Handling your dog in preparation for a visit to the vet or groomer

You can prepare your dog for being handled and examined by practising at home.

Remember that all dogs are different, you will need to adapt these suggestions to suit your dog.

Start when they are quiet and calm.

Begin with gentle, calm touches on the chest or shoulder. Reward with a treat. Depending on your dog, you might reward with every stroke to start with.

The main thing is to take your time. Keep the interaction calm, and keep sessions short.

To start with you might only manage 30 seconds or a minute.

If your dog becomes fidgety, excited or anxious, it might be time to end the session; you can try again later. Next time, a tastier treat might work better.

One of my dogs found food rewards so exciting that I couldn’t use them. We practiced when he was relaxed and kept the sessions very short.

Once your dog is happy with you touching the chest and shoulder, you can move to other areas, for example the legs and paws. Continue to pair each touch with a treat.

Eventually, you are aiming for your dog to be comfortable with you checking their ears, eyes, teeth and mouth and their legs, paws, tail and under the tail.

Get your dog used to medical or grooming equipment

You can build a positive association with grooming equipment such as brushes, combs, clippers, nail clippers and grinders.

You can reward your dog for investigating these items and you can help them get used to the sounds of the equipment by turning them on in the vicinity of the dog and pairing the sound with a treat.

You can move the equipmemt closer as the dog gets used to the sight and sound.

Once your puppy is coping well with you handling them, it’s a good idea to ask other family members or friends to practice.

Have a dog that is happy to be handled

Having a dog that is happy with handling will make it much easier for you to check them over, for example for grass seeds, after a walk in the summer months, or check for fleas, ticks or any areas of irritation.

You will also be able to easily check and wipe their paws after a walk.

The vet will be able to administer treatment more easily with less anxiety for the dog.

If they need to have an area of hair shaved for a blood test, or drip inserted, this will be a less scary experience.