Ready…Set…for Groomer and Vet! Quick Tips for Drama-Free Vet Visits

Visiting the groomer or vet can be a tense experience for both the guardian and the dog, especially if the environment has stressful associations and outcomes. At my training facility in Chicago, our Ready…Set…for Groomer and Vet! program integrates fun games into group sessions, and then brings the activities and behaviors next door to a veterinarian office, where we also teach.

Quick tips to help you or your clients

1. Help your dogs “practice for the exam” by spending a few minutes training every day. When it’s time for the real vet or groomer appointments, they’ll be ready!
   
2. Plan “Happy Vet Office Visits” in between scheduled wellness exams and vaccinations.  Over time, a dog gets used to the sights, sounds, and smells, making it less stressful for the dog when you are at the office for a real appointment. Call your veterinarian’s office ahead of time to make sure the visit works for them.
   
3. If space and time allow, plan easy and enjoyable walks around the outside area of your vet clinic. These exposures will help teach your puppy or dog that drives to the vet can equal fun walks outside the clinic, and don’t always lead to walking inside the vet office.
   
4. Bring to vet visits plenty and a variety of treats, toys, and activities that your dog enjoys. Some dogs enjoy a great game of tug, light jogging around outside, and/or clicking and treating for desired behaviors.
   
5. To minimize stress, train your dog to learn and perform some fun behaviors in between behavior training for grooming and vet visits. Try teaching your dog to spin or back up!
   
6. Bring a lightweight and easy-to-carry mat on which your dog has learned to stand, sit, or lie down on during training sessions. Place the training mat on the floor in the clinic’s lobby and use it as a place for your dog to settle on while waiting for your appointment.
   
7. Before your dog is weighed, place enrichment toys or a mat on the scale to make the surface more inviting. Many dogs are scared of the stainless steel, but will happily sit on their mat. Using this simple “accessory” makes it easier for the vet to weigh your dog.
   
8. Bring a small towel and bury treats in it. This game is a fun and easy way to enrich the environment for your dog.
   
9. Invite the vet staff to help with training. If they have time, slowly incorporate staff members into fun training exercises. 
   
10. Be open to moving to areas outside or inside the vet clinic if your dog, or another dog, needs more room to relax and feel safe.
    
11. Use food tubes. Tubes can be easier for some owners to manage when offering a “Click and Lick” of creamy peanut butter, Easy Cheese, or other delicious food items that your dog enjoys.
    
12. Fill empty pill capsules with peanut butter to help your dog learn to take pills like heartworm medication. When dogs get used to taking “peanut butter pills,” you won’t need to restrain them when the time comes to take prescribed medication!
    
13. Ask your local trainer for ways to integrate games into group or private sessions. Visit the Karen Pryor Academy (KPA) Find a Trainer page to find a KPA Certified Training Partner (CTP) near you!
    
14. Visit Dr. Sophia Yin’s website for more excellent resources. You can also refer to her amazing book Low Stress Handling, Restraint and Behavior Modification of Dogs and Cats.

These are just a few of many tips that can move training forward. Watch the segments I filmed with Dr. Kelly Ballantyne from Insightful Animals Veterinary Clinic on WGN TV and NBC 5 Chicago to see these tips in action.

 Enjoy the video demonstrations, and have fun getting “Ready…Set…for Groomer and Vet.”

If you are a trainer and would like to learn how to help your clients make visits to the vet less traumatic, read Laura’s article How Trainers Make a Difference: Ready…Set…for Groomer and Vet!

Please note this article was originally published on 01/19/2012 and last reviewed on 05/28/2025. We regularly review our content to ensure that the principles and techniques remain valuable and relevant. However, best practices continue to evolve. If you notice anything that may need updating, please feel free to contact us at editor@clickertraining.com.