—— HANDLING & COLLABORATIVE CARE

Helping cats & dogs feel safe, confident, and comfortable during care.

Veterinary visits, medication, grooming, nail trims, and routine handling don't have to be stressful. Collaborative care teaches pets that they can participate in their own care through trust, communication, and positive experiences.

Start Building Cooperative Care
See What We Cover
A woman with short, pink and purple hair holds a black and white cat wearing a purple harness outdoors on a sunny day. The woman is smiling with her eyes closed, wearing large white earrings and a colorful, cartoon-themed dress. In the background, there are trees, a white house, and a wooden fence.

WHAT IS COLLABORATIVE CARE?

Care your pet can say yes to.

Collaborative care is a partnership between your pet and the people caring for them. It considers both physical and emotional wellbeing, using body language and behavior to guide how we approach handling and care. Animals learn skills that allow them to participate more voluntarily, while caregivers learn to recognize their communication, respond to their needs, and adjust when needed. From medications and grooming to handling and veterinary visits, collaborative care can reduce fear and stress, build confidence, and make necessary care safer and easier for everyone.

Care becomes something we do with our pets, not simply to them.

Collaborative Care can help with:

  • Medication Administration

  • Nail Trims & Grooming

  • Carrier & Muzzle Training

  • Veterinary Visit Preparation

  • Handling & Positioning

  • Injections & Blood Draws

—— WHAT WE COVER

Practical skills for real-world care

Every plan is built around the specific procedures your pet needs: at home and at the vet.

  • A tablet screen displaying a pill icon in purple inside a white app button.

    Medication administration

  • Illustration of wire cutters or pliers on a white background.

    Nail trims & grooming

  • A purple outline of a picnic basket on a light gray background.

    Carrier & muzzle training

  • Medical cross icon with a purple outline inside a white square on a black background.

    Veterinary visit prep

  • A white rounded square with a purple outline of a hand in a stopping gesture, next to a computer cursor icon with a check mark.

    Handling

  • Icon of a purple syringe on a light gray background.

    Injection & blood draws

HOW WE APPROACH COOPERATIVE CARE

Four pillars of every collaborative care plan

Choice & Control

Creating opportunities for your pet to participate, communicate, and have a say whenever possible.

Gradual Progress

Breaking care into manageable steps and moving at your pet’s pace.

Positive Reinforcement

Building skills and positive associations by reinforcing your pet’s participation and progress.

Care Team Collaboration

Working with your veterinarian, groomer, and other care professionals so training supports your pet’s real-world needs.

There’s more than one path to collaborative care.

Whether you’re focused on a specific care challenge or incorporating cooperative care into broader behavior support, we’ll develop a plan that fits your pet’s individual needs.

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HIGHLY-ACCREDITED CARE

Logo of a veterinary technician specialist organization, featuring a veterinary symbol with the words "Always Recognized" and abbreviations VTS and Veterinary Technician Specialist.
Logo for PJ Guild featuring stylized letters P and J in blue and orange with the word 'Guild' in blue.
Fear Free Certified Professional logo with blue and yellow design.
Logo of the International Association of Business Communicators (IABC) with colorful squares and black text.
Low stress handling certified dogs and cats badge with a circular design, featuring two dog and cat silhouettes and a blue and green color scheme.
Karen Pryor Academy Certified Training Partner logo
Certificate of Completion in Good Standing for Living and Learning with Animals