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Paws and Effect · Tuesday · 1 hr 2 min

Nail Clippers, Carriers and Eye Drops Without the Fight!

You’ve wrestled a cat into a carrier. You’ve chased a dog around the house with the nail clippers. Now imagine having to give a monkey a daily injection, or getting a tiger to walk up and present its shoulder for one. Zookeepers do it every day. Not by force, they can’t force an animal that size, but by teaching it to take part willingly. And the same thing works on the cat under your bed. Carra sits down with Nicky Plaskitt, who spent over twenty years training zoo and aquarium animals to cooperate in their own care. In this episode: ⁠Why your pet isn’t being difficult, and what the resistance is actually telling you The two-minute exercise you can start tonight How to stop the carrier being a warning sign What to do when there’s no time to train, and the care can’t wait Connect with Dr Carra: Website: https://drcarra.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dr_carra LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drcarra/ Hillcrest Veterinary Hospital: https://hillcrestvets.co.za/ Connect with Nicky Plaskitt: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nickyshapingbehaviour Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/shapingbehaviour/ Website: http://shapingbehaviour.com/ Podcast Production: This Podcast is produced by Kythe Creative and filmed on-site at Hillcrest Veterinary Hospital. Kythe Creative: https://kythecreative.co.za/ THIS EPISODE'S SPONSORS: Ultra Pet: This episode is sponsored by Ultra Pet, who has been scientifically formulating premium pet food for over 25 years. If you want to take the guesswork out of feeding your furry friends, give Ultra Pet a try. Check them out here at www.ultra-pet.co.za Just For Pets: Justforpets.co.za is proud to sponsor this episode of the Paws and Effect podcast. Visit their website for all your pet needs and find everything from toys to food and much more. The team over at Just For Pets believe that every pet deserves the best care possible, and that's why we offer a wide range of products to help keep your furry friend happy and healthy - Check them out at https://www.justforpets.co.za/ FOR SPONSORSHIPS AND GUEST APPEARANCES, email us at drcarra@pawsandeffect.co.za, and we'll get in touch with you. Don't forget to LIKE this if you found it helpful, SUBSCRIBE for more episodes and content like this. ------------------------------------------------------ 00:00 Challenges of Daily Animal Injections 03:14 Training a pet for insulin injections 08:02 Communicating with animals during training 11:33 Understanding Animal Behavior 13:39 Training animals with positive reinforcement 17:59 Training pets with treats 20:25 Teaching animals target training 24:53 Teaching animals to wait 30:04 Optimizing pet training environment 32:22 Observing animal behavior signals 35:31 Training dogs in new environments 37:28 Emergency care for uncooperative animals 40:51 Building trust with animals 47:19 Deciding on pet care routines 49:09 Discussing pet medication challenges 55:14 Training Techniques and Qualifications 57:53 Observing animal behavior cues 59:58 Animal care expertise discussion

0:00-1:02:19

transcript

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show notes

You’ve wrestled a cat into a carrier. You’ve chased a dog around the house with the nail clippers. Now imagine having to give a monkey a daily injection, or getting a tiger to walk up and present its shoulder for one.


Zookeepers do it every day. Not by force, they can’t force an animal that size, but by teaching it to take part willingly. And the same thing works on the cat under your bed.


Carra sits down with Nicky Plaskitt, who spent over twenty years training zoo and aquarium animals to cooperate in their own care.


In this episode:

  • ⁠Why your pet isn’t being difficult, and what the resistance is actually telling you
  • The two-minute exercise you can start tonight
  • How to stop the carrier being a warning sign
  • What to do when there’s no time to train, and the care can’t wait



Connect with Dr Carra:

Website: https://drcarra.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dr_carra

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drcarra/

Hillcrest Veterinary Hospital: https://hillcrestvets.co.za/


Connect with Nicky Plaskitt:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nickyshapingbehaviour

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/shapingbehaviour/

Website: http://shapingbehaviour.com/


Podcast Production:


This Podcast is produced by Kythe Creative and filmed on-site at Hillcrest Veterinary Hospital.

Kythe Creative: https://kythecreative.co.za/


THIS EPISODE'S SPONSORS:


Ultra Pet:

This episode is sponsored by Ultra Pet, who has been scientifically formulating premium pet food for over 25 years. If you want to take the guesswork out of feeding your furry friends, give Ultra Pet a try. Check them out here at www.ultra-pet.co.za


Just For Pets:

Justforpets.co.za is proud to sponsor this episode of the Paws and Effect podcast. Visit their website for all your pet needs and find everything from toys to food and much more. The team over at Just For Pets believe that every pet deserves the best care possible, and that's why we offer a wide range of products to help keep your furry friend happy and healthy - Check them out at https://www.justforpets.co.za/


FOR SPONSORSHIPS AND GUEST APPEARANCES, email us at drcarra@pawsandeffect.co.za, and we'll get in touch with you.


Don't forget to LIKE this if you found it helpful, SUBSCRIBE for more episodes and content like this.





------------------------------------------------------

00:00 Challenges of Daily Animal Injections

03:14 Training a pet for insulin injections

08:02 Communicating with animals during training

11:33 Understanding Animal Behavior

13:39 Training animals with positive reinforcement

17:59 Training pets with treats

20:25 Teaching animals target training

24:53 Teaching animals to wait

30:04 Optimizing pet training environment

32:22 Observing animal behavior signals

35:31 Training dogs in new environments

37:28 Emergency care for uncooperative animals

40:51 Building trust with animals

47:19 Deciding on pet care routines

49:09 Discussing pet medication challenges

55:14 Training Techniques and Qualifications

57:53 Observing animal behavior cues

59:58 Animal care expertise discussion