Lectures From The Vet

[Helen]

See now I'm going to play devils advocate here because if the vet hadn't said anything and we'd seen someone elses dog unable to be handled we'd be moaning at the owners and not the vet... they have to take their own safety into consideration even if we know our dogs are a softie.

Its all well and good changing vets but the problem is if you go to another vet and don't do any prework with your dog and the vets practise, your going to get the same lecture.  Maybe rather than the classes that he's suggesting you can ask if you can book some socialising appointments so that your dog can get used to the staff handling him and the practise so that next time its not so scary and so that they have a bit of confidence handling him... in an emergency you'll need them so its worth putting in the training. 

You don't have to go when its busy just pop in at the end of day or start and go with a pot of treats that people can hand out.

My vet recommends this to new owners and organises puppy parties at the surgery so that they get used to the vets being fun and not just horrid, bonnie and Ayla love my vets they go in all waggy tailed

Glad he's ok after his op though always a bit worrying when they have a GA.

not all vets offer this kind of advice or suggest getting the dog used to coming in like this ...it's often only after a dog has a bad experience that a) the lectures start  and b) the vet announces that this is what you should do to ensure your dog doesn't have a problem in future

hindsight is great.   I was lucky enough to have the puppy party service offered to me for jarv and to bring him him to get a treat on an ad-hoc basis, and we often dogwalk with the vet nurse so he doesn't have a problem (other than he gets worried when he hears/smells other dogs in distress) - i will always do this with dogs in future and i'm sure this is something rhona will be doing.  In an ideal world all vets would understand and offer this when the pup is first taken in to see them. 

In reality, a lot of vets like rhona's still exist.

not everyone has owned dogs for years or indeed had a dog with a fear problem at the vets....in fact, we had the opposite - a gsp who was so in love with the vets dog that we had a struggle getting him out of the vets

[Dunton4]

We just wanted to say that we hope Casper is feeling better today and is not too sore after his op.  Tilly sends  to Casper (and  to Reuben too so he doesn't feel left out)

Sue and Tilly

[cazza]

 Fern sends healing  and  to Casper and hope he's feeling better soon     (Fern's feeling bit sore today, own fault she tried to play with Jock at 7am  )

  and hugs to Reuben too 

[Helen]

Fern sends healing  and  to Casper and hope he's feeling better soon     (Fern's feeling bit sore today, own fault she tried to play with Jock at 7am  )

  and hugs to Reuben too 

awww fern

[Rhona W]

Well you wouldn't really know that Casper had had anything done today. He had one little whimper a while ago and is now play fighting with Reuben.  (Yes I know I should be keeping him quiet, but no one told him that.)

We were never offered puppy parties at the vets to socialise the dogs with them. They only do annual health checks, which would be coming up soon, and they have had no need to visit the vets since inoculations. 

I know Casper will need work in this area, but we have to take things very slowly and one step at a time. 

And can I just add, Casper showed no signs of aggression at all. He sat by my feet barking and shyed away from the vet. He did not snap, growl or bite. So to start talking about 'rage' simply because he is a solid coloured cocker was ridiculous! 
 

[cazza]

Well you wouldn't really know that Casper had had anything done today. He had one little whimper a while ago and is now play fighting with Reuben.  (Yes I know I should be keeping him quiet, but no one told him that.)

Sounds like this house 

We were never offered puppy parties at the vets to socialise the dogs with them. They only do annual health checks, which would be coming up soon, and they have had no need to visit the vets since inoculations. 

And can I just add, Casper showed no signs of aggression at all. He sat by my feet barking and shyed away from the vet. He did not snap, growl or bite. So to start talking about 'rage' simply because he is a solid coloured cocker was ridiculous! 

We were never offered puppy parties at the vets either  Fern hasn't been to the vets since her innoculations either till Thursday, but as she was going in for op they take them in a different door at our vets.

