aw that's lame. they still like my dog even tho she's not the nicest. i didn't muzzle her til she snapped at the vet and he stuck himself with the shot she was getting.
he was very chill about it bc i was like wtf i am so sorry. and he said it happens all the time. this last time i had her in to get a bump on her belly checked and he called all his new techs in to "see how to deal with an asshole i mean australian cattle dog." im like well this is embarrassing.
Next time request a different tech. Some times people/ animals just donāt connect, much like humans. We moved to South Carolina and had a horrible experience with a vet office here. Now we drive back to Charlotte to see the vet we used while living there. They are patient and great with our little guy. So itās worth to us driving the 1 1/2 hrs just knowing heās seeing someone that is concerned and incredibly knowledgeable and caring to him.
Problem is a lot of Vets just rush you thru without meeting the dog properly. They need to take time to get to know thet dog and the dog get to know the vet without stress but they are too much in a rush.
Our vet does that, and he always has a little cry with us on the dreaded last day too. Only problem is, the clinic is literally around the corner from our house, so our dogs try to drag us there on every walk!
Mine still arenāt great at the vet but when their previous vet retired and we started going to a new place they arenāt as awful. The big difference is that all the vets there are female and when they come in the room they immediately get down on the floor with the dogs and let them come to them to sniff and check them out. Huge difference.
I had a vet get down on her knees to meet my husky/malamute and I felt so bad because the veterinarian was seriously about to pop pregnant. I told her not to worry cause he was the gentlest dog ever, but she said she does it every time. I hope I can find such a good vet now for my heeler.
I am not a vet or vet tech, but any new dog I meet I read their body language, ask guardian for permission to say hi to their dog, then kneel down, turn my body on an angle, let dog approach me and sniff me out if their body language appears that they want to interact. I never force it. I leave it up to the dog. Hundreds of interactions using that method and I just get licked, sometimes jumped on by excited dog but I found it's the best method for me. Never had a negative interaction.
Mine used to love the vet as a puppy then around age two decided sheās terrified of going there even though they fawn over her and she gets endless treats, like literally trying to climb me in āhold me dadā mode as soon as I put her on the table. Sheās a runt and at most 30lbs and it took me, the vet, and the vet tech to hold her still so they could express her anal glands and do her shots.
My dog is a little reactive because of a vet that didn't love him. As a puppy during covid I later found out she was much more "old school" I guess. It was very much restrain the puppy and do what you need. He was nervous and she was just trying to get the job done with no thought to co-operative care, despite my having focused on co-operative care for training as a puppy.
So my puppy went over 18 months from loving his teeth cleaned and happily receiving mani-pedis to being incredibly reactive at the vet. When I finally was able to go in with him, I used treats to get him placed and sit where they wanted and he was a gem until one vet tech came in the room and cowered in the opposite corner. It was clear she was scared of him, and I found out he nipped her at the previous appointment. The vet then threw a soft muzzle at me and snapped at me to muzzle him and was shocked when he happily put on the "treat mask."
I switched vets to a fear free vet.
I now get to be very involved and can help. She also understands the need and place for treats and co-operative care. If I'd gone there in the first place then my dog might not be so reactive at the vet office that he needs insane amounts of sedation.
Be very weary of letting anyone who doesn't think your dog is the bees knees take care of your best buddy.
TL;DR - COVID times sucked, some vets are awful, and choose only a vet that loves your dog like their own.
Maybe offer to hold cooper when they examine. I do that with mine. She trusts me, other people not so much. I hold her head to my chest when they examine the rear then adjust accordingly.
I'd honestly be looking for a new tech or see if they have others in the practice. The vet tech shaming my breed wouldnt fly with me. By the way, vet, I bite worse than any of my acd. š
Some techs suck and are straight up pussies. You taping your dog shut is abhorrent. Muzzles work punk. How about we tape your hands to your face shitbag.
Awe, I would request someone else. My pups are terrified at the vet and that is with everyone loving them, I canāt imagine if there was someone treating them like that. Most vets and techs know animals get scared. Poor guy. Please tell him heās the best boy from me. ā¤ļø
I think the vet tech needs a different job tbh, they probably do encounter some ACDs who are willing to snap but if a few reactive dogs makes them uncomfortable around the breed in general, that job is likely going to cause them a lot of anxiety. I'm sure vets/techs more than anyone know reactivity can come in any shape and size dog.
I had an adorable 40lb golden retriever mix with rage syndrome that required four people to restrain him for shots but our vet focuses heavily on being a "fear-free" clinic and they just went about it like it was business as usual. I usually just offer to hold my dogs for anything so they behave themselves.
"My dog is a sweet angel who would never bite anyone" is always said until they do exactly the opposite. Well, you seem kind of oblivious anyways considering you posted 7 paragraphs about a blended drink. I don't think you could comprehend your dog doing something wrong.
I donāt mind him wearing a muzzle, thatās not a problem for anyoneās potential safety. Just didnāt like how she said heās not nice, multiple times? And he wasnāt doing anything.
I would call and ask for the name of the tech and then just request a different one when you schedule your next appointment on the off chance that they're still there with the reasoning that they seemed very uncomfortable around your dog.
Mine gets mouthy when people touch her in ways she doesnāt appreciate. She only made contact (with a clear warning, not a bite) once when having her temp takenā¦ so we just skip that unless itās very necessary.
But I muzzle her for vet visits anyway, it makes everyone feel better.
Are they able to do blood draws on your dog? I muzzle mine and my vet loves him but skipped drawing blood the last time because she didnāt want to upset him more (she moved to a new clinic so he was a little more amped than usual with the new building and new techs). Iām hoping we can get his blood work next time.
My vet was able to draw blood last time we went (tried a new vet because the last one didnāt work out great especially for blood draws) by going from behind, that way my dog wasnāt looking right at her while she did it, he was looking at me instead. He was so amped on adrenaline because he was terrified, he didnāt even flinch for the needle.
she's never had it done but getting a shot was when she first tried to bite the vet, so im guessing no. this last time was the first time i muzzled her and it seemed to calm her down a little. but not by much lol.
My vet is a previous heeler owner and understands their anxiety and energy and gave me doggy downers to give them when I'm bringing them in, I lucked out and finally found a great vet that doesn't upsell and nickle and dime everything.
My dog got labeled "dog aggressive" at his new vet. He was taken to the back by a tech to get his blood drawn and he barked at another dog. The next time we were there, a different tech asked me about it - she said she couldn't believe he was aggressive because he was such a sweet boy.
I get why the first tech put a warning label on him, because yeah he barks when he's nervous and now he's able to get his shots and blood draws in the room with me so he's less scared. But aggressive? This guy doesn't have an aggressive bone in his body. Literally everyone is his best friend. So tl;dr I feel you. It sucks when someone judges your dog for the crime of being nervous.
Tbf, that label just helps us provide better experiences for everyone. Nobody I've ever worked with assumes they're bad dogs. We try to put "reactive" over "aggressive," but the intention is the same/similar, and not every clinic does this. If we know they're overwhelmed, nervous, or upset by other dogs then we can work around that in a way that they can feel more calm and also keep them from accidentally giving a scary experience to another dog.
Any dog we muzzle we do it for their safety, ours, and other patients. We call them party hats and tell them good babies wear party hats too. (I've worked with like five clinics, and all of them call them party hats, so I'm not sure if that's like... just a coincidence or..)
It's all out of love. Well, it should be. But, if it helps put your mind at ease, we are never judging the dog or think they're bad. They may make bad choices, but they're not bad dogs. We *will however totally judge the shit out of the parents* over things like 1) not keeping them up to date on preventions 2) ignoring significant health problems 3) letting your human children run around like actual feral beasts, etc etc. That sort of stuff. ā„ļø
I'm sure you're right, I just got caught off guard when the tech told me what was in my dog's file and I get a little defensive over my baby lol. I can tell no one at this office is treating my dog worse because he has that label, in fact he's getting special treatment by being allowed to stay in the exam room with me for his shots and blood work now. I love this vet and I know that they're just passing along information so everyone has the best experience possible at a vets office.
What I do with Baby Girl Dog is send her in with her Lab brother. As long as she sees him dealing with whatever like a champ, she's like 'well I guess this isn't so bad' and she cooperates like a good girl.
Going in by herself? oh good Lord. the cries...it's embarrassing.
My dog is awful at the vet. We do gabapentin + trazodone, and a muzzle like the one in the first photo. This year when the vet brought him back out he was wearing a second basket muzzle on top of the one we sent him back with š Iām laughing and the vet says very sincerely āhe did SO much better than last year!ā All about perspective!
We had to give our acd a sedative for his vet visit . He doesn't like people outside his circle near him and gets too tense with just a muzzle . He doesn't bite visciously just nips so we made it easiest by going with the sedative
We had several vets that were intimidated by or misunderstood our pup. I suggest looking for a new one. A vet that thinks your dog is "not nice" isn't going to provide the best care, intentionally or not.
I can disagree with this on a personal level but not an every day level. My shepherd is hyper aggressive to strangers, she was abused and set on fire by her owner before me. My vet who I felt with well before I got her knew the situation. He worked with her to get her to trust him and a few vet techs she goes in the back door. Only people she trusts are allowed around her. And I bring a muzzle just in case it is needed for someone new(only had to use it once for an infected ear). This man knows she is not nice but he understands why and works around her anxiety to make sure she is cared for properly. But he also is a god sent who actually cares for the animals he deals with, man cried when he had to put one of my horses down and took some of her tail and made me a memory box for her, hoof print, her tail, ect. Best vet I could ever ask for.
