- Today I took Bee-Line to the vet to visit Dr. Paula Dupuy
from Troy Veterinarian Services, and I thought it would be
a great idea to share with you some of the things
I do with my puppies to help teach them to be
more confident and happier in a veterinarian office.
Also some things that I think are important to teach them
so that later on as I continue to go to the vet,
I have an easy time controlling her there and teaching her
that it's not a scary place after all.
I like to bring my puppy in and work some basic things
like staying with me on a loose leash,
paying attention, maybe some sits.
If there is a crowded waiting room, then I often
will choose to hold my puppy on my lap.
This will prevent her from getting in the space
of other people and also from her
meeting dogs that I might not know.
One of the things that you have to do each time you go
to the vet is get your dog weighed, and my puppies
tend to think that the weigh-scale is
the most fun part about visiting the vet.
To teach them that, I often use food to teach them
to get up and down off of the weigh-scale, to teach them
to sit, to teach them to lie down.
So it becomes really fun, almost like a game
to get on the weigh-scale and get fed.
When it's time to finally meet the vet, I make sure
I'm armed with lots of tasty treats.
That way, as my vet is touching my puppy, I can be randomly
rewarding and keeping her calm and associating
the vet's touch with getting rewarded.
While we were there, we asked Dr. Paula
for a couple examples of things that we could do
with our puppies to help prepare them
for their first vet visit.
So, we're going to touch them everywhere.
When we do an exam, we do a few things
that some dogs don't like. - Yeah.
- We check teeth, always, and we're always
checking mucous membrane color.
You need to be steady in your hands,
without being nippy or fearful,
all of these things, and if they've never had,
just even this move can be tricky for them.
- Yes, right.
- People often don't think about having to restrain them,
and if they struggle you let them go.
Every time a puppy would struggle and you let them go,
it teaches them that "If I struggle,
"they're going to let me go."
So, we can't do things like draw blood or do procedures
without restraining them. - Absolutely.
And you don't want the dog to panic, either.
- So, learning to just
have a gentle hold is really important.
And especially some of the more fearful breeds.
This can be a really frightening thing for them,
to have somebody else hold them.
And it is necessary for us to do this
for a lot of the things that we do, and see,
she came away from you comfortably.
Of course, everybody panics about the thermometer, but
the thing I find that they dislike the most is the otoscope.
- In the ears?
- This is the procedure that puppies really dislike.
- Interesting.
- Touching their ears, and ear infections
are so common in dogs, we see them all the time.
Especially in the retrievers and spaniels, and just
being able to touch their ear and maybe just
put your finger here, so that this isn't
something that's going to be foreign.
So with a puppy, I will always first just do this
without actually putting it in the ear canal.
- Oh, just touching it? - Yeah.
And then, if they're allowing that, then
we'll actually look down the ear canal where
we see infections and things.
But I find this is actually what is
bothersome more than the thermometer.
As far as taking their temperature goes,
the main thing is that we do lift their tail.
That's tricky in some of the tailless breeds, but
that's the main thing we do and so if they're used to that
they'll be able to handle the thermometer.
And then, the other part they don't like is their feet.
So we often do pedicures with the puppy visits just so that
they can practice having their nails done.
But a lot of puppies will just, "Don't touch my feet!"
So just touching your puppy's feet, their ears,
their mouth, and letting them be comfortable
with being held are really important.
- If you like today's video, make sure you
hit that thumbs-up button.
We'd really like to thank Dr. Paula Dupuy
from Troy Veterinarian Services for talking with us today.
Now, we have a lot more puppy videos coming your way
in the next few weeks, including
a few more things from Dr. Paula.
If this is your first time visiting us,
make sure you hit that Subscribe button below.
And in the meantime, happy training and we'll see you soon.