How I Handle Vet Visits for My Dog Who is Suspicious of Strangers and has a Bite History.

Ares had a vet visit today and I want to share how I handle his vet care as a dog who is suspicious of strangers with a bite history.

Instead of doing one visit a year we do two to break up the shots/blood work part of the appointment into shorter more manageable moments.

He stays in the car until they are ready for him and then I bring him straight to the room. He heels with me in the lobby, a command he knows well and associates with play.

I have high value treats and a high value toy on me. If he feels uncomfortable we redirect into a game to help him regulate himself.

During our last visit I had him play a food chasing game with the vet and afterwards he was much less stressed about her examining him. This time he did even better and without us playing any games.

He wears a basket muzzle when he gets examined, gets shots or a blood draw. This helps the vet and techs stay calm and do their job better. If they are calm then he is going to be calmer. The muzzle helps break a cycle of discomfort and stress while keeping everyone safe. He associates the muzzle primarily with games because we do muzzle training games a few times a week starting about a month before every vet visit.

Outside of vet visits we work on mimicking cooperative care skills he needs at the vet and try to incorporate other people into our protocols to act as the “vet” as much as possible.

He shows discomfort at the vet by being tense, having a low tail, and being avoidant of the staff. Those signs are enough for me to take action to support him.

Every dog is different and may benefit from other kinds of support like sedatives or restraint. But this is what works best for him and I think he would be a very different version of himself at the vet if I didn’t take these steps to support him.