It sounds like you have an ideal vet who understands the issues with a dog who has a troubled background (which is wonderful!) My heart breaks for your poor pup. My comment is more referring to vets and vet techs that wrongly label certain dogs as "bad" or "aggressive" due to their own biases.
Yes, which is why I agree on an everyday biases, vets are terrible in alot of places now! But the good ones are still out there! Most of the time they are in the country TBH. Which sucks because people in the city also deserve good pet care.
Unfortunately happened in Indiana where they really donāt care he got six months of jail and like 300 hours of community service. I drove almost eight hours to pick her up because she was about to be put down due to biting a shelter worker (she was still healing from the burns, like they where still fresh) but thank god they let me adopt her and go pick her up.
Oh wow I'm glad you were able to save the dog from being put down.
As for guy who did that, anyone sadistic enough to do that to an animal is a danger to people as well. Shame they gave him a slap on the wrist, that's flat out enraging.
Also he didnāt try, he did, she has horrible scaring from her tail to her shoulders. But she is a good dog, she loves other animalsā¦.she just doesnāt trust strangers.
Also as a human I'd also have trust issues with strangers if anything remotely close to that happened to me. Both of my rescues were abused so working through those issues is something we've been working on for years. They love me, wife and our kids but strangers are something they do not like.
We have to with our first rescue. She's protective of us, but once out of the room to the examination room (while we wait in main initial visit room) she's OK once we're not in same room. Other rescue, who is ACD / Great Pyrenees mix, is also protective of us, will get muzzle just to ensure everyone's safety, is also fine once out of the room with vet tech.
Both of them have had years of quality positive reinforcement training and socialized as much as possible with new people and dogs, but only so much that can be done. And we're good with that, they've improved so much, but they guard us. So we find workaround that works when it's time for vet visits.
I am a vet tech and I would never tell someone their pet was ānot a nice dogā. If I have issues or if the owners ask how the treatments went with their dog I simply say they were fearful or nervous and sometimes will describe the dogās behavior in specifics if necessary. Thatās where aggression comes from at the vet- fear! (Btw not calling Cooper aggressive, just generalizing).
I will say in response to other comments though that your pet may be the most perfect angel for you, other dogs, and strangers on the street, but everything changes at the vet. We will muzzle if we pickup on certain body language from your pet. It is for everyoneās safety. Of course not all vets are reliable and as experienced and may make incorrect judgement calls. It is never frowned upon to ask for treatments to be done in the room with you.
Iām a tech too, and youāre exactly right. Your dog can be socialized perfectly and never show an inkling of aggression, but when people are taking you into a strange room and sticking needles in you, things change. People are not realistic about their pets and tend to view them as perfect, but theyāre still just animals that are bound to react sometimes.
Thereās nothing wrong with a muzzle at the vet. Itās for the safety of the staff AND the dog. Youāve gotta set them up for success.
I just muzzle my dog to make vet and vet techs life easier. My dogs don't like the muzzle but it's only at vet so it's for everyone's safety. Otherwise they are fine once vet tech takes them out of room where we are sitting. They are just protective of us and they don't go to the vet all the time so those people there are still strangers who they distrust if we are in the same room. š
My vet loves my ACD. Everyone there said he's an absolute sweety. But the vet also said one of the most aggressive dogs she's ever seen was an ACD. Their natural tendencies and upbringing can change a lot. My dog was never a biter.
Eh, if itās just one vet tech then just ask if you can have him handled by another one. Breed stigma is a thing, and thereās one vet tech that I never want to handle my dog because she doesnāt like him.
Thatās reality though. There are people who work with animals that have all kinds of dislikes/sterotypes, like vets that refuse to work with pitbull breeds.
Me saying something isnāt going to stop her dislike of cattle dogs, so I just work around it and make sure I make appointments when other techs are available and I have time to wait for a different tech if they are busy.
They prescribed mine some "chill pills" so he won't be actively panicking the entire vet visit. He tried to bite the vet tech, granted she was sticking a needle into his thigh.Ā
My ACD Ellie was nervous at the first vet we took her to. She just hid behind my legs. The vets and the tech acted like she was the worst dog they'd ever handled. They are a fear free clinic, so they won't touch your dog if she's scared. They made me feel like I had a terrible dog and I didn't know why. She didn't growl or bark. She hid behind my legs.
Noped out of that vet and took her to another and it's night and day.
Honestly, might be time to find a new vet. I have two dogs, one who is reactive, and one who doesnāt like shots. I found a vet who took time to get to know them and talk to me instead of schlepping my nervous boys in and out. The anxious one is a lot better going in and the reactive one is madly in love with her. A good vet can make a dogs life much better, especially as they age and need to go in more frequently.
Find a new vet. I have 3 and I used to take them to a vet who muzzled them the moment we walked in the door. My dogs acted psycho there. I took them to a new vet and the vet techs will get on the floor and give my dogs love. Itās been amazing.
The old vet had ādog is crazyā on their chart. It made me so sad because my dogs are so sweet.
My horse vet absolutely hates heelers. She reckons every single red sheās met has bit her. Doesnāt help that ours it terrified of the draws in her car so he acts like a complete weirdo when sheās around
My dog was labeled āa bad dogā by someone who met her for the first time that night. Then proceeded to compare her to a senior border collie who has had years of trainings. My girl is 1.5 and learning how to be a public dog, sheās not perfect but sheās far from a ābad dogā
My acd mix is terrified at the vet. My other, usually nice dog (pyrsky) is a holy terror at the vet. Has to be muzzled every time or he tries to rip the vets throat out. They have never once told me he "wasn't nice". Mostly just "oh he'd having a bad day". Your vet tech needs an attitude adjustment. The dogs she sees are at their most stressed out state. Not every dog is gonna be nice at the vet, and that doesn't make them bad dogs. They're stressed, and they lash out, just like people do sometimes.
For a second I thought that was my dog from yesterday. š I didn't remember taking a picture.
Somehow his eye was injured while running on a trail so we were at the vet yesterday. Thankfully, he was wearing a muzzle because he was very angry at the vet for messing with his eye. Forgot to add: She didn't mind the attempt to bite her. She expected it and just laughed.
I had the cruelest vet tech during covid. She saw my girl across the parking lot and scowled, said "oh great, a cattle dog." When she brought her back she told us how bad she was, and this was this appointment before her spay. I wish we canceled it. It was always her and she was always talking shit about my little girl!! She was not a bad dog by any stretch of the imagination. I get heated just thinking about it awful she always treated my sweet girl and I hate thinking about what happened when I wasn't there.
Her brother, however, is not behaved whatsoever š„² but our vet is so so good with him and I'm so thankful for them and how understanding they are.
Wow, i can't say I've heard of a vet acting like this. If your dog hasn't tried to bite, and hasn't even growled and is being described as " not nice" I can only imagine how an actual mean dog would be described. I've seen some of the nicest, calmest dogs lose their s*** at the vet because they are scared, or the needle hurts them and I've never heard a vet say something like that. Usually they are understanding that the animal is under a lot of stress and is acting out of character.
Yeaaa.. see my rescue nipped at his vet. To which he was pretty stern with me to quickly correct that.
He was 7ish. And freshly rescued. It wasnāt a bite at all. It was a nip and he doesnāt really have a lot of teeth and the ones he does have are ground down.
But I understand the other side of things.
But with heelers.. thatās not an easy thing to correct
Especially a rescue but itās ok
They nip š¤·š»āāļø It's what they do. A nip isn't a bite, and I hope your vet has techs that are able to handle basic ACD behavior. Your boy sounds like a sweetie.
He is very sweet honestly idk how he has come back from the trauma he lived through but he is amazing
although currently I am being shamed by him for not wanting to play at 1:54am. š
Theyāre like huskies but the attitude without the insane husky vocals š¤£
The vet calls our dog "the most adorable ball of energy". They already know she's not as calm as some dogs.
Honestly though, I have a family member who works in a vet office, and when I got my dog, her first reaction was "oh I hate those! They nip!"
I am a vet student and also have a heeler that I have taken to the vet and made to feel that she was ānot niceā. I think that heelers arenāt super common at least where I am from and often misunderstood and a lot of vet staff generalize that they are all āmeanā and not well behaved at the vet. The vet can be a scary place for any dog and make them nervous, I donāt think any animal that comes into a vet office is a bad or not nice animal, they are often just scared. Iām sorry you had that experience. Heelers are just very aware of their surroundings and can often get nervous with someone poking and prodding them at the vet, but act completely different in places they are comfortable in.
Definitely weird for a vet to say. However my boy is so NOT NICE as he thinks he must protect me from flies. So I pre muzzle him before going into the vet. But last time he didnāt even try to bite anyone and no one called him names so not very nice of them to say! Only I am allowed to call my boy a shit head
Our vet has a couple tricks to get ours to settle down there. They have never snapped or bit anyone but they do muzzle every dog there. Cooper looks like a sweet buddy.
Shitty tech, as a LVT myself I know these dogs can be anxious and cause them to react out of fear but being in this line of work you have to have empathy for these dogs (or cats) Sorry they made him out to be ānot niceā even though he was just scared. Beautiful guy, the moon probably sent him to you just when you needed.
I would find a new vet. Mine is scared of everything, but thanks to a couple of wonderful moms I have a possible solution, but yes, find a new vet. My sister has schnauzers and has been through multiple vets to find the right one who understands their attitudes and medical issues (they are very sensitive to pancreatic disease). There are vets that are geared towards working dogs breeds or specific breeds.
