Cooperative Care and the Well-being of your New Guinea Singing Dog

Cooperative care is the gold standard for all canine medical and wellness interactions. It is even more important for primitive breeds of dogs, like Singers, who tend to be more independent and sensitive.

Cooperative care is a concept rooted in mutual trust between humans and animals. More veterinarians, groomers, and other pet care professionals are implementing it into their practice.

Here’s why it’s especially important for your NGSD:

Singing dogs are not wild, they are domestic. However, they do belong to a group of dogs called “primitive” dogs. Primitive and aboriginal dogs, like the shiba inu, husky, Kishu ken, and basenji, all have a distinctive set of characteristics that make them both captivating and challenging to care for. For Singers, these characteristics intelligence, self-reliance, and their inclination to be more autonomous compared to most modern breeds. Additionally, they are known for their sensitivity and can be easily stressed by certain handling methods or unfamiliar situations.

Challenges with Traditional Handling Methods

Traditional handling methods tend to involve restraint or force. Those can be counterproductive and potentially harmful when dealing with a Singing dog. As a primitive dog, Singers tend to not be as inherently trusting of humans as modern breeds. If they don’t understand a situation, they are more likely to resist and become anxious or stressed. This resistance can manifest in behaviors such as attempting to escape, which not only puts the dog at risk but also strains the relationship between the dog and its caregiver.

The Cooperative Care Approach

Cooperative care, on the other hand, revolves around creating a partnership built on trust, respect, and consent. This method emphasizes positive reinforcement and voluntary participation. The goal is to make the dog feel like an active participant in their care. By introducing the cooperative care techniques, you can establish a positive and stress-free environment for your pet.

Benefits of Cooperative Care for New Guinea Singing Dogs

• Trust and Bond Building: Cooperative care fosters trust and strengthens the bond between you and your dog. As we said earlier, the approach involves mutual respect, something very important to primitive dogs. They want to know they have a choice and that you respect their boundaries.

• Stress Reduction: New Guinea Singing Dogs are more sensitive than the typical modern breed of dog. Stressful situations can lead to behavioral issues. Allowing your dog to participate voluntarily in care activities with a focus on a positive reward system will minimize the stress your dog will experience.

• Enhanced Well-being: Actively engaging your dog in their own grooming, medical procedures, and daily care improves every facet of their well-being - both physical and mental, as it stimulates their cognitive abilities.

• Safety: By focusing on consent and cooperation, cooperative care techniques prioritize the safety of both the dog and the caregiver. New Guinea Singing Dogs are less likely to exhibit stress behaviors or attempt to escape when they feel secure and in control of the situation.

Implementing Cooperative Care Techniques

As with almost everything involving training, you want to go slow, be consistent, and have lots of treats and rewards ready when you’re introducing cooperative care to your dog. Desensitize them gradually to various care activities. Start with positive reinforcement and reward-based training. Associate each activity with treats, praise, or playtime. Be gentle and your dog to explore and investigate tools or equipment before use. Respect their signals of discomfort or stress by giving them breaks.

Patience and consistency are key to successful implementation.