skill level. I don't know if there is another company that could have done this. Camille and team, thank you for taking such good care of "my" dogs, "your" dogs, and giving me the time to heal. If you are looking for a walker, there is no company I could more highly recommend than All Dogs Toronto." - Kate Fink

We have been sending our Goldendoodle to All Dogs for over a year, ever since Zoki was a young puppy. While we are at work we know that Zoki is in a safe and supportive environment where she has learned to interact well with other dogs. Ben and Camille have made it possible for us to continue to have active, professional lives, and a young dog. Since Zoki is so at home there, it has been easy to leave her for a week when we have both had to be out of town. We highly recommend their thoughtful and well-informed care. - -- Christina Kramer and Richard Franz


I cannot say enough positive things about Camille Salter, the owner of All Dogs. From the moment my rescue dog and I met Camille, I knew she would work wonders. Her demeanor, grace and confidence made my dog fall in love her instantly. She is so incredibly knowledgeable that I try to soak up as much information as I can from her.


I highly highly recommend Camille Salter and All Dogs. Whether you are looking for a professional trainer or walking, she will provide you with all of the tools needed to ensure your dog is set up for success.

Camille is truly a pillar in the community of canine training within Toronto.

Thank you Camille!! - Tessa Vaskas


Camille and All Dogs have been amazing for our Basset Hound, Columbo. We have been using the service for the last six months. Columbo started with puppy training with All Dogs and he has learned all the commands. Training has been reinforced during Columbo's puppy visits which has helped greatly during his growth and development. Camille and her team are on-time, attentive, supportive, great with our Columbo and our house. We appreciate everything that she has done and recommend her to anyone. " Andrea Suhay


"Camille is amazing. Really understands each dog’s unique personality and applies individual techniques based on it. I use their daycare, boarding, training, walking... my dog always comes back better behaved & full of love and Camille is so insightful that I learn about my dog, too! My dog adores her. Super trustworthy and effective." Kathryn Kearns


"I highly recommend Camille and All Dogs Pet Services. I recently used All Dogs Pet Services to walk my dog for two weeks while I was out of town. Camille was able to accommodate walking my dog on short notice. Camille is very pleasant and cheerful to deal with and from the first meet and greet Camille had with myself and my dog Charlie I felt confident that Charlie would be safe and in good hands. I will definitely call Camille again and recommend her to all my dog owner friends." - Richard Fernandez



Overall, Camille definitely made being away from my babies a far less nerve-wracking experience! I trust her and would hire her again in an instant." - Amanda Factor


"I can't say enough positive things about Ben and Camille!  Camille (and her large  support of other trainers) have assessed Bax, and we are all happily working through his (fearful aggression, "spoiled Prince" and bulldog tendencies) and MY issues.  Thank you, Ben and Camille, for your patience, care and love for my sweet fat Baxter. I know that he is in the best hands whenever I have to go out of town!"
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"—Camille looked after our diabetic Cat and did a fantastic job. He was going into remission right when we had a 1-week vacation scheduled. Camille was more than up to the task. She had to measure his blood daily and give him the corresponding amount of insulin. It was very reassuring knowing we had a real professional looking after our critter. She did a great job of looking after our apartment also and we didnt even know that was something she would do. Couldn't possibly give a stronger recommendation for this company." - Holt Mansfield

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