Phobia developed after a vet visit

FlowersGSD · 11-21-2011, 02:50 PM

here is a post I posted a week or so ago....I will just add one sentence at the end so you will know the history

just had Ben neutered. he has an abdominal incision due to a retained testicle they never found....off do do ultrasounds later i suppose...GRR--anyway-i posted a while back that we were rejected at one clinic due to his fearful reactivity. not aggression per se but definitely not seeing me as someone he has to listen to under those circumstances. so they said " not today go get him a muzzle."

so we went to a different clinic-one he is used to and has a vet who used to have a working line female from the same breeder. He was "obnoxious" to use her words when he was dropped off for the surgery and he needed to be sedated today to accept a muzzle and repair a popped stitch.
well, this vet whom i respect read me the riot act.
"you need to train this dog! a police dog will tear a criminal up but will not bite the policeman or anyone else he is not supposed to bite." She said i needed to contact the breeder for some training(the breeder is a schutzhund champion/trainer) ...
i tried to explain that Ben is well behaved at home with clients that come to my home. we have a tightly controlled routine. no barking, go to your place , down stay.
but in the last couple weeks he showed agression(not snarling growling--but more like barking straining at the leash male chest out i am the boss here who are you?.
last week i made a date with a girl who works at the vet we went to today and we worked for about 2 hrs on both of our dogs approching each other and me turning and sayin "let's go" everytime ben got excited. at the end of 2 hours we were able to walk together as two couples side by side and at the end they were able to be friendly and calm with each other-tho we didnt let them off the leash.
I called my breeder and told her about all of this and she said basically to get him to be able to tolerate the vets by going there a lot and just sitting there or hanging out and leaving. with aggression to other dogs she said i need to build my sit/stays with exposure to dogs very frequently getting to the point where he will obey that when a dog passes by.
SO SORRY THIS IS SO LOOOONG!!
but i really have been trying to take my responsibilities as an owner seriously(we finished 2 classes with the breeder as well.) i work with him every day. he doesnt get his food unless he maintains eye contact, same with getting in and out of cars. i go out doors first. i do beleive in NILIF training.
so how long and how much training for a bulletproof sit/stay down/stay?? i am not a cop, i am just a person but i want that type of obedience for these situations. like if a vet needs to take out a stitch or whatever. the vet said "from what i see--the relationship between the two of you is like two friends. you need to be the dominant one here. " She had a point-he was not listening to me because of his panic. no matter- i need to train for those types of situations...
feeling demoralized right now...sorry.

so:

Nevermind the sit/stay--down/stay....He is petrified of a car ride for the very first time in his life...took an hour to get to the park(his favorite place) which is 1/10 of a mile down the road.

PaddyD · 11-21-2011, 03:08 PM

Wondering why you don't walk 1/10 of a mile.
But anywho.
My dog is also petrified at the vet's. Had some bad experiences at a young age and she has been afraid since. Luckily, she wouldn't bite anyone to save her life, she just shakes. I should take her there more often and just sit for a minute, give her a treat, then leave. Thanks for the reminder and good luck with your guy.

FlowersGSD · 11-21-2011, 03:39 PM

I was on my way with him to the vet to do exactly what you said-just visit and treats-when he started trying to drive the car himself-thats when I had the idea to go to the park

**JakodaCD OA** · 11-21-2011, 04:00 PM

take him out and sit in the car without going anywhere,,treat him,,next take him in the car down your driveway and back,,treat him..

Go back to those babysteps, he could be thinking car=vets=bad place.

wyominggrandma · 11-21-2011, 04:37 PM

put him in a crate in the car, that way he will get used to being in a car and not climbing over you;.

FlowersGSD · 11-21-2011, 07:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wyominggrandma

put him in a crate in the car, that way he will get used to being in a car and not climbing over you;.

crate doesnt fit....but am going back to baby steps...just makes me MAD!!!!!!!! that it has to come to this after working so hard and methodically to have an "issue-less" dog. dont get me wrong I know these things happen and we will just work thru it...but ...it is just deflating is all...

racer · 11-22-2011, 02:07 AM

my boy hates the vet he has to be muzzled at the vet
I have a male rottie who loves the vet
I had a female rottie that staples removed from surgey and they nicked her remove the staples after that she had to be muzzled at the vet

FlowersGSD · 11-22-2011, 10:05 AM

Jakoda--do you think I will ever be able to eradicate this car ride problem? the vet phobia is another issue and will be more complex-but I just need some reassurance I guess. I want to tether him in the back seat-right now I wrap the leash around the back headrest but I dont feel it is extremely reliable. I want to use it with his prong collar on-his nylon one is not thick enough to be as strong as I want it....(he is due for a thicker nylon one but I have been depending on the prong collar when I walk him. I admit I was lax in buying a new one-it was on the list honest) I actually got a "walk your Dog With Love" front clip harness but havent used it yet..

1) I cant get it over the cone and I dare not take that off lest I never get it back on a gain and

2 ) one new issue at a time for him.

