PREPARING YOUR PUPPY FOR VISITING THE VETS

Part two of my three part puppy training and socialisation series is how to prepare your puppy for a vet check or trip to the vets.

All dogs at some point must visit the vets, even if this is just for their yearly inoculations. You may also have to take your dog in for an injury or illness that requires a little more investigation from your vet, and possibly the administering of treatment by them or you. To help our dogs to cope and understand as far as possible how to deal with such situations, it is important that we train for these experiences. The more we can help our dogs to understand the process, the happier they will be and the less stressful they will potentially find visiting the vets or receiving treatment. If your dog is calm and able to move easily into certain positions on command, this can also help your vet to carry out their job efficiently and potentially examine your dog in more depth and detail.

To help you with your training I have put together this video, which shows you how to build your dog’s confidence and prepare them for trips to the vets. I cover how to approach handling your dog so they are able to feel comfortable being checked over at the vets, how to start to train for administering eye and ear drops or clipping nails, how to introduce your dog to the items they might encounter at the vets, and how to use the training of positions such as ‘flat’ to assist with your vet being able to easily access parts of your dog’s body, hopefully whilst they stay still!

This training can also be tailored to be useful for attending a grooming parlour. Think about the actions that they might require your dog to perform (such as stand) and introduce them to the items they might experience at the groomers e.g. clippers, scissors etc.

Let me know if you give it a go. Try to build this type training into your weekly routine and remember to use those tasty treats!

Much love

Disclaimer: All training is attempted at the owner’s risk and Adem Fehmi accepts no liability for any injuries to pets or owners sustained during training. If your dog is showing signs of a behavioural issue please seek professional advice.

PREPARING YOUR PUPPY FOR VISITING THE VETS

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