What Are They and Why Do They Matter?
In August of 2026, I moderated a Pet Professional Guild discussion panel: What Happens When We Offer Pets More Choices: Resources for Pet Guardians. Our discussion focused on Cooperative Care and Consent Testing, which, sadly, not enough pet guardians and pet care professionals understand or practice. Cooperative Care and Consent Testing are fundamental concepts that help us support our pets in coping with difficult situations.
Back when I was a 5-year-old child, I had a very bad experience getting an immunization when I had an impatient, uncaring nurse and a parent afraid to challenge the nurse's authority. That one incident has caused a lifetime of fear of needles and a distrust of health care professionals bearing needles.
What is Cooperative Care?
I define cooperative care as pet guardians proactively teaching their pets to allow themselves and others to gently handle their pets with the pet's consent when we must do something with the pet that they might find unpleasant or uncomfortable. If at any time the pet withdraws their consent, we stop the procedure and look for alternatives to keep our pet comfortable.
Cooperative care uses positive reinforcement to gradually teach our pets to work with us in their care by giving them a sense of control over their own body, reducing their anxiety and distress. Competent pet care professionals will use cooperative care when handling your pet and will teach you how to do so as well.
What Is Consent Testing?
It is common courtesy today to ALWAYS ask people before hugging them. Failure to do so can result in legal consequences, and it’s also a sign of respect and common courtesy. The equivalent with pets is giving them a choice, even if all you want to do is pet them. You do that by NOT approaching them, letting them decide whether they wish to approach you. If they don’t, that is okay, and you need to accept it. If you are a pet guardian, you need to be ready to advocate for your pet instantly and say “STOP!” when people do not respect your pet's right to choose not to interact.
Consent Testing goes beyond greetings. Your physician must have your legal consent to treat you. As your pet’s guardian, you need to give your consent to any pet care professional doing anything with your pet. This is often done through a written contract or waiver, but it is in your pet's best interest to know what you're signing. If you search via AI with the phrase “List actual examples of cases where a dog was abused by a pet care professional in the owner's absence,” you will find examples where pet care professionals abused dogs. I can assure you that those dogs were giving signals indicating that they did not consent to their abuse, which can only mean either the abuser did not know how to read consent or simply didn’t care.
I Recommend You Use Cooperative Care Techniques to teach your dog to be comfortable:
• In a carrier or crate*
• Wearing a collar or harness*
• Being leashed*
• Having nails trimmed*
• Being brushed*
• Being bathed*
• Releasing things in their mouth*
• Being gently restrained after a recall*
• Having teeth brushed*
• Being medicated by mouth*
• Wearing an Elizabethan collar
• Having blood drawn
• Receiving injections
Getting a dog comfortable with these things may take time, so start working on them well in advance of needing to do these things with your dog. You should start working with your dog on the items identified by an asterisk (*) within the first few days. Almost every dog will need to learn to be comfortable with everything on the list above. If you are unsure of how to do so, look for a force-free trainer. You can find many such individuals at: https://www.petprofessionalguild.com/find-a-ppg-professional/
Please understand that the concepts of Cooperative Care and Consent Testing apply to cats, pocket pets, horses, and any other pets in your life. Also, know that your pet’s comfort level with things may change as his life experiences change. Cooperative Care and Consent testing are tools you will likely use throughout your pet's life. Lastly, make sure every person who cares for your pet, whether a professional, family member, or friend, understands these concepts and is committed to them.
You can find additional resources on this topic on my blog at: https://www.forcefreepets.com/cooperative-care-consent-testing/
Don Hanson lives in Bangor, Maine, where he is the co-owner of the Green Acres Kennel Shop ( greenacreskennel.com ) and the founder of ForceFreePets.com, an online educational resource for people with dogs and cats. He is a Professional Canine Behavior Consultant (PCBC-A) accredited by the Pet Professional Accreditation Board (PPAB) and a Bach Foundation Registered Animal Practitioner (BFRAP). A Pet Professional Guild (PPG) member, Don serves on the Board of Directors, Steering Committee, and chairs the Advocacy Task Force and Shock-Free Coalition. The opinions in this article are those of Don Hanson. ©2026, Donald J. Hanson, All Rights Reserved