If you have a dog who's nervous about nail trims or grooming or vet visits, today's episode is for you.

Welcome to the puppy training podcast. I'm Amy Jensen, founder of Baxter and Bella, the online puppy school.

Here, we are all about helping you create the best possible experience raising a puppy.

From training tips to practical tricks, all aimed at fostering a happy, well-behaved dog who truly feels like part of the family.

So if you are ready to enjoy the journey and strengthen the bond with your dog, let's get started.

Welcome back to the puppy turning podcast.

This is where I help you guys raise well-behaved, confident, happy dogs right from the start.

So I'm Amy Jensen, and today we are talking about one of my favorite topics, cooperative care.

This is all about helping your dog choose to participate

in grooming, vet visits, and even medical handling without fear or force. Yes, that is right.

Imagine your dog volunteering for nail trims. I know. Some of you are saying, yeah,

I don't think so. Or even ear cleaning or a vet exam. It's possible. And today we're

going to talk all about it. So first of all, what is cooperative care? Cooperative care is a style of

training that teaches dogs to actively take part in their own grooming and health care. We give them

a voice, right? So instead of restraining them

or forcing them through something scary, we build trust and give them a voice a way to say,

I'm ready or, hey, I need a little break. It's based on what we call fear-free handling,

an approach used by veterinarians and professional groomers

that minimizes stress and helps dogs feel safe. As a trainer, I love this method. So when we apply

this at home, it can transform daily care from a wrestling match, some of you know what I'm talking

about, into a calm, cooperative partnership where, yeah, your dog might even volunteer for a nail trim.

So why does this matter? Let's think about what most dogs experience. Their nails get clipped while

...