Visiting a vet's office is probably one of the most stressful things we can do as reactive dog owners. When you love a reactive dog - you know, the ones who react extremely poorly when frightened - it can take a tonne of effort.
Obviously, the first step in managing your reactive dog at the vet's office is attempting to diminish the impact of the trigger through counter-conditioning and positive reinforcement prior to the appointment. Training is the most important factor in managing your reactive dog and unfortunately, this does take a lot of time, patience, and effort.
The effectiveness of training is dependent on how your dog manages stressful situations and their impulse control. Vet's offices are one of those places where even the calmest of dogs can have issues with feeling safe and confident. Think of it like public speaking for us - at the end of the day, most people can't just reduce our nerves to nothing, there will always be some semblance of anxiousness when presenting in front of a crowd.
We have two dogs, a smaller breed that weighs about 10kg and while he has a small amount of reactivity, he's manageable and very food-motivated. He can sit right next to dogs without worrying. On the other hand, our St. Bernard is a bit more challenging. Weighing in at a solid 60kg and all muscle, she could knock over a fridge if she wanted. Her reactivity was boisterous - she would lunge, and bark, and while she never bared her teeth, I couldn't 100% trust her not to bite if we were too close to a trigger.
How We Found Our Perfect Vet
Finding our perfect vet started with a simple phone call. But first, we tried all the usual avenues - searching on Google Maps and reading all of the reviews, asking for suggestions from our trainer and our neighbours with dogs - it felt like such an overwhelming task.
Until we found a little local office about a 30-minute drive away. We thought "this one might be good" because we noticed on Google Maps that they had two entrances - one that went directly into the reception and one that bypassed the small foyer, straight to where all the private rooms were located.
We called during the middle of the day and spoke to a receptionist briefly. We explained all of our pup's issues, including some of her rather extensive health history, and she logged everything down. "Just give me a moment, the manager is free and she may want to talk to you." We thought this was potentially a bad sign, nervously waiting to hear her voice again. However, we were pleasantly surprised when she returned to hear two major things:
- They wanted us to come in for a meet-and-greet with our reactive pup and booked us as the very last appointment on a weekday.
- The appointment booked had no appointment prior, so we were ensured that there would be no unnecessary overlapping with other people or dogs in the waiting room.
Many of our worries were eased with a simple and short phone call. Although we forget it a lot of the time, vets are probably the most accustomed to dealing with the crazy antics of all types of animals, and at the end of the day, they understand.
So the next week rolled around and we nervously packed our dog into the car for the appointment. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't anxious. We wandered into the reception, scoping it out first to make sure that no one else was there, and then took in our pup.
No one acknowledged her, no one looked at her - and that was perfect. She remained as calm as a cucumber and the moment we were funnelled into an office with the vet, he started throwing treats on the ground while speaking with us. She wagged her tail, sniffed around, and approached the vet by herself snuffling for more treats. He continued ignoring her, which was fantastic because it became apparent that he knew her human reactivity typically arises when she's acknowledged - aka, the receptionist did a fab job in listening and her notes were read!
Since finding this vet, they have encouraged a check-up every six months to continue our dog's desensitisation and positive association with the office space. They have continuously booked us at the end of the day so that we don't run into any unexpected strangers, which helps us avoid setbacks in our training.
It was so worth seeking out this vet and we encourage you to consider calling around or visiting vets until you find one that you are happy with. Many of us simply book with the closest place to home, but it's worth finding a vet office that helps make you and your pup comfortable.