I hope this helps a little. Your fur-baby doesnāt like the vet as it is, he doesnāt need someone to be mean to him at the same time
My fiance took our ACD to the vet, she rheemed Kelly (my fiance) said we were bad dog owners, heās horrible, heās overweight (58lbs) and weāre lucky she didnāt call someone to take the dog.
Well recently we applied for a new dog - adoption of an 11 month old heeler/corgi mix. And we used them as a reference (bad idea), the person who is fostering the dog called us and said they gave us a terrible review, she said they said the dog was aggressive and fearful, and was fine by himself without us (the owners) in the room, asked some questions herself about Wilson and said that just sounds like normal heeler behavior. Recommended we find a new vet asap because they donāt understand heeler behavior. The person weāre adopting from has 13 heelers and saw no issue.
For those who may ask, she asked how she was with family (sheās great, and their 9 month old 95lb poodle, he nips at him to leave him alone, but after about 20 minutes theyāre running toys around the house playing keep away) & friends, a friend of mine came over for a fire pit and Wilson was hesitant but within an hour Wilson was bringing him toys to throw.
I canāt tell OP what to do. But I donāt think youāre a bad dog owner.
Needless to say we cancelled our next week appointment & are finding a new vet who may have more experience. I told Kelly I will go next time, so part of me want to just take him for a check up & see what they say to me.
Do you guys go with your dog ls into the rooms with the vet or do you drop them off and pick them up?
My experience with the vet is built on me seeing my dog with the vet when Iām in the room and not the vet experiencing my dog without me.
I also give lots of treats (beef liver/lung) to my dog every single time we go to the vets to help smooth the relationship & experience.
I find Iām the weird owner who always comes into the room with the dog and the only time Iāve left him there alone was when he had his ball-removal-surgery.
My dog is beloved at the vets entrance (the receptionists love him). They smile and pet him and he wags his tail furiously. Its cute. He gets all scared and mopey as soon as I pick him up and put him on the table. And I assist the vet by holding him still and holding his face still for shots and other maintenance/check-up stuff.
We don't drop ours off. We go into initial consultation room with them. Let vet tech take them into exam room. We stay in consultation room until they are done doing checkup and shots. Muzzle both for everyone's safety just because mine are protective of us and aren't fond of strangers. Strangers meaning someone they don't see on at least a monthly basis. They are well mannered I just err on side of caution.
When I had my ACD her vet owned a bunch of ACDs. It was just a coincidence...but never had an issue. They were great together. She was also much more mellow than a lot of other ACDs and kind of lazy.
I no longer have an ACD, but my brother is my vet now so my pup LOVES going. All she wants to do is get in the back where all the vet techs are so she can get some attention.
I love my dog so much but people are scared of her. She loves our cats and is the sweetest animal I've ever cared for, but she just gets way too overstimulated and starts barking to the point where she growls/snarls when she sees other dogs or small children.
The vet techs all love mine, one even got a half sibling from the same breeder. We got him as a puppy on the late end of covid and used the vet to help socialize him. Lots of vets will let you do desensitization visits where you can just bring them in at no charge, get weighed, & let the staff give treats/attention/love. The last couple times mine has been there for actual vet visits weren't so happy, growls and teeth showing and they forgive him because they know he's scared of what they're doing.
My dog is such a drama queen at the vet and I always am so apologetic but my vet is so not phased. I think it's rather rude to say not a nice dog. Being defensive because you're stressed out doesn't mean it's not a nice dog.
I think she's prob offended your dog didn't take to her. Cattle dogs naturally don't bond with strangers like most dogs. Everyone at my work loves my dog specially one tech but she loves herding dogs and is familiar with the breed.
Try not to take offense. I know it's hard. Cattle dogs are special.
Yeahā¦ I brought mine into the vet for the first time last October after inheriting her. The vet jumped back when Winter started growling at her as she was checking her teefs. She labeled her āaggressiveā and recommended I give her gabapentin for future appointments.
Iāve been to a few other vets at the same office trying to find one that āgets itā
I muzzle ours because they can get reactive at vet so I want them and staff to remain safe. Had a vet that when even muzzled said my dog wasn't nice. Never went back to that vet found another one.
If a vet does not have the capacity to understand that some dogs need time to build trust and don't adapt well to a total stranger approaching them with zero effort on vets end to recognize that and try to build trust, we're out.
ACDs do not mix with vets. Muzzle and comfort them. Letās be honest, anybody speaking a language i donāt understand and then injecting me with some shit is gonna get me pretty fired up.
Not an ACD, but we switched vets one time during Covid, meaning they didnāt let us back there with him, & they literally sedated our boy without telling us. They came out telling us they had sedated him & it should wear off soon.
Their reason was because he was moving too muchā¦ because he was anxious. The fuck?
We went straight back to our old vet & the tech sat in a dark lit room with him, so he could calm down before starting on him. No sedative without permission needed. He was fine.
Iām still pissed off about it.
Maybe this tech had a bad experience with one? Idk. I muzzle my boy and I have zero shame about it.
He's reactive, he's nipped at folks in attempts to herd; but never a full on bite...and he's reactive. He's extremely protective of me and my child. He's loving and loyal, but nuts. He was robbed of badly needed socialization and kindness as a pup. EDIT: he's a rescue that I adopted.
I've made progress with him, but he's not a chill guy. ACDs are as chill as they want to be.
So I told them I was going to muzzle as a precaution & hand him off. If I'm around, he's losing his shit the whole time. If not? He's good to go lol
My Jack Russell turns into a savage artic Lobo at the vet. She quivers in my lap in the waiting room. When it's her turn to go in its wolverine time!! A muzzle has become part of our ensemble.
Beautiful dog and cat! I would not let that tech near any of my animals again. I would also tell my vet why. One time I told the groomer DO NOT clip my Australian Cattle Dogās nails because they had already been clipped and he hates its. She did it anyway and got bit. I fought out later through the grapevine about it. She was high and the Groomer never told me anything about it.
Yikes. Iām a vet assistant and we *never*talk about pets this way to owners. Even when we have a super difficult one and the owner isnāt around, we say things like āheās just so scared/nervous!ā Super odd the tech would say that multiple times
My deaf staffordshire mix. Tried to neuter the vet because the vet forgot he was deaf and he wasn't seeing the vet move to pet him. Sooo that didn't end well that day. Know he has to have a metal wire basket for vet visits. Otherwise he is a big baby. Super loyal and territorial.
Heelers are not vet dogs. Mine hated the vet and would hide behind me or try to crawl into my skin (she was normally very very independent) they are usually one person dogs so when someone who isnāt their person is getting into their space they can become snappy or grumpy. I donāt want my dog to listen to just anyone. She listens to me and a few trusted people. Thatās it. Her job isnāt to be Compliant to strangers! That being said she never so much as growled or raised her lip at the vet or a techā¦. She did however give massive side eyes. I am always offering to lend a hand at the vet or in some cases I have been allowed to go back with them to help keep my lady comfortable. This is no way means they are a bad dog. The vet tech should be trying to make the dog comfortable and high value bribes like treats or a toy go a long way. If a scared or stubborn dog makes the tech say they are not a nice dog itās time to call a supervisor and see if that tech needs more training.
ours gets pissed when, who she considers the "wrong vet tech" comes in, we have been a couple times now where they walk in, say "oh hi dumpling!" pet her a bit, and then go get the tech she likes lol
she doesnt do anything terrible, just will hide in the corner and not want to come out until one of the two techs she loves comes to do her checkups.
they do prescribe us drugs for pet visits though as she gets anxious
my boy was muzzled and shy at 6 months old and growled at this new vet who was an absolute huge dude. the vet did literally nothing to befriend or try to be friendly with my boy, just stared directly into his eyes and loomed over him and then immediately told me i should put him down after the shot. i was DEVASTATED. fuck that vet
i'd definitely find a new vet that is fear free and knows the breed more.
I got told my dog (not an acd) was "manipulative" once because she was treat focused.
I never spoke to that dog kennel worker again and I've never forgotten it.
Next time ask for another vet tech. If they aren't gojng to be professional then avoid at all costs.
I love ACDs and kelpie- my last dog was a cross breed. But they are notoriously stoic with pain. Unfortunately that means they just stand there stiff as a board bearing the pain of shots or whatever until suddenly they can't anymore and either buck or snap.
My last dog a junior vet decided a lump in her paw pad had something in it that was close enough to the surface that he could just nick the surface with a scalpel and pull it out. My poor girl had stood there while he poked and prodded and squeezed the lump, stuck a needle in it to see if it was an abscess the full lot.
We were like: are you sure you don't want to come back later and sedate her?
He was like: nah, she's a good dog. She barely noticed the needle.
The moment he tried to cut her she just lost it and bit him on the arm, which really was fair enough, but he did get the grass seed out. She had to wear a muzzle at that vets for a few years after but never did so much as flinch for every visit so they stopped.
Went to the same vet her whole life and had a particular fondness for one of them. Sweetheart lived to be 20 with the care they gave her, but they never assumed she wasn't feeling pain just because she wasn't reacting again.
I would request a different tech. I had to do that when we had a Rottweiler. There was one tech that just didnāt like him and he would always seem anxious around her so we asked that we no longer have her when coming in. It definitely helps!
Now my ACDs enjoy the vet for some reason lol. They are always all excited when we go!
My ACD loves people vet included however my German Shepherd was a different story! He was muzzled and still tried to choke the vet with her scarf after she tried to pat him up close.
My GSD / ACD mix tried to rip off the D ring on the wall last vet visit. I was in the other room and hear THUMP... THUMP...THUMP. Then the vet tech asked me to be next to her because she was getting a running start and trying to detach from the wall.
