Complete Information Regarding the Pug Dog
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Topic of the Week - Each Week New Pug Dog Information
8-19-2008
Taking the Stress Out of Your Pug’s Vet Visit
We all know how important veterinarian visits are. A dog would most likely have a very short life were it not for vaccinations and regular checkups to catch any canine health problems in the early stages.
Your dog’s vet will check to make sure your Pug is growing at a healthy rate, is free from disease, will provide yearly dental care and so many other services that are a “Must” to give your pet Pug a long and happy life.
However, many dog owners also find this to be a stressing time. Some dog owners find it so stressful; they may procrastinate to bring their dog to the vet.
Since regular vet checkups are so important for your Pug, we are going to discuss the reasons why this may be stressful for both you and your dog and the steps that you can take to make this a more pleasant experience.
Our new topic is: Taking the Stress Out of Your Pug’s Vet Visit
We all know how important veterinarian visits are. A dog would most likely have a very short life were it not for vaccinations and regular checkups to catch any canine health problems in the early stages.
Your dog’s vet will check to make sure your Pug is growing at a healthy rate, is free from disease, will provide yearly dental care and so many other services that are a “Must” to give your pet Pug a long and happy life.
However, many dog owners also find this to be a stressing time. Some dog owners find it so stressful; they may procrastinate to bring their dog to the vet.
Since regular vet checkups are so important for your Pug, we are going to discuss the reasons why this may be stressful for both you and your dog and the steps that you can take to make this a more pleasant experience.
Our new topic is: Taking the Stress Out of Your Pug’s Vet Visit
Trigger Points of Canine Stress
There are several “trigger” points that can make a vet visit stressful for both you and your Pug.
The first element is the environment. Your Pug can quickly become overwhelmed with all of the noises, smells and activities surrounding the vet office. A dog can then can react in varying ways. Some dogs will regress ; they will curl up and whine. They will display nervousness and some may shake.
Other dogs will react to the environment with aggression. If not used to being around other animals, a dog may bark and try to nip at dogs and cats. If a dog feels unsafe, they feel threatened…and this can cause even the most peaceful dog to act aggressively.
You can help you Pug by making sure that he or she is socialized. It is important to take time to teach your dog how to behave around other animals. This can be done in several ways. If you can implement all of these strategies, it is best.
Taking your Pug for walks where there are other dogs can be very helpful. If your dog is not used to other dogs at all, you will want to keep them on a short leash. When faced with another dog, allow your Pug to ‘say hello”. Talk in a calm voice and as long as your dog is calm, do not rush away. If your dog jumps up and/or barks you will want to pull on the leash and say a very strong and firm command word of “No!”.
For each encounter, if your dog does well, be sure to reward with a dog treat. If your dog does not do well, continue walking but do not punish him or her. This is a learning process. Much like when a child goes to school for the first time! It takes patience and understanding to show your Pug how to behave and socialize with other dogs.
It is also helpful to ask for appointments at "off" hours when the office is less busy.
Confinement
All veterinarians will have their own rules regarding confining your Pug. Some vets will ask that all dogs are muzzled. Do not take this as a personal insult; the vet is just making sure to stop any incidences before they happen and must apply the rules to all dogs in order to be fair.
Other vets will ask that your Pug be placed into a dog crate. At the very least, your Pug will be expected to be on a short leash.
If your Pug is not used to being in a dog crate or not used to wearing a muzzle, this can cause a great amount of stress for your dog. It can be terribly scary to a dog who is not used to one and then suddenly brought to a noisy, overwhelming place! This then will stress you out! How can you help?
Allow your Pug to get used to wearing a muzzle or being in a dog crate while at home. Your dog feels safe at home, surrounded by loved ones in a non-threatening environment. If your dog’s vet insists that dogs wear muzzles, each day at home, gently put the muzzle on your Pug. While on, talk in a calming voice and pat your Pug. Leave the muzzle on your Pug for only minute or so the first time and work your way slowly up to the amount of time that your dog will spend at the vet. Importantly: reward your Pug as soon as the muzzle is removed. You can use this same type of disassociation dog training for the crate also.
Training Sum Up
As you attempt to train your dog to behave at the vet, this will work in the same way as any type of training. Any time that your dog behaves at the vet, you should give reward. This can begin with dog treats and words of praise. Once your Pug is used to going to the vet, you can just use words of praise and your Pug will be happy with that.
Whenever your Pug does not behave, such as barking out of control or trying to jump up at other animals, you must show your dog very clearly, that you will not accept their behavior. This is done by bringing your dog close to you, saying a very firm “No!” Ignoring your dog for several minutes also helps show disapproval and in order to gain your attention, your Pug will learn to behave.
Distraction
While there may be times when there is so much noise at the vet’s that nothing could distract your Pug, you will have days that are quieter. It is always a good idea to bring one of your Pug’s favorite toys. Bringing the type of dog toy that holds a treat inside can be very helpful, as this is most likely to distract your Pug and keep them busy.
Be Prepared
You can lighten your stress a bit by having the answers to the questions that they vet may ask. If your dog has been sick or showing odd symptoms, you will want to keep a notebook of what has been happening. From the moment that your dog shows any strange signs up until the time of the appointment, keep daily records of what is going on. Write down your dog’s symptoms, the time of day that you notice the symptoms, what your dog was doing at the time (for example if your Pug showed signs of a seizure, you would want to document what your dog was doing right before it struck).
