I took my 9 mth lab to the vets today and she was an absolute pest! Basically the vet wanted to weigh her but Bella wanted to have a good sniff around. the vet started shouting at her to sit which ment Bella pulled like mad to get back to me .I did what i always do when she has got wound up/over excited  which is get her tuggy out of my pocket ( but didn't give it to her ) she calmed immediatly down got on the scales stood for the rest of the examination then sat and i gave her the tuggy. She is normally very well behaved but all the smells at the vets seemed to have sent her loopy and the vet shouting at her just made her worse. Any suggestions for statergies for our next visit.

My first strategy would be to find another vet,.

If this is not an option, you may find that giving your dog rescue remedy and spraying some into the air at the vets prior to getting your dog out of the car may be an option.

You could also try giving aconite 6c just prior to visit.

Another alternative is to equip the vet nurse with goodies ONLY available at the vets and to make regular trips there purely for a pet and a treat and then go home.

I agree, change vets.

If my vet gave a command to my dogs, I would go ballistic.  Does my vet know what reward schedule they're on?  Is he going to provide a reward if they do as he says, or is he going to do something scary or distasteful to them?  (Thereby punishing the fact that they obeyed him?)  And so on. 

I think it's really rude for people to give commands to other people's dogs, in their presence and without asking them. 

That's without the vet shouting at her as well.

As the vet shouted at her and from your post seems to have scared her perhaps the best strategy would be a different vet.

I too would change vets. Someone who is professional - as a vet should be shouldn't have to shout at a dog for it to do what they wanted. I would be less than impressed - i dont raise my voice at my dogs and don't expect anyone else to either.

If your dog is nervous sometimes though rescue remedy is great in all kinds of situations not just at the vets - i use it on mine and it works wonders!

Thankyou all i am going to change vets. She isn't normally nervous but has never been shouted at like that so i think it was a shock. Being a working lab she likes a really good sniff and i have always thought this was normal and not something to be punished for which is what the vet seemed to be getting at

Absolutely right kipper.

No excuse for vets shouting at dogs. Our vet has to put up with a three-act opera from the GSD while the little whippet X bitch just tries to dig her way out of the consulting room, through the vet and me if necessary. (But on the positive side, neither the vet or I will be getting kennel cough this year if the vaccine can be absorbed through human skin.) He handles it all with humour and kindness and a 'seen it all before' attitude as a good vet should.  If you can't be sympathetic to anxiety and suffering stop being a vet and join the ________ (insert the agency of your choice).

First time my dog had to get on the scales at the vets she wouldn't.  I was gobsmacked, her tail went down the lot.  Coaxing and treats  didn't work either, I ended up having to lift her up all couple of inches and putting her down on the scales :rolleyes:  If the vet had shouted I think I would have just turned around and walked out.  She still doesn't like going on the scales but at least she's not scared of the vets, she loves them. 

I agree change vets if at all possible.

My vet gets down on the floor for my girls to give her a kiss (she adores beardies) they go in quite happily.
Ellie being boisterous and wanting to say hello to the girls on reception pressed the buttons on the phone and cut someone off.. OOPs!

Roni

Mine always has a big grin on his face when Tara drags him through the surgery door :D

Daisy

I would change vets but also be tempted to write to the original one and explain in no uncertain terms that you consider him lacking i canine knowledge and very unprofessional. If there is any kind of head vet i'd write to them.

Lindsay
x

change vets. when we weigh dogs its very hard if they are more interested in sniffing everywhere, i tackle that by having some delicious treats and tempt them so they stay still enough, if treats dont work- then a toy, if this doesnt work then some extra special lovey talk- ooh you are a goooood giiiirrrlll!! hey, arent you just a good girl being weighed!' then i get the whole waiting rooms attention too- blush blush....

Yes, change vets - it's completely out of order for the vet to shout at your dog, specially as she's only a baby!

I have always weightede my dogs myself at the vets, that way they will do as I ask.

Excuse my ignorance, but what exactly is rescue remedy?

its a herbal remedy for human use to calm it can be bought at boots or any heatlh shop
you can also use it on dogs best result  under the tongue.

Roni

to shout at a dog when it is excited and may be having a nasty experience is terrible, i wouldnt go there again. I went to the vets the other week and my dog had his ear shaved to look at a cut and he struggled and cried and the vet said nothing although it made his job harder, shouting would have made it worse.

The first time my vet took maddie out the back to weigh her I heard a loud crash! apparently she had knocked a big tin tray off the table as she got on the scales and it spooked her so bad he couldn't get her back on them and me getting her on the scales after that was a nightmare But because of her problems I knew she had to get over it, so every friday off to the vets we went for a weigh-in. At first it was a nightmare getting her on them, now its the first thing she heads for as we go through the door. I think, no I Know,  if he had shouted at her or lost his patience with her we would have changed vets!

Dee

last night i rang my dads vet and we went to see him this morning. He had no problems with my girl at all and because he called her by name (which the other vet never did) and made a fuss of her. She would have followed him anywhere. He is a lovely man and the dog obviously picked up on that. He was our family vet when i was growing up and quite often came to our house to see the animals he told me off for ever going to another vet. So although it makes my life harder a 20 mile trip to get her to the vets when i cant drive im not going anywhere else. The vet also agreed with me that she does seem to be having a phantom which the other vet was adamant she wasn't. 

You are doing well getting her in the consultatiopn room in my opinion.My older dog gets sedated and then near enough knocked right out just for a check up.He gets that worried.Our vet is great and very understanding.:) I would of shouted back at the vet if i were in that situation.Thats down right nasty. :(

Rescue Remedy has been reported by many health-care professionals, veterinarians and lay persons to have a stabilizing and calming effect in a great variety of stress- inducing situations. It is reported to have brought comfort and calm to those who have experienced serious news, severe upset and traumatic experiences which often lead to a numbed and dazed state of mind. It is also reputed helpful in less severe instances such as arguments, examinations, stage-fright, visits to the dentist, etc - so it can be used by you and the dog.

A couple of drops on the tongue usually do the trick ;)

You can buy it at Boots, Holland & Barretts - about £4 per 10ml

Margot

Change your vets, I have never seen a vet shout yet at one of my dogs.

Train her to sit and be patient.  I usually use treats that they cant resist and I teach the dogs to wait.  By holding my hand in front of them they learn to sit and be quiet. This works then when in the vets.
Rachel

Rescue Remedy is a Bach flower remedy - essence of various flowers distilled in alcohol. You can buy about 40 different flower remedies separately, but Rescue Remedy is a 'ready mixed' one which is reported to be very calming.