Before You Get There

With a little planning, it is easy to set things up so things go well on your first visit. We would suggest that you:

• Give yourself plenty of extra time to get to the office so your puppy is not feeling your stress because you feel rushed.

• Bring lots of special treats like hot dogs, cheese or even last night’s leftover pork chops, cut up into very small pieces. Put them in a bag or your pocket where you can access them easily.   If you think you have enough, bring more!

• Stop to potty your puppy someplace near the vet’s office where you would not likely find dogs, such as an office park. You want your puppy to avoid contact with urine or feces, which will be more difficult at the vet’s office. If you have to have her potty at the vet’s office, go to an area other than the designated potty area.   And be sure to clean up after her!

Upon Arrival

Take a moment when you arrive at the vet’s to get the lay of the land.

• When you arrive, go inside first without your puppy to see what the waiting room looks like. You would like the room to be somewhat calm and quiet. If it’s really chaotic leave your puppy in the car in a crate or with someone else until the doctor is ready to see you. If the waiting room is not overly crowded, bring your pup inside.   If you have no choice, pick a spot in the waiting room as far away from the other dogs as possible.

• When you take your pup out of the car, potty her as indicated above, and then take your time getting her into the office. Reward her for moving with you by reaching into your pocket and giving her treats at your side. Continue moving toward the building while allowing your puppy to move at her own pace experiencing the new surroundings, being rewarded as she goes.

• Reward each transition, from the parking lot, through the doors, into each room.

• Stay connected with her. You are likely excited to show off your new little bundle of fur and want to share that excitement with others. But often we get caught up in talking to others and don’t pay attention to our puppy. This is a time to teach her it pays to stay connected to you, so stay connected with her and reward and praise her each time she looks at you.

• Praise your puppy if someone comes over to greet her. Hand the person a treat and ask them to give it to her. Reward her with lots of treats as long as she does not look overly concerned or frightened.  If the person wants to hold your puppy, let them hold them and give them treats!

• Protect her from other dogs.  Let’s face it, people who own dogs love puppies and often want their dog to say hello to your puppy. Be polite but DO NOT let other dogs come to say “Hi!” The risks far outweigh the benefits. Many dogs at the vet’s office are sick, so you don’t want your pup coming into physical contact with them, increasing the chance of your pup getting sick. In addition, owners may tell you their dog likes other dogs but many dogs do not like puppies. You simply don’t want to take a chance that their dog could hurt your puppy.

When people ask if their dog can say “Hi,” politely decline telling them she has not had all her shots. Most people will both respect and understand, and keep their dogs away. If they don’t, then forget about being polite and protect your puppy! The last thing you want your puppy to learn is that the vet’s office is a scary or unsafe place.   If a dog growls, snaps or, worse yet, bites your puppy that is exactly what you will have taught her.   Your job is to protect her when you take her to new places and be SURE that she has good experiences.

Socialization with other dogs is important but not vet’s office!   Instead, it should be done off leash when she can play with other puppies and/or dogs that are good with puppies.  Puppy kindergarten, doggie daycare or well managed play dates are much better options.

Watch For Stress

Every puppy is different in how they deal with going to new places. You want to reward your puppy with praise, petting and treats when your puppy is confidently reacting to the new sights, sounds and smells.   If she is stressed, you want to reassure her that she will be fine without coddling her.   Here are some things to look for to see if she’s stressed:

• Are her ears back?
• Is her tail down?
• Is she licking her lips?
• Is she shaking?
• Is she whining but not in eagerness to get to a person or dog?
• Will she not eat the treats?

If she is doing any of these, she is telling you that she’s stressed. To help her deal with the stress:

• Allow her look around
• Reward her every time she looks back at you with food, praise and/or petting
• Get as far away from the other dogs as you can
• Don’t let other dogs approach

The mistake many people make is they don’t reward their pups for sitting calmly with them, instead they reward the behaviors of whining, shaking, barking by petting them to try to get them to stop. Instead, make an effort to pay attention to the moments when your puppy is exhibiting little or no stress and reward those moments!

That will get you started.  My next blog will cover how to handle your puppy for the examination and rest of your visit to the vet to make sure your puppy learns to love the vet!