So today was another vet visit with Pike, and it came to my attention that he HATES being held for long periods and especially protests when his face is being held. The vet said it's something I need to work on because it's incredibly hard for him to do examinations while Pike is spazzing out. One of the first times it took him 10 minutes just to hear his heart because he kept squirming and whining and would not sit still! Pike generally is very calm in new situations (except for walks as I've posted about earlier) and has even fallen asleep during puppy class orientation with lots of puppies barking and squirming around. (We were all sitting while the trainer went over some things). So it's only when he's being held on to and confined.
So I guess my question is what should I be doing to get him to be calm and relaxed when being held around both body and head? The vet said treats but told me to be aware that he could be distracted only by the treats and may not realize I'm holding his head with my hands which would defeat the point. Wondering if anyone has succesfully got their dog to get used to be handled especially at the vet.
Thanks in advance!
So I guess my question is what should I be doing to get him to be calm and relaxed when being held around both body and head? The vet said treats but told me to be aware that he could be distracted only by the treats and may not realize I'm holding his head with my hands which would defeat the point. Wondering if anyone has succesfully got their dog to get used to be handled especially at the vet.
Thanks in advance!