How to Relax a Dog at the Vet

Relax your dog at the vet's office.

Many dog owners struggle with keeping their dogs from become overly excited or anxious during routine veterinary checkups. Some dogs get so anxious that they quickly become aggressive and bite the veterinary staff out of fear. Preventing your dog from reaching this level of anxiety and fear is key. There are steps you can take to make trips to the vet easier and safer for both you and your dog.

Things You'll Need

• Leash Bite-size treats

Instructions

1. Walk your dog around the property. Before entering the veterinarian's office, walk your dog around the property so that it may gradually be introduced to some of the sights and smells in the air. During the middle of your walk, allow your dog a five-minute break to smell the ground and relieve himself. Finish the walk and enter the office with your dog behind you. Do not allow your dog to excitedly barge into the office ahead of you.

2. Keep your dog's attention. Once you enter the office, maintain your dog's attention so that it does not fixate on other animals or pet owners who are in the office. Command it to "sit" or "lay down" and reward it with small treats when it complies. Reward all calm behaviors, even yawning. Apply a correction tug at the leash at the precise moment your dog begins to stare or otherwise fixate on other animals or people.

3. Massage your dog. Give the "sit" command or "lay down" command and use the tips of your fingers to lightly massage your dog. A proper dog massage emulates the gentle bite that a mother dog would give her pups to relax them. Reward your dog with an occasional treat during the massage to encourage relaxation.

4. Limit the affection of strangers. Do not allow other pet owners to pet or play with your dog while you are at the vet, as this will only increase your dog's excitability and encourage its anxiety. Explain to the other pet owners that you are training your dog to relax during vet visits.

5. Create a positive association. Occasionally bring your dog to the vet's office when it does not have an appointment and reward it with a few special treats. This will help your dog get used to the office and associate a positive experience with the office without the added stress of being examined.

Tips & Warnings

• Exercise your dog before you go to the vet. Spend 30 minutes to one hour walking your dog before arriving at the veterinarian's office. This will reduce its energy level, making it less likely that it will become overly excited or anxious during the visit. Your dog will pick up on your energy and body language, so take care that you are not the reason your dog cannot relax. Do not pet, baby talk, or otherwise give your dog affection when it is displaying signs of anxiety or over-excitement, such as panting, fidgeting, whining or shaking. If you do, you will communicate to him that you approve of his behavior.

• Do not attempt to exercise your dog prior to the vet visit if he is not healthy enough to exercise. Use other methods, such as massages, to help your dog relax.