Along with feeding your dog a high-quality food like Pet Wants, regular trips to the vet are an important part of keeping your dog happy and healthy. For some owners, a trip to the vet brings with it lots of anxiety. The simple reality is not all dogs are happy when they realize where they’re going. Although this can be a frustrating situation for everyone involved, it doesn’t have to stay that way.
Whether you’ve recently gotten a dog or want to improve the habits of the dog you have, here’s how you can make trips to the vet much more pleasant for both of you:
Calm Vet Trips Start with Basic Training
Training a dog to be obedient and follow commands isn’t as easy as many people think. So if your dog isn’t trained as well as you would like, you don’t need to feel bad or guilty. However, calmer veterinarian visits do start with being able to control your dog, which is why it’s a good idea to find an obedience class or program that you can go through with your dog.
Make Sure Your Dog is Socialized
Have you ever wondered why your dog is fine with everyone in your household handling it but gets very unhappy when individuals like vet office staff try? One potential cause may be that a dog wasn’t fully socialized as a puppy. While that scenario does create a bit of an uphill battle, you can work with your dog by letting people you trust like friends and family handle it in non-stressful situations. On the same note, you can practice the different motions like lifting ears and limbs that your dog will experience during a vet checkup.
Control Your Own Feelings
Dogs feed off the energy of their owners. This often creates a problematic cycle. An owner gets tense knowing what’s likely to happen when they go the vet, which in turn causes the dog to feel stressed and end up acting out as a result. Making a conscious effort to be relaxed and think positively about vet visits can go a long way towards improving these experiences. That’s why it’s a good idea to schedule an appointment when you have plenty of time and won’t have to rush.
Distraction Works
You can go to almost any restaurant and see at least one toddler holding a tablet. Although many of those parents probably said they wouldn’t ever give their little one a tablet, they learned that distraction may be the only option that works in a certain situation. The same can be true for the vet’s office. Don’t be afraid to use a toy or treat to help occupy your dog’s mind during an examination!
Even though vet trips may seem like an activity that are always destined to be stressful, putting even a few of the strategies we covered into practice should greatly improve this experience.
