Since this blog reaches so many people in so many areas, I thought I’d pose a couple of questions to see how Long-Dangerous Tails people select their vets and dog trainers. Our animals are like our children and we want only the best for them. How do you choose?
What do you look for when selecting your veterinarian or dog trainer?
For basic dog obedience training do you look for certain credentials, experience, use Angie’s List, word of mouth or Google? Do you look for a certain style of training? Or maybe you have certain things you try to avoid? Maybe you skip organized training all together because you’ve found the best book or video that can walk you through how to do the training.
How do you pick the best Vet for your furry family member? Friends recommendations, the biggest clinic, use Angie’s List or the yellow pages? What do you look for to help you feel you have made the best choice for the best care for your furry family member?
Hi Kirsten,
This is a lot to answer. I will start with picking a DVM. I settled on the DVM I use (other then my husband) by word of mouth and trial-and-error.
I want a DVM that I can talk to , ask questions, discuss things. If you ask questions and they get defensive that is a problem.
I decide what treatments I want done. For example I do my own heartworm treatment, I do not test them annually. One of his vet tech’s said to me once, you really should check annually. I said thank you, but I don’t plan on doing it. They are on heartworm prevention all year. I give my own vaccinations at the schedule I give.
Scott and Jackie were telling me about their experience with a vet they used. The vet was automatically doing tests without asking or explaining why. One was a blood profile. Why would you run a blood profile on a healthy puppy? Some of these dogs are getting more medical care then humans.
My vet works for me. They give me their expertise and I make the decisions. Otherwise it would be like going to a CPA they really work for the government but you pay the bill.
The one and only drawback I have with my DVM is he does not offer emergency services, but the plus column far out numbers this one negative.
When I teach puppy classes. The first night I ask the class “do you have the right to say NO to me?” The answer is absolutely it is their duty to say no to anyone when it comes to dealing with your dog. If you think it will hurt your dog or cause problems in your relationship with your dog. Then you do not do it or allow it to be done to your dog.
Again the trainer should be comfortable with you asking questions and not get defensive.
I like a clean facility that is comfortable. Taking classes at a training “club or kennel club can be a mixed bag as they are volunteers and the curriculum and methodology can vary.
Ask to observe a class.
I took a puppy to a puppy class that someone recommended It was a very expensive class, but if it was going to be all this person said it was it would be worth it. During the class the instructor was demonstrating how to do a recall, her own dog came to her but the body language was screaming “I am coming but I am not happy about it.” Not a good advertisement. Before the first class was over I picked up my puppy and left.
I agree whole heartedly with Julie on the DVM.
I have to say my mother in law was spending tons of money on her dogs and cats constantly having tests done, and never figuring out any answers, and I finally asked my vet about it, although he would not speak ill of another vet, he did say that now days people are coming out of school and boosting their profits by performing unnecessary tests. He said “I don’t need to do the other tests and put the animals through it or the owners with more expenses, I make enough money at what I do” there is my vet and another one in town who practices this way. When I use to do pet adoptions they would help out with meds and different things, where alot of them would not do it. He has no problem explaining to me things or evvcen going and getting a book and showing me or what ever til I do understand the situation or what have you. I have been with this vet fir yrs, he does have an emergency on call number which I have used a few times. I also have helped him with different things when I have went in for emergency situations.\
As for training, I went to Julie, I trust her to the fullest!
Hey Julie do you want me to send your
bill to the house for the great comment? J/K LOL
Julies facility is clean and well kept, and an over all great versatile space for training.
just send me an invoice. 🙂
Vets are all trial and error for me. It usually only takes one trip to tell you if they will be “your” vet or not. I finally found a great one that I really like, who I could tell genuinely cared about my GSD. Others I have left due to their total disregard for me feeding a raw diet, threats about vaccinations I should have (such as Lepto, even though there were no reported cases in my area the whole year… I checked), and complete disregard for my views on my GSD’s health.
I kept looking until I found one that would work how I wanted them to, but still incorporating their medical knowledge in the best interests of my GSD, not their own beliefs or bottom line.
I have a really great vet practice in Metro Detroit that I’ve been taking our dogs to for years. All three of the vets really take the time to get to know me and the dogs, listen to the problems and just really review all of my options with me. They agree with raw feeding, holistic treatments etc. As far as training goes, we never did any “group” puppy classes. Got some great books, did some on our own, some with Julie. When we moved to Ohio I found a great trainer that does a lot of work with GSDs. I felt that was important…especially when it comes to corrections. Roman is working on herding and formal obedience and rally and I feel it’s good to have a trainer that’s familiar with GSDs. Just my opinion.
Rita you make an excellent point. Finding a trainer that knows how to train a dog/puppy that has drive is very important. The fact your puppy has all these “drives” is a wonderful thing, but you need how to channel them in a way to make them work for you. Some pet dog trainers run into a puppy with drive and they do not know how to handle it. They try to squash it instead of working with it.
With my previous GSD it took a good 4 or 5 vets before I found the right one. Once I switched to a vet that understood GSD’s my life became much easier. I go to the vets that local law enforcement uses for their K9’s. So far that has worked quite well for me.
Look for a trainer that utilizes food and toys for rewards and motivation
I agree with all of the above. The vet I took Batman to in DC I chose based on a friend’s recommendation and location (I don’t have a car, and it’s a 5 minute walk to this vet). I was not impressed. Like Lee said, it only takes one trip.
Batman was current on all shots, I just took him in to familiarize the vet’s office as a friendly place. The vet techs were great, but I found the DVM to be lacking. He didn’t take me seriously, and I didn’t feel like spending my money on someone who talked down to me. Also, I accidentally overdosed Batman on Frontline because he issued me a 45-88lb dose for a 46lb puppy. I wrote all about this on his dog blog: http://batmanimal.com/post/16252900347/batman-goes-to-the-vet-and-overdoses-on-frontline-hes
If there was ever an emergency, I would take Batty there because it’s so close, but I plan to find a different “family vet” for future check-ups, someone who will respect the way I choose to raise my dog on a limited inoculations protocol and raw diet. And preferably someone who knows GSDs. Same for trainers.
Years ago we chose a vet that was convenient to our house. We had a couple of Dalmatians and one of them developed some severe allergies. The vet’s “people” skills weren’t that great and we found out about some questionable medical/business practices and then I followed my wife around to a couple of vets. The next vet seemed to practice human medicine vs. veterinary medicine with the associated costs and not much improvement. The 3rd vet we are sold on.
My wife had taken her Dalmatian several times and we were linked up with them. My Dalmatian (healthy 7 y/o) developed a limp one day and I took him in thinking he had a sprain. The vet came back with a diagnosis of bone cancer. He sold me on their practice by the way he broke this unexpected and devastating news to me that day the way he explained our options, and provided care over the next 2 months. So my first visit he basically told me my dog terminally ill. He also was the vet who put him down when it was time. I was so impressed with his compassion and veterinary practice a made a donation to MSU Veterinary School in his name. That was about 10 years ago. We have had a great relationship with Drs. Dave and Karen Visser of Roseland Animal Hospital and Center for Animal Health.
Cleanliness
Am I treated as well as the pet.
There’s a great training video about customer service called “Its A Dog’s World” comparing an vet visit of an owner and his dog and the owner’s visit to the doctor for sprains. Believe me, this is why we don’t need national health care. http://www.crmlearning.com/its-a-dogs-world
Bruce thanks for the link. Very true!