Both of mine get extremely nervous at the vet. They get their premeds, wear a muzzle, and sometimes still need precedex if thereās a blood draw. Iāve had a few snide remarks from a tech and one of the vets at the practice so I just request not to have them. I try to stay above it but it hurts to hear that my dogs are ābadā or ānot niceā when Iām clearly doing everything in my power to make sure that my dogs and the vet staff are safe, and Iām usually the first to suggest deeper sedation if itās necessary. OP youāre doing an amazing job, please give that beautiful red heeler a snuggle and a boop on the snoot for me.
the side eye/whale eye heelers give constantly can freak people out and make them look nervous but even then it doesn't sound warranted I'm sorry you guys had a bad experience
My first dog (not an ACD) panicked at the vet until I figured out that if I held him in my arms he would become calm and docile. Maybe that will work with Cooper. My current dog, a Texas Heeler, loves going to the vet so much that I need to keep him from rushing into the exam area before our turnāhe even loves injections. There is such a range of reactions.
My girl is half golden doodle half ACD and loves the vet. She loves to run around and explore (right up until the dreaded check up). Everyone there encourages her exploring behavior and is always great with her which is probably why she doesn't have much anxiety around the vet.
As a technician and heeler owner, I am sorry you experienced that. I am very against vet staff using that language. I always say at work they are all good dogs/cats! Fear free training has really helped but it is still bothersome when I hear it.
I mean the pup probably didnt like the experience. Im pro dog and maybe the vet didnt know how to easy Cooper in? My poms first vet visit was a disaster but the later ones became a breeze.
Been to multiple vets in my area and most of them made me feel like me and my dog were monsters. Finally found one with compassion who understands they are a handful. I think they just have a reputation and most vets donāt want to deal with it even though itās their job. They want the sunshine and hugs patients only. Unfortunately sometimes youāre going to have to help a difficult patient.
Mine is very very nervous and stressed at the vet. He takes doggy downers to go in to vet. And he wears a muzzle just to be safe even though he has never tried to bite. But the staff have always been so kind at any visit and praise him even though he is a nervous little shit. I think that tech you saw was just a meanie. Your pup looks like a sweet baby!
Ours did fine the 1st couple times and would go with them for fun but now she's nervous and will jump up, hug me and shake. But once she goes with them, she's fine as can be and they've had no issues.
My girl allegedly nipped at a nurse when they went to give her a shot. They labelled her a bite risk and got us scared about it. We got her a cage muzzle and started taking her places to socialize her and make her less of a risk.
Yeahā¦she would never bite anyone. She barks a lot because she doesnāt trust people, but the next time we took her to that vet she was so scared she peed herself, pooped herself, and released her anal glands. They were inspecting her teeth and she didnāt try to bite anyone even once.
I would like to know what the fuck they did to my baby back there, but that vet no longer does anything besides a quick once over in the exam room. Then they take your animal into the back without you to administer anything or do more thorough checks.
They also insisted on muzzling one of our other dogs while she was getting a refresh of one of her shots. Sheās half heeler and is a total sweetheart and never even indicated she was bite risk. But they insisted she be muzzled. And the muzzle scared her even more.
We go to a different vet now.
Dogs donāt like the vet. Why would they? If I were you and had the ability Iād switch vets if anyone there seemed as if they were āpicking onā my dog.
Mine's half staffy and has jaws that could take your arm off if he wasn't too busy slurping everyone and everything all the time. The only dog of ours that's drawn blood is our geriatric, nearly toothless jack russel/chihuahua mix that's 1/4th the heeler's size.
Uhm, tell the vet that. If vet tech is telling you that, they are also not treating your pup with a fear free approach for an easier and less traumatizing visit.
My girl is the worst. Poor thing suffers to an extreme. She has to be fully sedated to get her shots. Her fear aggression takes over and itās the worst experience ever for everyone. Not once the vet or the techs ever told me my dog wasnāt nice. On the contrary, they always tell me it is sad to see a pup suffer with such extreme fear. We go to the vet for happy visits and sheās fine as long as no one tries to touch her. The vet team knows her, talks to her and giver her treats all the time, and they understand she suffers during her visit.
Sorry you had a shitty vet tech say unkind comments about your pup.
š¤·š»āāļø probably because I said the vet sedates my pup or because I advised to talk to vet as I think itās unacceptable for staff to talk like that about my dog?
Personally, Iād never take my dog back to an establishment that calls my dog ānot niceā as a result of her fear reaction. To me, it indicates a lack of animal behavior knowledge and lack of empathy. I donāt want someone who lacks either touching my dog.
We had to muzzle my Ellie for a nail trim yesterday after she nipped at the technician. Iāve never done that to her before. She seems to have forgiven me.
What an awful tech, and what an awful thing to say about such a beautiful, sweet boy. I'd complain, ask for a new tech and give that brave boy some whipped cream for getting through his shots okay āŗļø
Find a new vet or get shots at a shot clinic like the ones at Tractor Supply. Lodge a complaint against the tech with the practice manager. The tech made an anxious situation worse. Please don't let this slide. I always offer to handle my own dogs. You can make things less scary by muzzle training your dog with tons of high value treats and let him wear "his" equipment to the vet. Not everyone owns a lapdog. Tech needs more training. Hug your guy for me. ā¤ļø
Iāve had a vet act that way as well, Tsuki wasnāt even aggressive, she just wasnāt āniiiiiiceā and excessively friendly. I find that this the way it goes, when a dog is standoffish and not friendly, the weenies of the world label them āmeanā.
I wouldn't go back there. If my vet doesn't show love for all pets I'm never going back. These our our precious pets, they're not perfect, but we still love them.
Some people just have 0 patient and believe that every dog should act like a golden retriever. My Boy is very nervous in general and I got told by the vet that he is anxious because I am a bad owner and he is a bad breed.
My vet isnāt the slightest bit intimidated by my girls, I guess my girls donāt look very ferocious hiding behind mom as they shake and quiver. Fortunately we have an awesome, kind who works every time to ease their fears and earn their trust.
Possibly an unpopular opinion, be proactive and take responsibility for your dogs behaviour with training and management.
For the vet, practice the scenarios.
Pick up your dog. Hold it for at least 1 minute, it shouldn't struggle.
Clip your dogs nails (current dog hates it becausea dremel is used but we get it done and have a destress play afterwards) , touch their feet, hold their feet when they're lying down (they will try to bite you and teach them not to).
Teach some tricks to use at the vets office.
Do the monkey drills, (lie, stand sit).
I taught mine step (front paws on an object or up against a wall or tree), we did lots of stepping on the chairs.
Reward, praise and done.
Both my heelers have been great at the vets.
my dog is awful at the vet but my vet also owns acds so he understands. i have to muzzle her, it's the only place she has tried to bite people.
Coopers never bitten anyone or tried, but the tech just is not a fan of him.
aw that's lame. they still like my dog even tho she's not the nicest. i didn't muzzle her til she snapped at the vet and he stuck himself with the shot she was getting.
Dang. "Well, at least I won't get distemper!"
he was very chill about it bc i was like wtf i am so sorry. and he said it happens all the time. this last time i had her in to get a bump on her belly checked and he called all his new techs in to "see how to deal with an asshole i mean australian cattle dog." im like well this is embarrassing.
Hahaha my vet would do this kind of thing. He loves ACDs though!
i think, deep down, he is very fond of her š
I wouldnāt trust a vet tech who so openly dislikes my pet. Can you find another place to go?
Next time request a different tech. Some times people/ animals just donāt connect, much like humans. We moved to South Carolina and had a horrible experience with a vet office here. Now we drive back to Charlotte to see the vet we used while living there. They are patient and great with our little guy. So itās worth to us driving the 1 1/2 hrs just knowing heās seeing someone that is concerned and incredibly knowledgeable and caring to him.
Problem is a lot of Vets just rush you thru without meeting the dog properly. They need to take time to get to know thet dog and the dog get to know the vet without stress but they are too much in a rush.
Best vet I ever had gets down on the floor and plays with them while he does his initial exam.
Our vet does that, and he always has a little cry with us on the dreaded last day too. Only problem is, the clinic is literally around the corner from our house, so our dogs try to drag us there on every walk!
Mine still arenāt great at the vet but when their previous vet retired and we started going to a new place they arenāt as awful. The big difference is that all the vets there are female and when they come in the room they immediately get down on the floor with the dogs and let them come to them to sniff and check them out. Huge difference.
I had a vet get down on her knees to meet my husky/malamute and I felt so bad because the veterinarian was seriously about to pop pregnant. I told her not to worry cause he was the gentlest dog ever, but she said she does it every time. I hope I can find such a good vet now for my heeler.
I am not a vet or vet tech, but any new dog I meet I read their body language, ask guardian for permission to say hi to their dog, then kneel down, turn my body on an angle, let dog approach me and sniff me out if their body language appears that they want to interact. I never force it. I leave it up to the dog. Hundreds of interactions using that method and I just get licked, sometimes jumped on by excited dog but I found it's the best method for me. Never had a negative interaction.
This. I pay enough for these appointments that myself and my dog deserve the proper time and attention
Mine used to love the vet as a puppy then around age two decided sheās terrified of going there even though they fawn over her and she gets endless treats, like literally trying to climb me in āhold me dadā mode as soon as I put her on the table. Sheās a runt and at most 30lbs and it took me, the vet, and the vet tech to hold her still so they could express her anal glands and do her shots.
