Our 1.5 year old GSD is generally very good with grooming and care, we’ve been working toward care with her consent and now that’s she matured a bit more she’s much more open about it.
Just not with ear drops.
I’m kind of at a loss here. She has never been a fan and my parents treated her first one while she stayed with them for an extended period of time- my mom has a “heavy hand” when training. I think that was the catalyst for this behavior and it has only snowballed wildly out of control.
She will accept treats, peanut butter, mats, etc. fully knowing I have the drops. If I attempt to touch her ear that’s fine. The moment the bottle moves toward her ear she moves away and will stop with whatever treat we give her until the bottle has moved away.
I’m struggling because I don’t want to force her, at the same time she needs these drops. She’s clearly uncomfortable and it needs treatment to clear it up so it doesn’t get worse.
Any advice from anybody who has been put in this situation would be nice. I know how to train her for consent slowly and after we treat I plan to do that, but that isn’t a very feasible option currently I believe. But I want to be proven wrong and any trick is a much appreciated one.
edit: I’m realizing I neglected to describe how extreme her reaction is. She needs two people minimum to restrain her, I’ve tried to do it alone and it’s just dangerous. She is willing to hurt herself, choke herself, indirectly hurt me and/or my fiance, and then also rearrange all the furniture. I’m a bit nervous that she’ll turn to biting because she is that opposed and recently has decided that gently (and I do mean gently) nipping the bottle is a reasonable reaction when it’s close to her. Honestly? I’ve been meaning to muzzle train her for her own safety and the safety of others for exactly these moments. I guess I’m just reeling from how extreme her reaction is to ear drops, and only ear drops.