How to Prepare Your Dog for the Vet
Get your dog used to being touched by other people besides you., Lift up your dog’s lips, look in his ears, touch his paws, and stroke his belly., Start slowly by touching certain parts of your dog and build up to other areas., Stroke and pet your...
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Get your dog used to being touched by other people besides you.
The more tolerant he is of other people touching and fondling him, the less freaked out he will be when a relative stranger or your vet gets up close and personal with him.
Ideally you would train your dog to get used to being touched by other people when he is a puppy, but its never too late to start training your dog! -
Step 2: Lift up your dog’s lips
This will get him used to some of the procedures your vet may do on him during his next appointment.
The key to success is to reward your dog’s good behavior with a tasty treat or a sign of praise.
This way, your dog associates the slightly uncomfortable experience of being touched in certain areas with a highly pleasurable reward. , Your dog may have an area or spot that is “no-go” where he doesn’t like to be touched.
If, for example, your dog is skittish about his ears being touched, start by briefly touching his ear and give him an immediate reward (a treat) so he understands why he's being rewarded.
Don't rush and take as long as necessary for him to accept the fleeting touch.
Once you've achieved this landmark, build up the time you spend touching his ear, and work up to lifting his ear flap. , This way he is less likely to interpret the vet's examination as invasive, and more likely to interpret it as one long petting session. , Regular obedience work like sit, stay and heel will help make it clear to your dog who the authority figure is in his life.
This training also gives your dog a stable influence to rely on during times of stress, such as a visit to the vet clinic.
His anxiety will be relieved to some extent if he can look to you for guidance, especially if you are calm and your body language tells him there is nothing to worry about.
Obedience training also helps your dog to focus in the waiting room.
If he is anxious, but well trained, distract him by giving him commands to do tricks.
He'll be so busy trying to please you and show what he can do that he'll forget where he is and calm down. -
Step 3: look in his ears
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Step 4: touch his paws
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Step 5: and stroke his belly.
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Step 6: Start slowly by touching certain parts of your dog and build up to other areas.
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Step 7: Stroke and pet your dog all over
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Step 8: on a daily basis.
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Step 9: Do obedience training with your dog
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Step 10: if you haven’t already done so.
Detailed Guide
The more tolerant he is of other people touching and fondling him, the less freaked out he will be when a relative stranger or your vet gets up close and personal with him.
Ideally you would train your dog to get used to being touched by other people when he is a puppy, but its never too late to start training your dog!
This will get him used to some of the procedures your vet may do on him during his next appointment.
The key to success is to reward your dog’s good behavior with a tasty treat or a sign of praise.
This way, your dog associates the slightly uncomfortable experience of being touched in certain areas with a highly pleasurable reward. , Your dog may have an area or spot that is “no-go” where he doesn’t like to be touched.
If, for example, your dog is skittish about his ears being touched, start by briefly touching his ear and give him an immediate reward (a treat) so he understands why he's being rewarded.
Don't rush and take as long as necessary for him to accept the fleeting touch.
Once you've achieved this landmark, build up the time you spend touching his ear, and work up to lifting his ear flap. , This way he is less likely to interpret the vet's examination as invasive, and more likely to interpret it as one long petting session. , Regular obedience work like sit, stay and heel will help make it clear to your dog who the authority figure is in his life.
This training also gives your dog a stable influence to rely on during times of stress, such as a visit to the vet clinic.
His anxiety will be relieved to some extent if he can look to you for guidance, especially if you are calm and your body language tells him there is nothing to worry about.
Obedience training also helps your dog to focus in the waiting room.
If he is anxious, but well trained, distract him by giving him commands to do tricks.
He'll be so busy trying to please you and show what he can do that he'll forget where he is and calm down.
About the Author
Linda Hernandez
Linda Hernandez has dedicated 3 years to mastering lifestyle and practical guides. As a content creator, Linda focuses on providing actionable tips and step-by-step guides.
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