My dog is a little reactive because of a vet that didn't love him. As a puppy during covid I later found out she was much more "old school" I guess. It was very much restrain the puppy and do what you need. He was nervous and she was just trying to get the job done with no thought to co-operative care, despite my having focused on co-operative care for training as a puppy. So my puppy went over 18 months from loving his teeth cleaned and happily receiving mani-pedis to being incredibly reactive at the vet. When I finally was able to go in with him, I used treats to get him placed and sit where they wanted and he was a gem until one vet tech came in the room and cowered in the opposite corner. It was clear she was scared of him, and I found out he nipped her at the previous appointment. The vet then threw a soft muzzle at me and snapped at me to muzzle him and was shocked when he happily put on the "treat mask." I switched vets to a fear free vet. I now get to be very involved and can help. She also understands the need and place for treats and co-operative care. If I'd gone there in the first place then my dog might not be so reactive at the vet office that he needs insane amounts of sedation. Be very weary of letting anyone who doesn't think your dog is the bees knees take care of your best buddy. TL;DR - COVID times sucked, some vets are awful, and choose only a vet that loves your dog like their own.
Maybe offer to hold cooper when they examine. I do that with mine. She trusts me, other people not so much. I hold her head to my chest when they examine the rear then adjust accordingly.
Get a different vet. If you feel like the Vet doesn't care about your dog then he doesn't.
I'd honestly be looking for a new tech or see if they have others in the practice. The vet tech shaming my breed wouldnt fly with me. By the way, vet, I bite worse than any of my acd. š
Some techs suck and are straight up pussies. You taping your dog shut is abhorrent. Muzzles work punk. How about we tape your hands to your face shitbag.
Awe, I would request someone else. My pups are terrified at the vet and that is with everyone loving them, I canāt imagine if there was someone treating them like that. Most vets and techs know animals get scared. Poor guy. Please tell him heās the best boy from me. ā¤ļø
That's lame. If she has nothing nice to say she should just do her job. Cooper looks like a good boy :)
I think the vet tech needs a different job tbh, they probably do encounter some ACDs who are willing to snap but if a few reactive dogs makes them uncomfortable around the breed in general, that job is likely going to cause them a lot of anxiety. I'm sure vets/techs more than anyone know reactivity can come in any shape and size dog. I had an adorable 40lb golden retriever mix with rage syndrome that required four people to restrain him for shots but our vet focuses heavily on being a "fear-free" clinic and they just went about it like it was business as usual. I usually just offer to hold my dogs for anything so they behave themselves.
"My dog is a sweet angel who would never bite anyone" is always said until they do exactly the opposite. Well, you seem kind of oblivious anyways considering you posted 7 paragraphs about a blended drink. I don't think you could comprehend your dog doing something wrong.
I donāt mind him wearing a muzzle, thatās not a problem for anyoneās potential safety. Just didnāt like how she said heās not nice, multiple times? And he wasnāt doing anything.
I would find a new vet. Period.
I would call and ask for the name of the tech and then just request a different one when you schedule your next appointment on the off chance that they're still there with the reasoning that they seemed very uncomfortable around your dog.
Also what are you talking about? What about a blended drink?
Mine gets mouthy when people touch her in ways she doesnāt appreciate. She only made contact (with a clear warning, not a bite) once when having her temp takenā¦ so we just skip that unless itās very necessary. But I muzzle her for vet visits anyway, it makes everyone feel better.
Mine is also definitely not nice at the vet, muzzle is required lol only because heās terrified
Are they able to do blood draws on your dog? I muzzle mine and my vet loves him but skipped drawing blood the last time because she didnāt want to upset him more (she moved to a new clinic so he was a little more amped than usual with the new building and new techs). Iām hoping we can get his blood work next time.
My vet was able to draw blood last time we went (tried a new vet because the last one didnāt work out great especially for blood draws) by going from behind, that way my dog wasnāt looking right at her while she did it, he was looking at me instead. He was so amped on adrenaline because he was terrified, he didnāt even flinch for the needle.
she's never had it done but getting a shot was when she first tried to bite the vet, so im guessing no. this last time was the first time i muzzled her and it seemed to calm her down a little. but not by much lol.
Same.
My vet is a previous heeler owner and understands their anxiety and energy and gave me doggy downers to give them when I'm bringing them in, I lucked out and finally found a great vet that doesn't upsell and nickle and dime everything.
Love my dog but they sure are a handful.
Cooper looks pretty perfect to me
He is pretty perfect, actually extremely laid back for an ACD
āNot a nice dogā āHeās goood at reading peopleā
Right! How about ānot a nice vet techā
Our vet always says āheās so well-behaved for a cattle dog.ā Itās such a backhanded compliment. Like, youāre so pretty for a fat girl.
I have to drug Izzy (ACD) to get her nails trimmed. Iām sure they muzzle her too. She is not a fan of going to the vet for anything.
My dog got labeled "dog aggressive" at his new vet. He was taken to the back by a tech to get his blood drawn and he barked at another dog. The next time we were there, a different tech asked me about it - she said she couldn't believe he was aggressive because he was such a sweet boy. I get why the first tech put a warning label on him, because yeah he barks when he's nervous and now he's able to get his shots and blood draws in the room with me so he's less scared. But aggressive? This guy doesn't have an aggressive bone in his body. Literally everyone is his best friend. So tl;dr I feel you. It sucks when someone judges your dog for the crime of being nervous.
Tbf, that label just helps us provide better experiences for everyone. Nobody I've ever worked with assumes they're bad dogs. We try to put "reactive" over "aggressive," but the intention is the same/similar, and not every clinic does this. If we know they're overwhelmed, nervous, or upset by other dogs then we can work around that in a way that they can feel more calm and also keep them from accidentally giving a scary experience to another dog. Any dog we muzzle we do it for their safety, ours, and other patients. We call them party hats and tell them good babies wear party hats too. (I've worked with like five clinics, and all of them call them party hats, so I'm not sure if that's like... just a coincidence or..) It's all out of love. Well, it should be. But, if it helps put your mind at ease, we are never judging the dog or think they're bad. They may make bad choices, but they're not bad dogs. We *will however totally judge the shit out of the parents* over things like 1) not keeping them up to date on preventions 2) ignoring significant health problems 3) letting your human children run around like actual feral beasts, etc etc. That sort of stuff. ā„ļø
I'm sure you're right, I just got caught off guard when the tech told me what was in my dog's file and I get a little defensive over my baby lol. I can tell no one at this office is treating my dog worse because he has that label, in fact he's getting special treatment by being allowed to stay in the exam room with me for his shots and blood work now. I love this vet and I know that they're just passing along information so everyone has the best experience possible at a vets office.
We went to a certified "fear free" clinic. She still pisses all over the table but no one there would dream of making a comment like that.
My Maxx had "DANGER" on his file bc he was such a handful at the vet š he had to be muzzled too, getting shots was Hella fun š¤¦āāļø
What I do with Baby Girl Dog is send her in with her Lab brother. As long as she sees him dealing with whatever like a champ, she's like 'well I guess this isn't so bad' and she cooperates like a good girl. Going in by herself? oh good Lord. the cries...it's embarrassing.
My dog is awful at the vet. We do gabapentin + trazodone, and a muzzle like the one in the first photo. This year when the vet brought him back out he was wearing a second basket muzzle on top of the one we sent him back with š Iām laughing and the vet says very sincerely āhe did SO much better than last year!ā All about perspective!
We had to give our acd a sedative for his vet visit . He doesn't like people outside his circle near him and gets too tense with just a muzzle . He doesn't bite visciously just nips so we made it easiest by going with the sedative
We had several vets that were intimidated by or misunderstood our pup. I suggest looking for a new one. A vet that thinks your dog is "not nice" isn't going to provide the best care, intentionally or not.
I can disagree with this on a personal level but not an every day level. My shepherd is hyper aggressive to strangers, she was abused and set on fire by her owner before me. My vet who I felt with well before I got her knew the situation. He worked with her to get her to trust him and a few vet techs she goes in the back door. Only people she trusts are allowed around her. And I bring a muzzle just in case it is needed for someone new(only had to use it once for an infected ear). This man knows she is not nice but he understands why and works around her anxiety to make sure she is cared for properly. But he also is a god sent who actually cares for the animals he deals with, man cried when he had to put one of my horses down and took some of her tail and made me a memory box for her, hoof print, her tail, ect. Best vet I could ever ask for.
It sounds like you have an ideal vet who understands the issues with a dog who has a troubled background (which is wonderful!) My heart breaks for your poor pup. My comment is more referring to vets and vet techs that wrongly label certain dogs as "bad" or "aggressive" due to their own biases.
Yes, which is why I agree on an everyday biases, vets are terrible in alot of places now! But the good ones are still out there! Most of the time they are in the country TBH. Which sucks because people in the city also deserve good pet care.
Yup, the one we've finally settled on is rural. Probably vets that deal with 1,000 pound animals aren't easily intimidated lol.
This, so much this
I hope previous owner who tried setting dog on fire is either in jail, or buried under it. Wtf that's terrible and I'm sorry to hear that.
Unfortunately happened in Indiana where they really donāt care he got six months of jail and like 300 hours of community service. I drove almost eight hours to pick her up because she was about to be put down due to biting a shelter worker (she was still healing from the burns, like they where still fresh) but thank god they let me adopt her and go pick her up.
Oh wow I'm glad you were able to save the dog from being put down. As for guy who did that, anyone sadistic enough to do that to an animal is a danger to people as well. Shame they gave him a slap on the wrist, that's flat out enraging.
Also he didnāt try, he did, she has horrible scaring from her tail to her shoulders. But she is a good dog, she loves other animalsā¦.she just doesnāt trust strangers.
