Training Your Dog to be Less Scared of Vet Visits

Is your dog fearful of the vet? Do they get scared, reactive, or even aggressive during check-ups, examinations, or procedures?

It’s no surprise that most dogs are, to some extent, scared of the vet… Typically every time they go, they are getting poked, prodded, and getting things stuck up their bum. Not exactly the greatest experience! Training your dog to tolerate (or even enjoy!) the vet isn’t as hard as it may seem. If you break it into bite-sized pieces, you can help paint a better overall picture of the vet experience for your dog.

Here are some tips to make vet trips easier for you and your dog: 

1. Non-medical visits. If you have a good relationship with your vet, kindly ask them if you may bring your dog to the clinic a couple times a month to get them acclimated. That way you can work on breaking the negative association in your dog’s brain that vet=scary. If the only “training” you do with the vet is for check-ups, vaccines, medical care, etc., you are essentially teaching your dog that the vet IS scary and that they SHOULD be afraid. Break that association by showing your dog different, more positive experiences. This will take time, so don’t be in a rush. Dog training takes lots of time and consistency!
2. Teach a nose/chin target. Giving your dog a task to focus on, such as putting their chin on your lap or their nose on your hand, will help occupy their brain during examinations/procedures. This is a slow process and can require lots of successive approximation. Start by holding a piece of high-value food in your hand, placing it to your dog’s nose, and then lure them into position, releasing the treat when they reach the target behavior (or close to it for successive approximation). Do this over and over, until your dog willingly places their head in position, eagerly waiting for their reward. Then you’ll put a cue to it, such as “chin” and increase the duration in the behavior. 
3. Desensitization to handling. Desensitize your dog to normal vet handling. Looking in their ears, looking in their mouth, picking up paws, laying them on their side, etc. It’s best to do this when your dog is young and impressionable (from 8 to about 24 weeks of age). Pair these desensitizing exercises with high-value treats to make it an even more positive training experience for them. This will minimize your dog’s stress and anxiety at vet appointments. The vet is stressful enough… control the controllables!
4. Obedience training. Making sure your dog knows certain obedience commands (sit, down, place, etc.) will make your vet visits easier and more controllable. Putting your dog on the scale for a weight check is much easier is your dog understands a “place” command, and the waiting room is a lot less stressful if your down can reliably hold a “down stay”. Again, asking for certain tasks that require completion will allow your dog to focus on something else rather than focusing on the environment around them.
5. Make positive experiences. When going to the vet, whether for a non-medical visit or an actual appointment, bring high-value treats/toys with you to pair the experience with something good. Any small distraction, poke, prod, or handling, should be followed by something yummy. This will give the dog “hope” and an expectation of something good in association to the vet, which will help change the negative association in the dog’s brain. This high-value item should be something your dog only ever gets in veterinary settings, not at home just for being a good boy.
6. Slow and steady wins the race. Sometimes there are emergent situations that require immediate, non-structured care, and in those situations you do what you have to do to make sure your dog is safe and healthy. Otherwise, don’t rush the process. Your dog will let you know when you’re moving too fast, and if so, take a couple steps back.
7. Medication as needed. If your dog is overly fearful, reactive, or aggressive at the vet, don’t hesitate to ask for medication to help ease your dog’s mind. Sometimes medication may be helpful while implementing training techniques to take the edge off.
8. Hire professional. If your dogs behavior at the vet is too overwhelming for you to handle alone, reach out to a professional for some guidance. Most dog trainers are skilled in vet acclamations/desensitization and can help get you moving in the right direction. 

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