Dear Critter Corner: We just returned from our pup’s annual vet visit, which didn’t go so well. What can we do to make next year’s visit more comfortable for all parties involved?
Many pups have a difficult time with the processes that take place in the vet’s office. We can help by getting them acclimated to the types of activities that occur during these visits. Below are a few common areas your pup may struggle with. Of course, you can always ask your vet where your pup struggled the most to focus on those behaviors.
The first could be a restrained hug. You can get your pup used to this by hugging them and adding a cue to the behavior, such as ‘hug’ or ‘hold.’ To start, you would do this briefly, like one or two seconds, and let go and follow with a treat. You can repeat the process by increasing the amount of time you are hugging the dog.
Another helpful activity could be a chin rest. This can help with keeping your pup steady during the exam. For this exercise, you will encourage your pup to rest their chin in the palm of your hand for a second or two and then release and give a treat. You will want to give the activity a cue, such as ‘chin’ and increase the duration as your pup becomes more comfortable.
Since your vet will most likely want to examine your dog’s whole body, getting them used to being touched all over can be another exercise to work on. If your pup is sensitive to touch, you will start slow, running a hand along their back and treating. From this stage, you can progress and build to running your hand down a leg. As you progress, slowly build the time and continue to check in with your pup to see how they are doing.
Another area to work on is going to your vet’s office and having fun visits. You would make arrangements ahead of time with the front office, and the visit would include your dog meeting with the front desk staff and getting lots of treats. After this, you would leave. Having a few of these party visits can really help with your pup’s overall feeling toward the office in general.
If you need more assistance with your pup, contact our training department and schedule a 1:1 session to help address the behavior.