Luka is a rescue, we have had to make quite a few vet trips since we found her. Now she hates the vet, she pulls doesn't want to go in and can't wait to get out. Plus in another post  we have a problem with men, when being boarded there is a sign that says no men. i would really like to make her feel more comfortable about going.

I was thinking of going there every other day and try to make it enjoyable experince, just hang out started with 10 min. and working up to 30 min,

Thanks

DT

This can happen with dogs that make a lot of vet visits. Good thinking making the vet a good experience in the future. 

These tips might help as well. Some of them take more planning, but might be helpful if you are at an impasse.

• Bring Luka with you when you run errands, stop by the vet's office for a few minutes, and sit in the waiting room and give him treats
• Also ask to bring him into a waiting room and have a vet or vet tech come into give him treats (they should be happy to do this)
• Buy, rent or borrow a vet lab coat and wear it for him when you are home sometimes before he gets wonderful things
• Work on handling exercises and desensitize him to handling paws, touching hears, tail, back, picking him up, etc. to make him more comfortable with these potential vet interactions
• Walk by the vet sometimes and don't actually go in. This could help the build up of anxiety as he approaches the area.
  

Keep up the great work and let me know if you have questions.

Jeff

Hi Jeff, Luka and stop by the Vet yesterday and it went great! When we walked in everyone thought something was wrong, I told them we just stopped in to say hello. Luka's tail was waging and they made a big fuss over her, she loved it. It was not my intention but I think I scored some points too.

I have another question, when I take her for training she does great for about 20 mins and then she glazes over. It's her way of saying OK I have had a enough of this. She get things on about the third try, very smart. it's as if she is bored. What can I do to keep her interest. Right now we are using treats, I'm limited to what I can use because we are trying to figure out possible food allergies.

Thanks

DT

Hi Darla,

Glad things went well at the vet. Keep up the great work.

Training endurance is an ongoing challenge. One of the best strategies is to stop training before your dog wants to so training itself becomes rewarding.

Other tips:

• Be really enthusiastic. Think of training as a game. "Sit. Good job! Now you get to do more training. Down. Nice! Ok, now we can go for a walk."
• Nothing for free. ANYTHING your dog walks including a walk, sniffing a tree, belly rub, a game of fetch etc. is a potential reward. Do a quick training session throughout the day before giving life rewards.
  
• Don't forget about rewarding with toys. Read this post about getting your dog more interested in toys, if necessary. 
• Read this post about short training sessions.
  
• Read this post about tummy issues.
  
• Read this post about giving too many treats.
  
• Ask if you have more questions.