Preparing for the veterinarian
All dogs will have to cope with seeing the vet for the rest of their lives. We want them to have a positive experience, and have visits be as low stress as possible for our pups. Teaching them what to expect before seeing the vet is an easy way to set them up for success.
Veterinarian prep 101
- Find a vet you and your puppy are comfortable with – you can look for vets who use Fear Free or Low Stress Handling techniques. Call to ask how they implement these protocols.
- Ask your vet if they promote positive reinforcement or rewards based training.
- Ask your vet if you can do happy visits – stop by for some treats at reception, get on the scale and eat treats, go stand on an exam table to eat some treats, ask a tech to gently examine and feed some treats.
- Take a mat or towel along so your pup has some traction on the table or floor.
- Take your own treats (enough to share), the special ones your pup loves best.
- Make sure early visits to the vet are positive – use lots of food and take things slow, stop if your pup is very upset or shut down.
- Teach your pup to feel comfortable with gentle restraint, being touched all over, and being touched while holding, then by implements by doing a few seconds of handling and then feeding a treat. Slowly increase the intensity as they are comfortable. Do 2 to 3 minutes of practice daily if possible.
- Introduce muzzles and post surgery cones in a positive way before your pup needs one.
Resources: Preparing for the vet
AVSAB Statement on Positive Vet Visits
Puppy Passports Index
Puppy Passports Index
Puppy Passports Index
There's so much more to learn to understand your pup. Check out more great articles here!
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