Training Your Dog for the Vet

Your dog doesn’t have to love the vet, but she does need to be on good behavior. Vets work long hours to care for our beloved canines; we can help make their job a bit easier by training our dogs for the vet. Getting your dog ready for the vet also means training her to be less stressed and easier for you to handle. 

Much of the work that goes into training a dog for the vet will help your dog be well-behaved at the groomer and vice versa.

Read: Training Your Dog for the Groomer

Puppy’s First Week Home

Your first step is to start small, getting your puppy used to being handled, poked, and prodded. Some puppies will be fine with you inspecting their paws, mouth, and belly; others may “not like it.” Slow the process down. Patience and consistency are key in all areas of dog training. 

With the leash on, take 1-2 minutes each day, and inspect your puppy’s paws, ears, and mouth. You may need to be firm when “examining” your puppy, they’re squirmy and nippy. But getting them used to it now will be easier than wrangling a full-size dog at the vet or groomer later on. Introduce the nail clippers slowly, starting by just touching them to your puppy’s nails and paws. Praise your pup and that’s the session for the day and repeat it the following days.

Before 16 Weeks Old

Keep increasing the time you’re spending on your puppy’s paws and body. Teaching “Paw” can be helpful for nail trimming. You’ll probably want a helper to hold the wriggly puppy while you trim the smallest amount of nail. If you’re not comfortable clipping nails, keep desensitizing your puppy to you touching and holding their paws. The paw will need to be held firmly and many dogs try to pull away without proper training, making it much harder. 

After 6 Months Old

Ideally, you’ve been able to desensitize your dog to being examined. If you’re just starting to train your dog for the vet, you’ll want to repeat this same process. Be sure your puppy (or dog) is leashed for every training session. This will give you more control to stand on the leash, have a helper hold the dog, and keep her from running off. 

Consider doing a session right before a meal or right before playtime; both can be used as rewards in addition to your hearty praise. Using treats as a reward after a session is fine, as long as your dog is not going crazy over the treats.

Beyond At-Home Sessions

Puppy training, and after that obedience training, will help you learn the leash skills to manage your dog more effectively at the vet. Consider working with a professional trainer to raise your expectations of your dog to have an enjoyable experience at the vet. Dog training at Dog Coach strengthens your leadership and builds the skills to effectively communicate “yes” and “no” in a manner your dog understands. Your ability to manage a respectful dog is an invaluable skill when heading out to the vet. 

Bonus

To have the best veterinarian experience, consider going into the vet’s office when you do not have an appointment or even walking the parking lot off-hours. This is especially helpful for grown dogs that have not been desensitized. They may bark, howl, pee, or refuse to go in. Break it down into small training sessions: Drive there and drive home, walk the parking lot and go home, walk into the clinic, and promptly leave. These sessions teach your dog that going to the vet isn’t a big deal or it’s just another distraction and “you got this.” 

Your patience and training with desensitization work will contribute to your dog’s examination success at the vet.