11-21-2011, 02:50 PM	#1 (permalink)
FlowersGSD Member Join Date: Feb 2011 Posts: 100	Phobia developed after a vet visit here is a post I posted a week or so ago....I will just add one sentence at the end so you will know the history just had Ben neutered. he has an abdominal incision due to a retained testicle they never found....off do do ultrasounds later i suppose...GRR--anyway-i posted a while back that we were rejected at one clinic due to his fearful reactivity. not aggression per se but definitely not seeing me as someone he has to listen to under those circumstances. so they said " not today go get him a muzzle." so we went to a different clinic-one he is used to and has a vet who used to have a working line female from the same breeder. He was "obnoxious" to use her words when he was dropped off for the surgery and he needed to be sedated today to accept a muzzle and repair a popped stitch. well, this vet whom i respect read me the riot act. "you need to train this dog! a police dog will tear a criminal up but will not bite the policeman or anyone else he is not supposed to bite." She said i needed to contact the breeder for some training(the breeder is a schutzhund champion/trainer) ... i tried to explain that Ben is well behaved at home with clients that come to my home. we have a tightly controlled routine. no barking, go to your place , down stay. but in the last couple weeks he showed agression(not snarling growling--but more like barking straining at the leash male chest out i am the boss here who are you?. last week i made a date with a girl who works at the vet we went to today and we worked for about 2 hrs on both of our dogs approching each other and me turning and sayin "let's go" everytime ben got excited. at the end of 2 hours we were able to walk together as two couples side by side and at the end they were able to be friendly and calm with each other-tho we didnt let them off the leash. I called my breeder and told her about all of this and she said basically to get him to be able to tolerate the vets by going there a lot and just sitting there or hanging out and leaving. with aggression to other dogs she said i need to build my sit/stays with exposure to dogs very frequently getting to the point where he will obey that when a dog passes by. SO SORRY THIS IS SO LOOOONG!! but i really have been trying to take my responsibilities as an owner seriously(we finished 2 classes with the breeder as well.) i work with him every day. he doesnt get his food unless he maintains eye contact, same with getting in and out of cars. i go out doors first. i do beleive in NILIF training. so how long and how much training for a bulletproof sit/stay down/stay?? i am not a cop, i am just a person but i want that type of obedience for these situations. like if a vet needs to take out a stitch or whatever. the vet said "from what i see--the relationship between the two of you is like two friends. you need to be the dominant one here. " She had a point-he was not listening to me because of his panic. no matter- i need to train for those types of situations... feeling demoralized right now...sorry. so: Nevermind the sit/stay--down/stay....He is petrified of a car ride for the very first time in his life...took an hour to get to the park(his favorite place) which is 1/10 of a mile down the road.

11-21-2011, 04:00 PM	#4 (permalink)
JakodaCD OA Moderator Join Date: May 2000 Location: Old Lyme, CT USA Posts: 14,238	take him out and sit in the car without going anywhere,,treat him,,next take him in the car down your driveway and back,,treat him.. Go back to those babysteps, he could be thinking car=vets=bad place. __________________ Diane Danger Danger vom Kleinen Hain aka Masi "Angel" Jakoda's Bewitchen Sami CD OA OAJ OAC NGC OJC RS-O GS-N JS-O TT HIC CGC "Angel" Steinwald's Four x Four CGC HIC TT Harmonyhill's Hy Jynx NA NAJ NAC NJC RS-N JS-N HIC Jakoda's Jagged Edge

11-21-2011, 03:08 PM	#2 (permalink)
PaddyD Banned Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: MassaCHEWsetts Posts: 5,222	Wondering why you don't walk 1/10 of a mile. But anywho. My dog is also petrified at the vet's. Had some bad experiences at a young age and she has been afraid since. Luckily, she wouldn't bite anyone to save her life, she just shakes. I should take her there more often and just sit for a minute, give her a treat, then leave. Thanks for the reminder and good luck with your guy.

11-21-2011, 03:39 PM	#3 (permalink)
FlowersGSD Member Join Date: Feb 2011 Posts: 100	I was on my way with him to the vet to do exactly what you said-just visit and treats-when he started trying to drive the car himself-thats when I had the idea to go to the park

11-21-2011, 04:37 PM	#5 (permalink)
wyominggrandma Master Member Join Date: Jan 2011 Posts: 989	put him in a crate in the car, that way he will get used to being in a car and not climbing over you;.

11-22-2011, 02:07 AM	#7 (permalink)
racer Junior Member Join Date: Nov 2010 Posts: 49	my boy hates the vet he has to be muzzled at the vet I have a male rottie who loves the vet I had a female rottie that staples removed from surgey and they nicked her remove the staples after that she had to be muzzled at the vet

11-22-2011, 10:05 AM	#8 (permalink)
FlowersGSD Member Join Date: Feb 2011 Posts: 100	Jakoda--do you think I will ever be able to eradicate this car ride problem? the vet phobia is another issue and will be more complex-but I just need some reassurance I guess. I want to tether him in the back seat-right now I wrap the leash around the back headrest but I dont feel it is extremely reliable. I want to use it with his prong collar on-his nylon one is not thick enough to be as strong as I want it....(he is due for a thicker nylon one but I have been depending on the prong collar when I walk him. I admit I was lax in buying a new one-it was on the list honest) I actually got a "walk your Dog With Love" front clip harness but havent used it yet.. 1) I cant get it over the cone and I dare not take that off lest I never get it back on a gain and 2 ) one new issue at a time for him.

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