Last week, we worked on getting our dogs familiar with the sight of the scissors, and feeling comfortable with them being held in your hand. The next step is to get them used to the sound of the scissors. Scissors make snipping sounds when being used.
Usually, when a dog acts out with scissors, it is from a combination of factors. For puppies, it’s a combination of being restrained (either by their leg or their face), something huge coming toward their eyes or legs, and the sound.
If they’ve ever been nicked before, they may associate all of these things with pain as well, making scissoring much more frightening. Dogs who are afraid of the scissors typically flinch each time the scissors snip hair and may pull back or fight restraint.
The sound of the scissors is typically the least scary part of the scissoring process. Starting here makes being exposed to the scissors easier for your pet, and makes working up to the more difficult things easier.
Here is a sample of the scissoring sounds (paper cutting scissors and grooming scissors sound different. A discerning dog may be able to tell the difference.):
Start out without the scissors present. Simply play the sound softly, and while the sound is being played offer a succession of treats to your dog. Once the sound stops, the treats stop. This allows your dog to connect that it’s the sound that decides whether there will be treats, or no treats.
Do this at a very low volume for the first session. At the next session repeat this but have the sound a little bit louder. If your pup ever loses interest in the treats and would rather escape the sound than eagerly anticipate treats, back off to a lower setting. (This is unlikely, as the scissor sound is one of the least offensive parts of scissoring.)
When your pup is happy to accept treats even when it is playing loudly, you can move on to the next step of desensitization: touch
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- How to Desensitize the Sound of a Dryer
- Desensitization to Scissors: Introduction
- Water Desensitization, Part 4
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- Desensitization to Water, Part 2
