How to keep your dog still at the vets

Do you want to learn how to keep your dog still for examinations and procedures? Find out how with our top tips.

Your vet needs to be able to examine your dog’s body in detail to understand the cause of illness or injury and prescribe the right treatment. And lots of procedures, like ultrasound scanning and blood sampling, will be much easier if dogs are comfortable being held still.

We can’t explain to our dogs what’s going to happen to them and why, so dogs who aren’t used to being restrained could become worried, frustrated, or excited by the experience. Help your dog by teaching them that being held still can be a positive experience, way before they ever need to be restrained for real.

At the vet clinic, your vet is likely to ask a nurse or suitably trained colleague to help restrain your dog. This isn’t personal. They are used to doing these procedures together effectively. But this training is still important for your dog to cope with the situation. Tell your vet about the training you’ve done, and which words you use to tell your dog what is about to happen, so they can use the same ones. You can talk to your dog throughout to help reassure them about what’s happening and have your treats ready to distract and reward them.

Top tips for training your dog to feel comfortable being restrained

Prepare yourself first. Practise getting into position without your dog. Sounds silly, but this prepares you for moving your body and managing your dog and their treats at the same time. Being well-rehearsed helps your movements flow better, so you’ll feel confident when you start teaching your dog.
Keep training sessions short and fun. Spreading short training sessions over the day means you’ll be able to teach a lot without putting your dog under pressure. Finishing with a game also rewards their effort and can strengthen your bond. You don’t need to do all the steps during each training session. It can be tempting to rush through, especially if your dog appears to be doing well, but taking things gently means you and your dog can feel confident all the way.
- Think of each short training session as laying foundations for the next. Carefully introduce touching their ears, tail, and feet. Always keep it brief and give them treats straight afterwards.
Watch your dog’s body language and make sure they aren’t uncomfortable or stressed. Find out more about understanding dog body language.
- Dogs can feel especially vulnerable when having their paws and tail examined because it means they’re less able to move away if they want to. Treat these areas with caution. Run your hands gently down your dog’s legs, so they know you’re heading to their paws and it isn’t a shock suddenly having these touched.
- If you’re looking underneath their paws, always lift their legs so that they bend naturally. You don’t want to accidentally hurt them.
Be patient. If your dog is struggling, go back to a stage at which they were comfortable and practise for a little bit longer, before moving on again. Some dogs might need to go slower than others. It takes a lot of trust for your dog to be restrained, so the time you spend gradually working through these steps will pay off. If your dog growls, squeals, snaps or bites, or tries to avoid you or hides away, you might need extra help. It is worth talking to your vet about different options like seeking professional behavioural support.
- Teach your dog that new things like ear or eye drops, tablets or flea treatments can be linked to good things happening. Ask your vet for an empty ear or eye drop bottle or a used flea treatment tube. Start by casually carrying it around, while giving your dog a treat with the other hand.
- Your dog needs to get used to you holding the medicine without the need for alarm. Gradually build on this until you can hold it out towards your dog and slowly progress to touching them briefly with it.