If you are seeing a new veterinarian, have all of the records from the previous vet on hand. If you have saved a rescue dog and do not have all the information that is asked about the dog, relay to the vet that this is the reason you do not know certain things. For example, if the dog is allergic to anything.
If you have any questions for the veterinarian, write them down. Owners think that they will remember their questions, but it is very easy to forget once you are at the office. Do keep in mind that your dog’s vet cannot take an hour to answer general questions, but do speak up about anything that you are concerned about.
Since vet checkups are a must, there is no reason to allow them to be stressful. Following these tips to help your Pug feel comfortable at the vet’s office will make you, your Pug, the vet, the receptionist, all of the other patients and their owners happier!
There are several “trigger” points that can make a vet visit stressful for both you and your Pug.
The first element is the environment. Your Pug can quickly become overwhelmed with all of the noises, smells and activities surrounding the vet office. A dog can then can react in varying ways. Some dogs will regress ; they will curl up and whine. They will display nervousness and some may shake.
Other dogs will react to the environment with aggression. If not used to being around other animals, a dog may bark and try to nip at dogs and cats. If a dog feels unsafe, they feel threatened…and this can cause even the most peaceful dog to act aggressively.
You can help you Pug by making sure that he or she is socialized. It is important to take time to teach your dog how to behave around other animals. This can be done in several ways. If you can implement all of these strategies, it is best.
Taking your Pug for walks where there are other dogs can be very helpful. If your dog is not used to other dogs at all, you will want to keep them on a short leash. When faced with another dog, allow your Pug to ‘say hello”. Talk in a calm voice and as long as your dog is calm, do not rush away. If your dog jumps up and/or barks you will want to pull on the leash and say a very strong and firm command word of “No!”.
For each encounter, if your dog does well, be sure to reward with a dog treat. If your dog does not do well, continue walking but do not punish him or her. This is a learning process. Much like when a child goes to school for the first time! It takes patience and understanding to show your Pug how to behave and socialize with other dogs.
It is also helpful to ask for appointments at "off" hours when the office is less busy.
Confinement
All veterinarians will have their own rules regarding confining your Pug. Some vets will ask that all dogs are muzzled. Do not take this as a personal insult; the vet is just making sure to stop any incidences before they happen and must apply the rules to all dogs in order to be fair.
Other vets will ask that your Pug be placed into a dog crate. At the very least, your Pug will be expected to be on a short leash.
If your Pug is not used to being in a dog crate or not used to wearing a muzzle, this can cause a great amount of stress for your dog. It can be terribly scary to a dog who is not used to one and then suddenly brought to a noisy, overwhelming place! This then will stress you out! How can you help?
Allow your Pug to get used to wearing a muzzle or being in a dog crate while at home. Your dog feels safe at home, surrounded by loved ones in a non-threatening environment. If your dog’s vet insists that dogs wear muzzles, each day at home, gently put the muzzle on your Pug. While on, talk in a calming voice and pat your Pug. Leave the muzzle on your Pug for only minute or so the first time and work your way slowly up to the amount of time that your dog will spend at the vet. Importantly: reward your Pug as soon as the muzzle is removed. You can use this same type of disassociation dog training for the crate also.
Training Sum Up
As you attempt to train your dog to behave at the vet, this will work in the same way as any type of training. Any time that your dog behaves at the vet, you should give reward. This can begin with dog treats and words of praise. Once your Pug is used to going to the vet, you can just use words of praise and your Pug will be happy with that.
Whenever your Pug does not behave, such as barking out of control or trying to jump up at other animals, you must show your dog very clearly, that you will not accept their behavior. This is done by bringing your dog close to you, saying a very firm “No!” Ignoring your dog for several minutes also helps show disapproval and in order to gain your attention, your Pug will learn to behave.
Distraction
While there may be times when there is so much noise at the vet’s that nothing could distract your Pug, you will have days that are quieter. It is always a good idea to bring one of your Pug’s favorite toys. Bringing the type of dog toy that holds a treat inside can be very helpful, as this is most likely to distract your Pug and keep them busy.
Be Prepared
You can lighten your stress a bit by having the answers to the questions that they vet may ask. If your dog has been sick or showing odd symptoms, you will want to keep a notebook of what has been happening. From the moment that your dog shows any strange signs up until the time of the appointment, keep daily records of what is going on. Write down your dog’s symptoms, the time of day that you notice the symptoms, what your dog was doing at the time (for example if your Pug showed signs of a seizure, you would want to document what your dog was doing right before it struck).
If you are seeing a new veterinarian, have all of the records from the previous vet on hand. If you have saved a rescue dog and do not have all the information that is asked about the dog, relay to the vet that this is the reason you do not know certain things. For example, if the dog is allergic to anything.
If you have any questions for the veterinarian, write them down. Owners think that they will remember their questions, but it is very easy to forget once you are at the office. Do keep in mind that your dog’s vet cannot take an hour to answer general questions, but do speak up about anything that you are concerned about.
Since vet checkups are a must, there is no reason to allow them to be stressful. Following these tips to help your Pug feel comfortable at the vet’s office will make you, your Pug, the vet, the receptionist, all of the other patients and their owners happier!
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