When I got my pup from a rescue, she had already had her vax's. When I fetched her home, we went and registered her with a vet. The receptionist asked if she had her vaccinations and suggested I bring her in to sit in the waiting room now and then to get used to the place. The vet has never seen my pup nor asked to. Is this normal practise? My husband said that doctors dont see us when we register, so why should a vet want to see a pup unless it is ill? I have no worries about her..she seems fine but I would like some of your opinions on this if you don't mind?
Thank you

Going to the vet can be a traumatic experience.  It's usually to be a little man handled.  Legs pulled, thermometers stuck up bums, mouths opened, ears and eyes peered into, anaesthetics, needles and injuries prodded.
If you can get your dog used to going to the vets and getting familiar with the smells of medications and the sounds of other dogs etc.. in there without it being a terrifying experience then you will have a much more pleasant trip for you and your dog. 
You can take your pup in to get used to the surroundings and they'll let you use the scales to keep an eye on his weight and how much he's growing.  There's usually a cuddle from a vet nurse or the receptionist and he gets socialised a bit as well.
You sound like you have found a nice caring vet practice :)

Your vet is spot on. Its best to have a visit when you first pick up a pup so they can check him over. When I had my little baby he went the next day for a check up and to be put on the system.
So theres no need to worry :) if you can just take him up there once a week for a sit down so your pup gets use to the vets which helps as some dogs hate them like mine :)

i used to take Maddie and Molly when they were wee 'uns once a week to the vets. First to get them used to car rides and second to get them used to the vets. I usually weighed them then chatted to the receptionist if she wasn't busy, around midday was quieter, this way they had a pleasant experience of vet centres. Mind you saying that when Maddie was around 9/10 months she had her temperature taken and now when she see's that vet, instead of standing like she does with the others, she parks her bottom firmly on the floor! :P

Hi there,

Sounds like you've got a really good vet practice there :)  I'm with the others on this, it's good to train our dogs when as young as possible to get accustomed to all the strange smells etc in the vet surgery and get a bit of a cuddle with the staff before they have to go and possibly have something uncomfortable done to them.

Regards, Teri :)

First visit to our vet, my pup got a check over, a fuss made of her and given a treat at the end.  She's nearly 2 and it makes me chuckle now when we go as she drags me in, paws up on the counter to say hello to the nice ladies and be petted then spends all the waiting time wagging her tail. She sees the vet, get's a needle stuck in or like last week checked after being spayed and then drags me to the door to get out.  It's always the same, dragged in then dragged out.  I think the times she went as a puppy and was made a fuss of and got used the surgery means that she is always happy to go, even though she doesn't like what the vet does.  It's well worth those early visits.

i get dragged in by my mongrel, pesto she can have anything done to her - temp, anal glands, injections even when she was spayed and then we get to the door and she won't come home cos she loves it so much there. i think it was cos when she was a pup she went to puppy parties there and also i take her in a lot just for fuss.

everyone laughs cos i don't think they have eva seen a dog not want to leave a vets

I don't take mine to the vets just for a fuss but I do take her every time I buy worming tablets or flea control and she gets a fuss made of her then.  I really believe it makes a difference.   

i work there once a week so every one knows me and my dogs, so it is easy for me to take them to see everyone

I think it's a great idea and each time I've had to register with a new doctor he or she has always insisted on seeing me. :)

Whenever we register new puppies (or older rescue dogs), I always encourage the owners to pop in whenever they're passing so we can make a fuss of the dog and give a few treats.  I honestly believe that this course of action makes a huge difference to the dog's eventual attitude towards the surgery.  When one thinks about it, it makes perfect sense as if the only times a dog visits us is to have injections, anal glands emptied, nails clipped etc. etc. then of course they're going to associate the surgery with unpleasant experiences!

Fun visits are obviously beneficial for the dogs which is of course the primary concern but an added advantage from my point of view is that if I can make friends with that adorable, fluffy, eight week old Akita early on, hopefully in a year's time when he weighs more than I do he'll remember the kind nurse who fed him lots of treats and tickled his tummy!  I've also found that non-invasive visits can prove beneficial for nervous rescue dogs. 

Any decent practice won't mind puppy visits in the slightest and I'd urge any new owners to pursue this.  Reduced stress for the dog, and fewer bites for me!

M-C

P.S.  Trying this with cats is a complete waste of time! ;-)

Thank you all very much!! All taken on board and we will continue with our little vet trips. Hope you all had a lovely Christmas and wishing everyone a happy New Year
Wendy

Trying this with cats is a complete waste of time!

One of the vets I worked for would always put a drop of liquid catnip on the table in front of the cat and of course in most of the cases (providing the cat was one responsive to catnip) it made a huge difference. :) I've often wondered why others don't do the same.

I've tried catnip which has worked for a few patients but I think for the most part cats aren't fooled that easily.  Sometimes spraying my hands with Feliway helps but again they don't usually fall for it. 

Even after all these years it still makes me laugh to see how quickly a cat will get back in its basket after examination, when it took the owners half an hour and a lot of bloodshed to get him into it at home! :-)

I done this with my dogs and one of them (now sadly deceased) loved the vets so much that if you tried to walk past she would lay down and refuse to move until she went into see everyone and get a fuss.  I always said if she packed her bags and left home thats where I would find her.  She had lots of awful things done there but it never put her off.
My 2 dogs I have at the moment try to pull in the gateway if we walk past too, although one of them is fine with everything the vet does except injections.  They have tried me taking her in and them walking towards her with a syringe with no needle and she couldn't care less but she knows when that needle is heading for her skin

Bev