If you’ve ever tried to get your pet to eat anything other than their favorite food, then you know that getting even the most cooperative animal to take something out of a dropper is harder than it looks.

If things go well, your pet will swallow it all, but you could easily end up with CBD tincture on the floor, the walls, and yourself. CBD fans have doggedly developed new techniques for giving CBD Pets to their animals over the years, and here are some tactics that work.

1. DON’T TILT YOUR PET’S HEAD

In the past, it was common practice to tilt your pet’s head back while you held their mouth closed, and this tactic was believed to force your pet to swallow.

In reality, however, tipping your pet’s head back after you squeeze a dropperful of tincture in their mouth could cause choking and stress. If you do hold your pet’s mouth closed after you administer a CBD tincture, make sure to keep their head level.

2. USE A TREAT AS A REWARD FOR YOUR DOG OR CAT

More than 100 years ago, pioneering Russian psychologist Ivan Pavlov discovered that dogs could be trained to behave predictably by associating behaviors with pleasure or discomfort. Called Pavlovian conditioning, this technique holds true today, and it can be incredibly useful when you want to make it easier to give your pet CBD in the future.

Practicing classical conditioning with your dog or cat is easy; simply follow up every CBD administration session with a delicious treat. Over time, your pet will start to associate taking CBD with getting a treat, and your cat or dog will be happy to comply with the process to get a tasty snack at the end.