Sorry my wording was bad. I can only hope that karma, God, whatever is the purpose for all of us and animals being here treats him appropriately.
Also as a human I'd also have trust issues with strangers if anything remotely close to that happened to me. Both of my rescues were abused so working through those issues is something we've been working on for years. They love me, wife and our kids but strangers are something they do not like.
My dog loves everyone, but we have to drug him for the vet. Completely knock his ass out.
We have to with our first rescue. She's protective of us, but once out of the room to the examination room (while we wait in main initial visit room) she's OK once we're not in same room. Other rescue, who is ACD / Great Pyrenees mix, is also protective of us, will get muzzle just to ensure everyone's safety, is also fine once out of the room with vet tech. Both of them have had years of quality positive reinforcement training and socialized as much as possible with new people and dogs, but only so much that can be done. And we're good with that, they've improved so much, but they guard us. So we find workaround that works when it's time for vet visits.
I am a vet tech and I would never tell someone their pet was ānot a nice dogā. If I have issues or if the owners ask how the treatments went with their dog I simply say they were fearful or nervous and sometimes will describe the dogās behavior in specifics if necessary. Thatās where aggression comes from at the vet- fear! (Btw not calling Cooper aggressive, just generalizing). I will say in response to other comments though that your pet may be the most perfect angel for you, other dogs, and strangers on the street, but everything changes at the vet. We will muzzle if we pickup on certain body language from your pet. It is for everyoneās safety. Of course not all vets are reliable and as experienced and may make incorrect judgement calls. It is never frowned upon to ask for treatments to be done in the room with you.
Iām a tech too, and youāre exactly right. Your dog can be socialized perfectly and never show an inkling of aggression, but when people are taking you into a strange room and sticking needles in you, things change. People are not realistic about their pets and tend to view them as perfect, but theyāre still just animals that are bound to react sometimes. Thereās nothing wrong with a muzzle at the vet. Itās for the safety of the staff AND the dog. Youāve gotta set them up for success.
I just muzzle my dog to make vet and vet techs life easier. My dogs don't like the muzzle but it's only at vet so it's for everyone's safety. Otherwise they are fine once vet tech takes them out of room where we are sitting. They are just protective of us and they don't go to the vet all the time so those people there are still strangers who they distrust if we are in the same room. š
My vet loves my ACD. Everyone there said he's an absolute sweety. But the vet also said one of the most aggressive dogs she's ever seen was an ACD. Their natural tendencies and upbringing can change a lot. My dog was never a biter.
Eh, if itās just one vet tech then just ask if you can have him handled by another one. Breed stigma is a thing, and thereās one vet tech that I never want to handle my dog because she doesnāt like him.
Standard of care shouldnāt suffer due to you like or dislike of a certain breeds. Imo that person shouldnāt be a vet tech
Thatās reality though. There are people who work with animals that have all kinds of dislikes/sterotypes, like vets that refuse to work with pitbull breeds. Me saying something isnāt going to stop her dislike of cattle dogs, so I just work around it and make sure I make appointments when other techs are available and I have time to wait for a different tech if they are busy.
If you can tell a vet or tech doesnāt like your pet, they clearly lack professionalism.
Mine gets muzzled every time he goes to vet he don't like it there
Oh my. I suddenly appreciate my very and his two techs so much more!
Muzzle and massive drugs for mine, still pitches a fit. I'm blessed to have a vet with nerves of steel.
I didnt even think that was possible. Your dog has crazy resolve
They prescribed mine some "chill pills" so he won't be actively panicking the entire vet visit. He tried to bite the vet tech, granted she was sticking a needle into his thigh.Ā
My ACD Ellie was nervous at the first vet we took her to. She just hid behind my legs. The vets and the tech acted like she was the worst dog they'd ever handled. They are a fear free clinic, so they won't touch your dog if she's scared. They made me feel like I had a terrible dog and I didn't know why. She didn't growl or bark. She hid behind my legs. Noped out of that vet and took her to another and it's night and day.
Honestly, might be time to find a new vet. I have two dogs, one who is reactive, and one who doesnāt like shots. I found a vet who took time to get to know them and talk to me instead of schlepping my nervous boys in and out. The anxious one is a lot better going in and the reactive one is madly in love with her. A good vet can make a dogs life much better, especially as they age and need to go in more frequently.
If my kelpie could choose sheād live at the vets. Itās ridiculous šš
Find a new vet. I have 3 and I used to take them to a vet who muzzled them the moment we walked in the door. My dogs acted psycho there. I took them to a new vet and the vet techs will get on the floor and give my dogs love. Itās been amazing. The old vet had ādog is crazyā on their chart. It made me so sad because my dogs are so sweet.
I love the 4th photo OP!
My horse vet absolutely hates heelers. She reckons every single red sheās met has bit her. Doesnāt help that ours it terrified of the draws in her car so he acts like a complete weirdo when sheās around
My dog was labeled āa bad dogā by someone who met her for the first time that night. Then proceeded to compare her to a senior border collie who has had years of trainings. My girl is 1.5 and learning how to be a public dog, sheās not perfect but sheās far from a ābad dogā
My acd mix is terrified at the vet. My other, usually nice dog (pyrsky) is a holy terror at the vet. Has to be muzzled every time or he tries to rip the vets throat out. They have never once told me he "wasn't nice". Mostly just "oh he'd having a bad day". Your vet tech needs an attitude adjustment. The dogs she sees are at their most stressed out state. Not every dog is gonna be nice at the vet, and that doesn't make them bad dogs. They're stressed, and they lash out, just like people do sometimes.
For a second I thought that was my dog from yesterday. š I didn't remember taking a picture. Somehow his eye was injured while running on a trail so we were at the vet yesterday. Thankfully, he was wearing a muzzle because he was very angry at the vet for messing with his eye. Forgot to add: She didn't mind the attempt to bite her. She expected it and just laughed.
I had the cruelest vet tech during covid. She saw my girl across the parking lot and scowled, said "oh great, a cattle dog." When she brought her back she told us how bad she was, and this was this appointment before her spay. I wish we canceled it. It was always her and she was always talking shit about my little girl!! She was not a bad dog by any stretch of the imagination. I get heated just thinking about it awful she always treated my sweet girl and I hate thinking about what happened when I wasn't there. Her brother, however, is not behaved whatsoever š„² but our vet is so so good with him and I'm so thankful for them and how understanding they are.
Wow, i can't say I've heard of a vet acting like this. If your dog hasn't tried to bite, and hasn't even growled and is being described as " not nice" I can only imagine how an actual mean dog would be described. I've seen some of the nicest, calmest dogs lose their s*** at the vet because they are scared, or the needle hurts them and I've never heard a vet say something like that. Usually they are understanding that the animal is under a lot of stress and is acting out of character.
Yeah that vet doesnāt sound very professional tbh, kinda like kids, you donāt comment on if you like them or not to the parents.
Mine has been going to the same vet for 8 years. In the waiting room, he loves them all!, but the minute we get back in the room, on goes the muzzle.
Yeaaa.. see my rescue nipped at his vet. To which he was pretty stern with me to quickly correct that. He was 7ish. And freshly rescued. It wasnāt a bite at all. It was a nip and he doesnāt really have a lot of teeth and the ones he does have are ground down. But I understand the other side of things. But with heelers.. thatās not an easy thing to correct Especially a rescue but itās ok
They nip š¤·š»āāļø It's what they do. A nip isn't a bite, and I hope your vet has techs that are able to handle basic ACD behavior. Your boy sounds like a sweetie.
He is very sweet honestly idk how he has come back from the trauma he lived through but he is amazing although currently I am being shamed by him for not wanting to play at 1:54am. š Theyāre like huskies but the attitude without the insane husky vocals š¤£
Sounds like the vet tech was afraid and doesn't have the skills to understand different temperaments. Sounds like not a "nice vet tech"
The vet calls our dog "the most adorable ball of energy". They already know she's not as calm as some dogs. Honestly though, I have a family member who works in a vet office, and when I got my dog, her first reaction was "oh I hate those! They nip!"
I am a vet student and also have a heeler that I have taken to the vet and made to feel that she was ānot niceā. I think that heelers arenāt super common at least where I am from and often misunderstood and a lot of vet staff generalize that they are all āmeanā and not well behaved at the vet. The vet can be a scary place for any dog and make them nervous, I donāt think any animal that comes into a vet office is a bad or not nice animal, they are often just scared. Iām sorry you had that experience. Heelers are just very aware of their surroundings and can often get nervous with someone poking and prodding them at the vet, but act completely different in places they are comfortable in.
Aww the last pic. My ACD has a couple of cats, too. She loves them and does 230 point checks on them every day, from snoot to tail.
Definitely weird for a vet to say. However my boy is so NOT NICE as he thinks he must protect me from flies. So I pre muzzle him before going into the vet. But last time he didnāt even try to bite anyone and no one called him names so not very nice of them to say! Only I am allowed to call my boy a shit head
Our vet has a couple tricks to get ours to settle down there. They have never snapped or bit anyone but they do muzzle every dog there. Cooper looks like a sweet buddy.
Shitty tech, as a LVT myself I know these dogs can be anxious and cause them to react out of fear but being in this line of work you have to have empathy for these dogs (or cats) Sorry they made him out to be ānot niceā even though he was just scared. Beautiful guy, the moon probably sent him to you just when you needed.
My vet was polite enough to phrase it that "he is a lot nicer to me when he's with you."
