How to help my dog with the fear of going to the vet

How to help my dog with the fear of going to the vet

Most canine friends have a fear of going to the vet. The most common reason why dogs fear the vet is that it feels traumatic for them. Think about it this way since the moment you walk into the vet your dog is overwhelmed with all the strange smells and sounds and the chances are that you will most likely run into other animals while being there, this can even make the anxiety worse.

Now think about the examination, most vets have a table where you need to put your dog on this is also new to them and is very unfamiliar then we get to the vet who will be touching and examining your dog. This can also cause your dog to become afraid. If you add all this together you can understand that it is a traumatic experience.

The good news is that you can help prevent this from the beginning in fact in our puppy classes we teach the puppies mock vet exams, we do this to help with the fear. Below are examples of how you can also do mock vet exams and other tips on helping your dog get over the fear.

Mock vet exams:

Always have treats handy. Hold the treats in your closed hand and start touching your pup all over his body common places we never look in their ears, teeth, bum, and tail, and so on while you are touching your dog reward him/her for letting you do this. It is important to be gentle.

Social visits to the vet:

When going to the vet your dog is always being handled or touched, why not arrange with your vet and ask them to do nothing more than a social call. You can even ask the receptions to give your dog some treats.

Soon after this, your dog will look forward to visiting the vet.