07/11/08 Bend

Preparing Your Dog for Vet Visits and the Groomers

Here are some helpful tips for preparing your dog for the vet or groomer to make the visits much less stressful for your dog, and make it easy for your vet or groomer to handle them.

1. Teach your dog to tolerate a bear hug-this is a typical restraint position. If your dog shows aggressive tendencies when handled do not attempt this and see a trainer first.
2. Teach the dog to tolerate handling the paws. Wipe them off with a towel.
3. Look in your dog’s mouth, look in their ears, gently pull their tail, gently press their abdomen and treat after each touch.
4. Look at the dog’s eyes and shine a penlight, and reward.
5. Teach the dog to stand and stay on a table, and reward.
6. Drive to the vet’s office when they are slow (always ask the vet office permission first, so they can recommend slow times). Practice obedience with treats in the waiting room. Play games or have them do tricks. If they’ve had training work on the attention and watch me commands, do these skills with them.
7. While at the vet office and during their slow time, with permission, ask the receptionist to give your dog treats. Some offices will allow you to bring your dog into the exam rooms and back areas during slow times. Same goes for the groomer. Have them do obedience skills and tricks and reward in the exam room and back office.
8. Crate train your dog. When they need to stay at the vet’s for surgery they will be more relaxed being put in a cage during pre-op and post-op. They will be put in a crate at the groomers. Crate trained dogs fair much better at both the vet and groomer.
9. Help the dog tolerate, and even enjoy, nail trimming by teaching him clippers are a source of treats.
10. Teach the dog muzzles are fun using lots of treats. Even the nicest dogs will bite will extremely distressed or in extreme pain. It is good to desensitize them to a muzzle. Use very tiny treats for this so they can eat them through the muzzle.
11. Teach the dog to enjoy being brushed and make it fun and rewarding.

Repeat these exercises frequently throughout your dog’s life to desensitize them to these visits. Your personal vet and groomer will love you for it.

Meredith Gage
Pawsitive Experience
trainingdogs123@bendbroadband.com