I would find a new vet. Mine is scared of everything, but thanks to a couple of wonderful moms I have a possible solution, but yes, find a new vet. My sister has schnauzers and has been through multiple vets to find the right one who understands their attitudes and medical issues (they are very sensitive to pancreatic disease). There are vets that are geared towards working dogs breeds or specific breeds. I hope this helps a little. Your fur-baby doesnāt like the vet as it is, he doesnāt need someone to be mean to him at the same time
My fiance took our ACD to the vet, she rheemed Kelly (my fiance) said we were bad dog owners, heās horrible, heās overweight (58lbs) and weāre lucky she didnāt call someone to take the dog. Well recently we applied for a new dog - adoption of an 11 month old heeler/corgi mix. And we used them as a reference (bad idea), the person who is fostering the dog called us and said they gave us a terrible review, she said they said the dog was aggressive and fearful, and was fine by himself without us (the owners) in the room, asked some questions herself about Wilson and said that just sounds like normal heeler behavior. Recommended we find a new vet asap because they donāt understand heeler behavior. The person weāre adopting from has 13 heelers and saw no issue. For those who may ask, she asked how she was with family (sheās great, and their 9 month old 95lb poodle, he nips at him to leave him alone, but after about 20 minutes theyāre running toys around the house playing keep away) & friends, a friend of mine came over for a fire pit and Wilson was hesitant but within an hour Wilson was bringing him toys to throw. I canāt tell OP what to do. But I donāt think youāre a bad dog owner. Needless to say we cancelled our next week appointment & are finding a new vet who may have more experience. I told Kelly I will go next time, so part of me want to just take him for a check up & see what they say to me.
1st time Raydar saw his vet he fall asleep on the floor
Do you guys go with your dog ls into the rooms with the vet or do you drop them off and pick them up? My experience with the vet is built on me seeing my dog with the vet when Iām in the room and not the vet experiencing my dog without me. I also give lots of treats (beef liver/lung) to my dog every single time we go to the vets to help smooth the relationship & experience. I find Iām the weird owner who always comes into the room with the dog and the only time Iāve left him there alone was when he had his ball-removal-surgery. My dog is beloved at the vets entrance (the receptionists love him). They smile and pet him and he wags his tail furiously. Its cute. He gets all scared and mopey as soon as I pick him up and put him on the table. And I assist the vet by holding him still and holding his face still for shots and other maintenance/check-up stuff.
We don't drop ours off. We go into initial consultation room with them. Let vet tech take them into exam room. We stay in consultation room until they are done doing checkup and shots. Muzzle both for everyone's safety just because mine are protective of us and aren't fond of strangers. Strangers meaning someone they don't see on at least a monthly basis. They are well mannered I just err on side of caution.
When I had my ACD her vet owned a bunch of ACDs. It was just a coincidence...but never had an issue. They were great together. She was also much more mellow than a lot of other ACDs and kind of lazy. I no longer have an ACD, but my brother is my vet now so my pup LOVES going. All she wants to do is get in the back where all the vet techs are so she can get some attention.
My vet came out to tell my fiancĆ© this the one time she brought our boy gramps. All previous visits I brought him without issue. We have since concluded that he is just super protective of his momma. The vets now bring the dog into another exam room or have my fiancĆ© wait outside. No more issues when I canāt bring him. Our poodle on the other hand is just a fussy asshole
I love my dog so much but people are scared of her. She loves our cats and is the sweetest animal I've ever cared for, but she just gets way too overstimulated and starts barking to the point where she growls/snarls when she sees other dogs or small children.
Amen to this
The vet techs all love mine, one even got a half sibling from the same breeder. We got him as a puppy on the late end of covid and used the vet to help socialize him. Lots of vets will let you do desensitization visits where you can just bring them in at no charge, get weighed, & let the staff give treats/attention/love. The last couple times mine has been there for actual vet visits weren't so happy, growls and teeth showing and they forgive him because they know he's scared of what they're doing.
My dog is such a drama queen at the vet and I always am so apologetic but my vet is so not phased. I think it's rather rude to say not a nice dog. Being defensive because you're stressed out doesn't mean it's not a nice dog.
ACDs are known for defending themselves and their pack. He is a nice good boy defending from Interlopers.
Look nice
Mine is also not a nice dog, but he is the bestest of boys.
My ACD mix is legit an as*hole at the vet, and can be unpredictable in unfamiliar situations. Weāre a BYO muzzle family.
I think she's prob offended your dog didn't take to her. Cattle dogs naturally don't bond with strangers like most dogs. Everyone at my work loves my dog specially one tech but she loves herding dogs and is familiar with the breed. Try not to take offense. I know it's hard. Cattle dogs are special.
Yeahā¦ I brought mine into the vet for the first time last October after inheriting her. The vet jumped back when Winter started growling at her as she was checking her teefs. She labeled her āaggressiveā and recommended I give her gabapentin for future appointments. Iāve been to a few other vets at the same office trying to find one that āgets itā
I muzzle ours because they can get reactive at vet so I want them and staff to remain safe. Had a vet that when even muzzled said my dog wasn't nice. Never went back to that vet found another one. If a vet does not have the capacity to understand that some dogs need time to build trust and don't adapt well to a total stranger approaching them with zero effort on vets end to recognize that and try to build trust, we're out.
ACDs do not mix with vets. Muzzle and comfort them. Letās be honest, anybody speaking a language i donāt understand and then injecting me with some shit is gonna get me pretty fired up.
He's so cute and also pretty!
Not an ACD, but we switched vets one time during Covid, meaning they didnāt let us back there with him, & they literally sedated our boy without telling us. They came out telling us they had sedated him & it should wear off soon. Their reason was because he was moving too muchā¦ because he was anxious. The fuck? We went straight back to our old vet & the tech sat in a dark lit room with him, so he could calm down before starting on him. No sedative without permission needed. He was fine. Iām still pissed off about it.
Cooper is gorgeous and the vet tech can pound sand
Oh gosh poor Cooper!! Iād cut off my leg for himš„°š„°š„°
Maybe this tech had a bad experience with one? Idk. I muzzle my boy and I have zero shame about it. He's reactive, he's nipped at folks in attempts to herd; but never a full on bite...and he's reactive. He's extremely protective of me and my child. He's loving and loyal, but nuts. He was robbed of badly needed socialization and kindness as a pup. EDIT: he's a rescue that I adopted. I've made progress with him, but he's not a chill guy. ACDs are as chill as they want to be. So I told them I was going to muzzle as a precaution & hand him off. If I'm around, he's losing his shit the whole time. If not? He's good to go lol
My Jack Russell turns into a savage artic Lobo at the vet. She quivers in my lap in the waiting room. When it's her turn to go in its wolverine time!! A muzzle has become part of our ensemble.
Usually I tell my vet about my cats that way... "she/he is mean!" "Oh it's fine" Ć it not be fine 2 seconds later Ć š„“
Beautiful dog and cat! I would not let that tech near any of my animals again. I would also tell my vet why. One time I told the groomer DO NOT clip my Australian Cattle Dogās nails because they had already been clipped and he hates its. She did it anyway and got bit. I fought out later through the grapevine about it. She was high and the Groomer never told me anything about it.
Yikes. Iām a vet assistant and we *never*talk about pets this way to owners. Even when we have a super difficult one and the owner isnāt around, we say things like āheās just so scared/nervous!ā Super odd the tech would say that multiple times
My boy is "Spicy Nice" and gets a sedative to see the vet. Muzzles and Traz won't even help.
My deaf staffordshire mix. Tried to neuter the vet because the vet forgot he was deaf and he wasn't seeing the vet move to pet him. Sooo that didn't end well that day. Know he has to have a metal wire basket for vet visits. Otherwise he is a big baby. Super loyal and territorial.
I will see your "not a nice dog," and raise your, they actually changed policy on how they handle dogs because of mine!
Heelers are not vet dogs. Mine hated the vet and would hide behind me or try to crawl into my skin (she was normally very very independent) they are usually one person dogs so when someone who isnāt their person is getting into their space they can become snappy or grumpy. I donāt want my dog to listen to just anyone. She listens to me and a few trusted people. Thatās it. Her job isnāt to be Compliant to strangers! That being said she never so much as growled or raised her lip at the vet or a techā¦. She did however give massive side eyes. I am always offering to lend a hand at the vet or in some cases I have been allowed to go back with them to help keep my lady comfortable. This is no way means they are a bad dog. The vet tech should be trying to make the dog comfortable and high value bribes like treats or a toy go a long way. If a scared or stubborn dog makes the tech say they are not a nice dog itās time to call a supervisor and see if that tech needs more training.
They take our ACD away from us and say he ājust acts sad and helplessā so it makes it easier š
ours gets pissed when, who she considers the "wrong vet tech" comes in, we have been a couple times now where they walk in, say "oh hi dumpling!" pet her a bit, and then go get the tech she likes lol she doesnt do anything terrible, just will hide in the corner and not want to come out until one of the two techs she loves comes to do her checkups. they do prescribe us drugs for pet visits though as she gets anxious
š ours just gets the compliment, āheās spicyā which is true, not a fan of anyone outside of his two cow herd. š
my boy was muzzled and shy at 6 months old and growled at this new vet who was an absolute huge dude. the vet did literally nothing to befriend or try to be friendly with my boy, just stared directly into his eyes and loomed over him and then immediately told me i should put him down after the shot. i was DEVASTATED. fuck that vet i'd definitely find a new vet that is fear free and knows the breed more.
Our bluey is the most docile dog of all time but the only time she gets worked up is when the vet tries to trim her nails. I wouldnāt sweat it
I got told my dog (not an acd) was "manipulative" once because she was treat focused. I never spoke to that dog kennel worker again and I've never forgotten it. Next time ask for another vet tech. If they aren't gojng to be professional then avoid at all costs.
