Join us in congratulating Dr. Kelly and her dog Tuppence for reaching the Masters Agility Finals at Westminster Dog Show! Want to see their run on TV? Reruns will be aired on Fox Sports channels, so check your local listings!
Did you know animals can be trained to tolerate or even enjoy shots? It’s called cooperative care and it is used by zoos all over the country. Basically, it teaches an animal to participate willingly in procedures to earn a big reward.
This is Dr Kontur’s dog. She was originally trained to “wait” - leave a reward placed in front of her and stand very still on a mat until released to the reward. Then she was trained to be touched while waiting, have her skin pinched while waiting, be poked with a pen while waiting, and finally to get a shot while waiting. Each stimulus (the touch, the pinch, the poke, and the shot) were followed by the dog being released to a nice reward waiting in front of her.
It took about 1 week for this dog to allow shots to be given as a puppy, and now at age two, she likes shots because they always mean something good! In fact, when given the chance, she will jump back up on the exam table to get more shots. 🤣
A little bit of work goes a long way toward making your dog or cat more comfortable with procedures. Start with cooperative care exercises at home, and if you’d like to practice what you’re working on in a vet setting, just let us know and we can set up a happy visit. We also have trainers we recommend who can help you teach your animal cooperative care.
The dogs would like to thank Aubrey, one of the kids who visited Summit Animal Hospital today, for their new handmade toys! They’re a real hit and they’re great for tug of war!
What Tawny Does in Cold Weather
Tawny and her Christmas bandana!
Tawny and the Butterfly Toy
Our New Construction Inspector
