7 Ways to Reduce Stress When Handling Dogs and Cats

We’re so glad you want to learn more about using low-stress techniques to move dogs and cats for medical procedures, cleaning, or other necessary tasks. Sign in or create a free account to access this online course.

About the Course  

We developed 7 Ways to Reduce Stress When Handling Dogs and Cats, the 4th in our series of Everyone Is on the Behavior Team online courses, to assist you with getting animals exactly where you want them to be while keeping them safe and comfortable. Like the other courses, this one features helpful behavior tips. You'll need to create a free account in ASPCA Learn to take this course if you don't already have one.

What You’ll Learn

You’ll become better equipped to move and position dogs and cats in low-stress ways during routine animal and medical care in a shelter or clinic.  You'll learn to:

• Entice animals to move or stay in place with light or darkness
• Create chutes to encourage dogs and cats to move from one place to another
• Use yoga mats to create non-slip surfaces
• Use a rolling crate to move fearful or reluctant animals
• Strategically place treats to get dogs and cats to go where you want them
• Encourage volunteers and staff to use treats as a tool more often
•  Use lick mats to keep animals happy and in  place