Do you struggle with getting your dog to do things that just need to be done for their care, such as putting on a harness, taking medication, being groomed, standing calmly for a veterinary exam, or letting you trim their nails? Or do you have a puppy or newly adopted dog and want to learn how to take care of their needs without conflict? Have you heard about cooperative care, maybe from your veterinarian or groomer, and want to know what it’s about? If any of these apply, this course is for you.

Cooperative care is an approach to grooming and veterinary care that improves tolerance to procedures by helping the animal be a more active participant so they cooperate with you rather than fight against you.

This 6 week course provides an introduction to cooperative care for dogs. It will describe cooperative care and its benefits, giving students key skills they can use to get started with a roadmap for next steps.

At the end of the course students will know what cooperative care is and how to train start/stop button behaviors, read their dog’s body language for signs of discomfort, and perform key skills such as brush their dog’s teeth, use a muzzle, or trim their dog’s nails. They will have tools and knowledge for self-exploration in cooperative care.

The aim of this course is to improve your relationship with your dog by increasing trust between dog and owner, increasing the wellbeing of the dog, and reducing stress for owners providing care for their dogs.

Cooperative Care for Real Life will take place at Boston Fetch in Jamaica Plain, MA on recurring Monday evenings starting Oct 7 for 6 sessions (10/7, 10/14, 10/21, 10/28, 11/4, 11/11). Each session will be 50 minutes long and be held between 6pm and 6:50 pm. The first session will be remote, and a Google Meet or Zoom link will be sent out along with a detailed introductory email ahead of time.

This course is appropriate for dogs who have completed beginner obedience or who have the following skills: able to work with other dogs in the room (separated by space and/or barriers), familiarity with targeting, familiarity with stationing on a mat. If your dog is missing any of these skills and you are interested in this course, email us. There's a possibility for a fully remote option for dogs that wouldn't be able to relax in a shared space outside their home.

Cooperative Care for the Real World is taught by Sara Saperstein, MA, KPA-CTP, ANWI, FFCP. Sara is a Fear Free Certified Professional (FFCP) animal trainer and has titled her dog in Cooperative Care through the Cooperative Care Certificate Program.