Got institutional pet training facilities on the brain because when do I not.
Thinking about sensory deprivation. Specifically sensory deprivation for whumpees who are being... particularly difficult. Most pets only end up in the program if they have behavioral issues, but these ones have special extra behavioral issues. The "I literally cannot stop myself from trying to kill everyone around me" kind.
Bonus points if this part of the program is prompted in part by Whumpee actually TRYING to cooperate, only to find they can't. They can't stop flinching or twisting away or disobeying the orders to hold still.
Clearly their discomfort with touch is the root of their issues. That's easily fixable. All you have to do is immobilize them, put blinders over their eyes and deafening earplugs in their ears. If they have issues with biting, you add an open-mouthed gag and tube-feed them.
The program is then customizable to meet pet's needs. Pet is blinded, deafened, and unable to move. They can't hear or respond to commands. They can't watch their captors or anticipate what's coming next. Literally all they can do is experience the sensation of touch.
Pet might remain in this position for anywhere from a few days to months on end. The program typically concludes when they no longer respond to stimuli with problematic behavior.
IE: they remain limp and quiet and very Very good in situations where they would normally fight/fuss.
Some very common training regimens:
THOROUGHLY cleaning pet's mouth twice a day (if gagged). Good dental hygiene is important and pet can't do it themselves! Excellent for defiant pets who have a biting streak, a swearing problem, oversensitive gums, etc.
Touching and massaging areas that always cause pet to flinch. Obviously varies from pet to pet. It can be particularly effective to focus on just one sensitive body part per session, since this helps pet understand things like "inescapability" and "total helplessness."
As briefly mentioned above, tube-feeding pet. Swallowing a feeding tube is significantly less painful than having it forced down your throat. Excellent choice for defiant pets who are disobedient for the sake of disobedience. See how long it takes them to cooperate just because they're desperate to stop gagging.
Comforting touch as a reward when pet is docile and good. Pet can't hear praise, but you can gently stroke their hair and their throat to send a message.
Tickling. It's the fastest way to make the body betray itself. For pets who pride themselves on defiance, tickling is a unique form of humiliation, especially when it's intense enough to hurt and make breathing difficult.
Speaking of -- restricting the breathing. Again, pet can't hear or obey commands. But they can react when you place your hand over their mouth and nose. Some trainers use this just to exacerbate pet's sense of fear and helplessness, because pet never knows when they'll be allowed to breathe again. Other trainers wait for pet to exhibit a desired behavior -- typically being quiet, limp, and calm -- and then let them take a breath.
In the beginning, this desired behavior will almost always only occur after pet loses consciousness. Even if they're trying to remain calm, they WILL start to thrash eventually.
If you can rewire pet's nervous system to make them limp and obedient while they're suffocating, you can rewire pet's nervous system to do anything.
