Dr. Palazzolo’s last five articles center on the topic of dog behavior. This is the sixth in the series.

It’s time for your pup for his first visit to the vet. The goal is to prepare the little guy to be handled, restrained, groomed, and vaccinated throughout its life.

Ask any veterinarian or groomer what he or she dislikes most about their profession, and the answer is likely to be “Handling uncooperative or aggressive dogs!” In many cases, the aggression that veterinarians and groomers deal with could be avoided if we taught our dogs from a very early age to put up with the discomfort that often accompanies visits to the doctor and the groomer. We can accomplish this by desensitizing our puppies to many of the typical procedures they will encounter through life.

Between the ages of 7 and 16 weeks, your puppy will go through an important developmental stage. This stage used to be called a “fear period” by many behaviorists because it’s the time span when many animals develop lifelong fears. Now commonly referred to as a critical socialization or developmental stage, it’s a rare window of opportunity for us to teach puppies to become confident, psychologically healthy dogs.

Unfortunately, this is the exact same time period during which puppies receive their first examination and vaccinations from your veterinarian! Many puppies learn to be afraid of the veterinary office and staff during this time, and some will learn to growl or bite during subsequent visits.

The vet you pick can help you prepare your pup for its first veterinary visit. Call and ask for an appointment during the quietest time of day. Tell the staff that you want your puppy to have a good experience, and ask if there’s time on the schedule for a few extra minutes that may be needed so that the puppy doesn’t become stressed by people moving around everywhere. If possible, set up a time for a couple of informal visits before the appointment and just let staff members pet and give treats to your pup. Make those first experiences positive and upbeat.

Our website has detailed step-by-step instructions on how to make your pup’s veterinary visits positive ones.