For all the dogs who've touched our hearts
Using 5 Essential Questions: Teach a Dog a Chin Rest
Julie van Schie 
The last blog discussed the importance of asking 5 essential questions before you teach your dog, this blog has a practical example for you to follow.
Q1: What do I teach?
Behaviour - chin rest, NOT "stop wriggling Bonnie!"
Goal - use the chin rest for checking and cleaning Bonnie's teeth, eyes and ears.
Define the behaviour in clear, descriptive terms:
On cue Bonnie will rest her chin in my hand and keep it there until cued to do otherwise (minimum duration 3 seconds)
Cue will be my hand offered sideways and in front of her chin.
Q2: Why do I want to teach it?
It matters to me because:
I want Bonnie to be relaxed and happy when I examine and clean her teeth, ears and eyes. This will mean she will participate willingly, removing stress and tension from this vital husbandry behaviour.
It matters to Bonnie because:
She will feel relaxed and trust me not to harm, force or scare her when having her ears and eyes cleaned and checked. It also means I can look after her properly and easily.
Q3: Where do I teach it?
What does Bonnie need to get used to for the behaviour to be successful? These variables will be woven into the training plan.
| Places/home | Places/other | People |
|---|---|---|
| Lounge room | The Vet surgery | David |
| Bedroom | Lachlan | |
| Bathroom | Julie | |
| Kitchen | ||
| Back deck |
| Sounds | Smells | Movement | Tactile |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cars driving past | Cooking | Birds in the garden | Hold open her eyes |
| Birds | Merlin moving around | Rub her eyes | |
| Kids playing | Family members moving around | Open her mouth | |
| Dogs barking | Rub her gums | ||
| People moving around in the house and outside | Hold open her ears | ||
| Distant engines/mowing/sirens | Clean her ears |
Q4: How does my dog do it naturally?
Bonnie often chooses to rest her chin on the floor from a variety of positions. When she's wanting a cuddle, she also sidles up and rests her chin on my chest. I've not observed anything that would cause a problem for her when teaching this behaviour.
Q5: What gets in the way?
Do I have the skills and knowledge needed?
Yes, I've taught this before and understand the teaching steps.
Is my dog capable of this? (Age, physical structure / condition and temperament)
Yes and I've seen her do it on multiple occasions.
Is my dog well?
Yes
Do I have a good teaching environment available? Is my dog safe and happy.
Yes - but keep Merlin in his crate while training.
Am I working against my dog’s natural instincts?
Bonnie is naturally affectionate and loves to be touched but will move away if restricted (held). This needs to be taken into account when training, I'll be sure to take note of her comfort levels and proceed at a pace set by her.
Should I train it?
Yes :-) No problems!
Here's where we're up to
Food for thought
Training doesn’t have to be about “fancy” behaviours or specialised sports. Enhancing our dogs’ lives should be first priority. If you're interested in reading more about this, the following are some good resources.
The effects of stress on health outcomes in veterinary practice.
The Effect of Training Method on Stress Levels in Dogs, Psychology Today
When We Train a Dog it Grows, Kay Laurence Learning About Dogs
Companion Animal Psychology: Not just about dogs!
Fear Free Pets
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