Does your puppy pull away, growl, or flinch when you try to take off their collar, touch their paw, or handle other parts of their body? You may notice that your puppy is stressed when being handled by a vet or groomer and may even try to bite their handler. These are all signs that your puppy may be touch-sensitive, which, left untreated, often gets worse as they grow into adult dogs.
Understanding touch sensitivity is important to raising a happy and confident dog.
Fortunately, through behavior modification training, socialization, and body handling exercises, touch sensitivity can be successfully treated. In this blog, we will discuss Puppy Touch Sensitivity. Let’s start by further discussing signs that your puppy could be touch sensitive.
Signs your puppy may be touch sensitive
Signs that your puppy has touch sensitivity behaviors include:
- Disliking being held and wiggling to escape. This can be particularly noticeable during vet exams.
- Moving away from you when you try to touch them. You may notice this more when you try to touch certain body parts, including their ears, neck, or paws.
- Trying to pull their paws from you when you’re cleaning them.
- Startling and trying to get away when their back legs or rear are touched.
- Growling or even snapping when they are disturbed while sleeping. You may notice this behavior when moving them off the couch or the bed.
- Visibly tensing when you try to take their collar or leash on and off.
If you would like further information on how to read a dog’s body language. You can check out our blog on “Understanding a Dog’s Body Language”.
Preventing touch sensitivity
You should look for a responsible breeder or rescue that supports early socialization, as this can help your puppy build confidence and prevent touch sensitivity from developing. Puppies who were removed from their litter before they were 8-9 weeks old, not provided with socialization opportunities, or kept inside are more likely to develop touch sensitivity behaviors. There are many great dog rescues in the local area, including the Humane Society of Sarasota County and the Humane Society of Tampa Bay.
Why body handling exercises are important
Body handling exercises help treat touch sensitivity because they encourage positive associations with being touched. This is achieved through gentle interactions while giving your puppy high-value treats as a reward. Consistent body handling exercises help your puppy feel more comfortable being handled in all areas of their body.
However, if your puppy reacts aggressively to being touched, it’s best that you contact a Certified Applied Animal Behaviorist before attempting body handling exercises. This will help ensure that body-handling exercises are performed safely and don’t worsen the behavior. Beyond the Dog Sarasota can evaluate your puppy’s touch sensitivity and use behavior modification techniques that include classical conditioning to reduce touch sensitivity. This can include:
- Collar and leash handling exercises
- Paw handling exercises
- Accompanying you during veterinary exams and/or conducting mock veterinary or grooming sessions.
With the right approach, most puppies show noticeable improvement within a few weeks, and touch sensitivity behaviors can be significantly reduced within a month. Now that we have discussed the importance of body handling exercises, let’s explain how to conduct a body handling exercise.
Body Handling Exercise
Body-handling exercises are a fun way to involve children in their puppy’s training. If your puppy seems particularly sensitive when touched in certain areas, an adult should take over handling those areas until your puppy is more comfortable. It’s a simple training exercise that uses positive reinforcement with treats as rewards. Here’s a routine that you can use:
The sessions don’t have to be long as consistency is important to establish positive associations with being touched. Have a variety of treats available, as you learn what your puppy’s favorite treats are. We suggest treats such as sausage bites, freeze-dried liver treats, and pumpkin treats.
- Start by picking up your puppy’s paws one at a time and rewarding them with a treat.
- Move to other areas, such as their ears, tail, neck, and belly, while offering a treat each time you touch a part of their body.
- The sessions don’t have to be long as consistency is important to establish positive associations with being touched. Have a variety of treats available, as you learn what your puppy’s favorite treats are. We suggest treats such as sausage bites, freeze-dried liver treats, and pumpkin treats.
We are here to help
Would you like help addressing problem behaviors, including touch sensitivity, teaching high-level obedience, and good manners? You can schedule a free consultation with our Pet behavior team today. Beyond the Dog Sarasota provides personalized training programs that are conducted one-on-one and take place at your home and local neighborhood.
Co-founded by Dr. Kristyn Echterling-Savage, Certified Applied Animal Behaviorist (CAAB) and Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA), our programs draw from her research and decades of hands-on experience. We also offer board and train retreat and virtual training programs.
