24/08/2026
5 things I teach before I care about a SIT 👇
PART 2 — HANDLING & BODY CONFIDENCE
This might be more important than teaching your dog to sit.
Being comfortable with handling is something I want every dog to learn , not just puppies.
Can you touch their paws?
Look inside their ears?
Open their mouth?
Hold their collar?
Check their body for an injury?
Gently restrain them if you need to?
These things might seem small… until the day they really matter.
If your dog cuts their paw, gets something stuck in their mouth, needs medication, has an injury or you need to physically move or restrain them in an emergency, being handled shouldn’t be completely unfamiliar or immediately create conflict.
The same applies to everyday life, vet examinations, grooming, nail clipping, cleaning ears, checking teeth and general health checks.
Handling should be something we actively teach, rather than simply expecting our dogs to tolerate it when we suddenly need it.
Teach handling positively from the beginning. We want our dogs to learn that being touched, examined and gently restrained is nothing to worry about, and that good things often follow.
But we also need to teach that handling isn’t always optional.
There will be moments throughout a dog’s life when something simply has to be done for their health or safety. A dog shouldn’t learn that growling, snapping or escalating aggressive behaviour is an effective way to make necessary handling stop.
Instead, we teach them how to tolerate those moments calmly, work through a little discomfort when necessary, and learn that once they do, good things happen on the other side.
For dogs that already have significant handling issues or aggression around touch, this needs to be approached carefully and appropriately for the individual dog.
Obedience is important, but training is about so much more than teaching positions.
Sometimes the skills that don’t look particularly impressive are the ones that matter most when you really need them. 🐾
