simple strategy for a stress-free vet visit
Visiting the veterinarian's office can be a stressful experience, for both pet owners and their pets. Teaching a dog simple behaviors, such as hand targeting, ahead of time gives the dog a job to do and provides something positive to focus on at a veterinary examination. It also lets the vet examine the dog without having to restrain or manipulate him into certain positions.
In this video, KPA Certified Training Partner Megan Ramirez and her Great Dane Xaver demonstrate the benefit of hand targeting while Megan uses a stethoscope (video courtesy of Megan Ramirez at Instagram: two_danes_and_a_weenie). Megan says that vet appointments have always been difficult for Xaver so they have been working hard on this simple distraction strategy. Xaver will now hold a hand target for the full exam!
How to Train:
- Place your hand a few inches from your dog’s nose.
- Click and treat the instant your animal looks at your hand. (If your dog touches it right away, click that!)
- Again, present your hand a few inches away from your dog’s nose.
- When the dog touches your hand, click and treat.
- When your dog is targeting your hand reliably, build the duration for which the dog holds his nose in place, progressing incrementally.
For more tips on how to prepare your clients' pets for successful vet visits, check out our Better Veterninary Visits course!
Happy Training!