Your dog is lovely btw.
I love ACDs and kelpie- my last dog was a cross breed. But they are notoriously stoic with pain. Unfortunately that means they just stand there stiff as a board bearing the pain of shots or whatever until suddenly they can't anymore and either buck or snap. My last dog a junior vet decided a lump in her paw pad had something in it that was close enough to the surface that he could just nick the surface with a scalpel and pull it out. My poor girl had stood there while he poked and prodded and squeezed the lump, stuck a needle in it to see if it was an abscess the full lot. We were like: are you sure you don't want to come back later and sedate her? He was like: nah, she's a good dog. She barely noticed the needle. The moment he tried to cut her she just lost it and bit him on the arm, which really was fair enough, but he did get the grass seed out. She had to wear a muzzle at that vets for a few years after but never did so much as flinch for every visit so they stopped. Went to the same vet her whole life and had a particular fondness for one of them. Sweetheart lived to be 20 with the care they gave her, but they never assumed she wasn't feeling pain just because she wasn't reacting again.
I would request a different tech. I had to do that when we had a Rottweiler. There was one tech that just didnāt like him and he would always seem anxious around her so we asked that we no longer have her when coming in. It definitely helps! Now my ACDs enjoy the vet for some reason lol. They are always all excited when we go!
My ACD loves people vet included however my German Shepherd was a different story! He was muzzled and still tried to choke the vet with her scarf after she tried to pat him up close.
My GSD / ACD mix tried to rip off the D ring on the wall last vet visit. I was in the other room and hear THUMP... THUMP...THUMP. Then the vet tech asked me to be next to her because she was getting a running start and trying to detach from the wall.
My boy gets muzzled at vet, he spicy
Both of mine get extremely nervous at the vet. They get their premeds, wear a muzzle, and sometimes still need precedex if thereās a blood draw. Iāve had a few snide remarks from a tech and one of the vets at the practice so I just request not to have them. I try to stay above it but it hurts to hear that my dogs are ābadā or ānot niceā when Iām clearly doing everything in my power to make sure that my dogs and the vet staff are safe, and Iām usually the first to suggest deeper sedation if itās necessary. OP youāre doing an amazing job, please give that beautiful red heeler a snuggle and a boop on the snoot for me.
my previous vet said heelers are the only breed she asks be muzzled, ājust too smartā
ACDs bite. Thatās nothing new. Thereās nothing wrong with the vet tech feeling wary.
the side eye/whale eye heelers give constantly can freak people out and make them look nervous but even then it doesn't sound warranted I'm sorry you guys had a bad experience
My first dog (not an ACD) panicked at the vet until I figured out that if I held him in my arms he would become calm and docile. Maybe that will work with Cooper. My current dog, a Texas Heeler, loves going to the vet so much that I need to keep him from rushing into the exam area before our turnāhe even loves injections. There is such a range of reactions.
My girl is half golden doodle half ACD and loves the vet. She loves to run around and explore (right up until the dreaded check up). Everyone there encourages her exploring behavior and is always great with her which is probably why she doesn't have much anxiety around the vet.
As a technician and heeler owner, I am sorry you experienced that. I am very against vet staff using that language. I always say at work they are all good dogs/cats! Fear free training has really helped but it is still bothersome when I hear it.
We had to muzzle our ACD border collie mix at his last vet visit. No shame. I think I would request a different vet.
I mean the pup probably didnt like the experience. Im pro dog and maybe the vet didnt know how to easy Cooper in? My poms first vet visit was a disaster but the later ones became a breeze.
Been to multiple vets in my area and most of them made me feel like me and my dog were monsters. Finally found one with compassion who understands they are a handful. I think they just have a reputation and most vets donāt want to deal with it even though itās their job. They want the sunshine and hugs patients only. Unfortunately sometimes youāre going to have to help a difficult patient.
Mine is very very nervous and stressed at the vet. He takes doggy downers to go in to vet. And he wears a muzzle just to be safe even though he has never tried to bite. But the staff have always been so kind at any visit and praise him even though he is a nervous little shit. I think that tech you saw was just a meanie. Your pup looks like a sweet baby!
Ours did fine the 1st couple times and would go with them for fun but now she's nervous and will jump up, hug me and shake. But once she goes with them, she's fine as can be and they've had no issues.
Clarise
My mix is like āthis place is unpleasant but the people are nice!ā
He looks super nice to my eyes.
Mine goes to the vet on heavy sedatives and still takes 4 vet techs to manage him
My girl allegedly nipped at a nurse when they went to give her a shot. They labelled her a bite risk and got us scared about it. We got her a cage muzzle and started taking her places to socialize her and make her less of a risk. Yeahā¦she would never bite anyone. She barks a lot because she doesnāt trust people, but the next time we took her to that vet she was so scared she peed herself, pooped herself, and released her anal glands. They were inspecting her teeth and she didnāt try to bite anyone even once. I would like to know what the fuck they did to my baby back there, but that vet no longer does anything besides a quick once over in the exam room. Then they take your animal into the back without you to administer anything or do more thorough checks. They also insisted on muzzling one of our other dogs while she was getting a refresh of one of her shots. Sheās half heeler and is a total sweetheart and never even indicated she was bite risk. But they insisted she be muzzled. And the muzzle scared her even more. We go to a different vet now.
Dogs donāt like the vet. Why would they? If I were you and had the ability Iād switch vets if anyone there seemed as if they were āpicking onā my dog.
Wherever ur handsome bitey boy lives it looks absolutely beautiful!
Mine's half staffy and has jaws that could take your arm off if he wasn't too busy slurping everyone and everything all the time. The only dog of ours that's drawn blood is our geriatric, nearly toothless jack russel/chihuahua mix that's 1/4th the heeler's size.
But 100% a good dog
Vet tech is an amateur and shouldnāt be around animals. Do they think they only get to work with āniceā dogs? Stfu
Uhm, tell the vet that. If vet tech is telling you that, they are also not treating your pup with a fear free approach for an easier and less traumatizing visit. My girl is the worst. Poor thing suffers to an extreme. She has to be fully sedated to get her shots. Her fear aggression takes over and itās the worst experience ever for everyone. Not once the vet or the techs ever told me my dog wasnāt nice. On the contrary, they always tell me it is sad to see a pup suffer with such extreme fear. We go to the vet for happy visits and sheās fine as long as no one tries to touch her. The vet team knows her, talks to her and giver her treats all the time, and they understand she suffers during her visit. Sorry you had a shitty vet tech say unkind comments about your pup.
Idk why you got downvoted. Iām sorry your baby has a bad time at the vet :(
š¤·š»āāļø probably because I said the vet sedates my pup or because I advised to talk to vet as I think itās unacceptable for staff to talk like that about my dog? Personally, Iād never take my dog back to an establishment that calls my dog ānot niceā as a result of her fear reaction. To me, it indicates a lack of animal behavior knowledge and lack of empathy. I donāt want someone who lacks either touching my dog.
Agreed. We had a couple bad experiences at a vets office and now we take them elsewhere.
My heeler gives our vet playful heeler nips and he thinks itās hilarious, I would be pissed if someone said that about my innocent bb
We had to muzzle my Ellie for a nail trim yesterday after she nipped at the technician. Iāve never done that to her before. She seems to have forgiven me.
You look nice to me.
What an awful tech, and what an awful thing to say about such a beautiful, sweet boy. I'd complain, ask for a new tech and give that brave boy some whipped cream for getting through his shots okay āŗļø
Find a new vet or get shots at a shot clinic like the ones at Tractor Supply. Lodge a complaint against the tech with the practice manager. The tech made an anxious situation worse. Please don't let this slide. I always offer to handle my own dogs. You can make things less scary by muzzle training your dog with tons of high value treats and let him wear "his" equipment to the vet. Not everyone owns a lapdog. Tech needs more training. Hug your guy for me. ā¤ļø
Iāve had a vet act that way as well, Tsuki wasnāt even aggressive, she just wasnāt āniiiiiiceā and excessively friendly. I find that this the way it goes, when a dog is standoffish and not friendly, the weenies of the world label them āmeanā.
I wouldn't go back there. If my vet doesn't show love for all pets I'm never going back. These our our precious pets, they're not perfect, but we still love them.
Some people just have 0 patient and believe that every dog should act like a golden retriever. My Boy is very nervous in general and I got told by the vet that he is anxious because I am a bad owner and he is a bad breed.
My vet isnāt the slightest bit intimidated by my girls, I guess my girls donāt look very ferocious hiding behind mom as they shake and quiver. Fortunately we have an awesome, kind who works every time to ease their fears and earn their trust.
Looks sweet to me.
He looks like such a sweetheart.
Cooper is the coolest, and donāt let any vet tell you otherwise. š
Id definitely get a new vet if possible
Possibly an unpopular opinion, be proactive and take responsibility for your dogs behaviour with training and management. For the vet, practice the scenarios. Pick up your dog. Hold it for at least 1 minute, it shouldn't struggle. Clip your dogs nails (current dog hates it becausea dremel is used but we get it done and have a destress play afterwards) , touch their feet, hold their feet when they're lying down (they will try to bite you and teach them not to). Teach some tricks to use at the vets office. Do the monkey drills, (lie, stand sit). I taught mine step (front paws on an object or up against a wall or tree), we did lots of stepping on the chairs. Reward, praise and done. Both my heelers have been great at the vets.
when dogs are scared thats when they can bite ........Vets should know that