I agree with you about your vet talking about 'rage' just cos Casper is solid is ridiculous    I would be furious too 

[Top Barks]

Sounds like your vet needs to stick to hamsters and rabbits and stop dolling out misinformed and incomplete behaviour advice.
I would be looking for a new vet or at least pointing them in the way of the nearest bookshop so they can read up on some up to date ideas.
This sort of thing really annoys me as they should no better.
Mark

[Gilly]

Yes!! change Vets.

I changed Vets when buttons was 6 weeks in whelp as mine refused to give her the 2nd Canine Herpes Vaccine (she hadn't had the first one....long story) but at the end of the day I could see no harm in letting her have the second one as after doing research I had discovered even the 2nd one does some good. They told me it would do no good and how did I know more than the Vets  this from a Vets that 2 years earlier had never even heard of the vaccine 
I have been more than happy with my new Vets...a different attitude all together but I do have to travel much further but that is a small price to pay for a good Vet 

[Helen]

Sounds like your vet needs to stick to hamsters and rabbits and stop dolling out misinformed and incomplete behaviour advice.
I would be looking for a new vet or at least pointing them in the way of the nearest bookshop so they can read up on some up to date ideas.
This sort of thing really annoys me as they should no better.
Mark

get off that fence mark and say what you really mean

(couldn't agree more )

[Top Barks]

Sounds like your vet needs to stick to hamsters and rabbits and stop dolling out misinformed and incomplete behaviour advice.
I would be looking for a new vet or at least pointing them in the way of the nearest bookshop so they can read up on some up to date ideas.
This sort of thing really annoys me as they should no better.
Mark

get off that fence mark and say what you really mean

(couldn't agree more )

Well Helen it wouldn't nearly be as bad if they didn't charge you a fortune for the privilege of listening to this drivel. (he says jumping from the fence again LOL)

[PennyB]

See now I'm going to play devils advocate here because if the vet hadn't said anything and we'd seen someone elses dog unable to be handled we'd be moaning at the owners and not the vet... they have to take their own safety into consideration even if we know our dogs are a softie.

Yes but to generalise that they have rage is just so wrong in my opinion --- you can see stroppy cockers in any colour and to be so blinkered is a dangerous thing.

[Tasha]

I'm not saying that the vets behaviour or advice was accurate just that for the future its worth doing something about it.  Did the vet say that he had rage or that rage existed in cockers??  Because if he's just advising you that it exists its not the same as saying your dog has rage.

If your vet doesn't offer puppy parties or socialising thats no reason not to do it and you can always ask about socialising your dog with the vets, just popping in regularly and sitting in the waiting room for a few minutes is a good start, certainly doesn't hurt to ask and it pays off in the long run.

Good to hear that he's up and running around doesn;t sound like he's had any ill effects from his experience

[Top Barks]

See now I'm going to play devils advocate here because if the vet hadn't said anything and we'd seen someone elses dog unable to be handled we'd be moaning at the owners and not the vet... they have to take their own safety into consideration even if we know our dogs are a softie.

Yes but to generalise that they have rage is just so wrong in my opinion --- you can see stroppy cockers in any colour and to be so blinkered is a dangerous thing.

I think the vet in this case seemst to have a limited  knowlege of the subject and as is often the case a little knowledge can be dangerous.
cockers are not the only dogs to suffer from so called rage syndrome but everyone jumps to conclusions because of statements made by certain behaviourists  allready mentioned in this thread tarred solid colour cockers with the same brush.

[Colin]

  Did the vet say that he had rage or that rage existed in cockers??  Because if he's just advising you that it exists its not the same as saying your dog has rage.

But Casper wasn't displying any signs of rage so why bring it up ? It was a very loaded and ignorant comment to make. If this vet is saying similar things to other Cocker owners I can see some people being freaked out by it - instead of thinking they could learn to modify their dog's behaviour by seeking help they could see their dog as a lost cause and just have it pts instead.  

[Rhona W]

Did the vet say that he had rage or that rage existed in cockers??  Because if he's just advising you that it exists its not the same as saying your dog has rage.

I think his words were along the lines of I needed to be aware that it existed in solid coloured cockers because of my dog's behaviour. He was barking.

But Casper wasn't displying any signs of rage so why bring it up ? It was a very loaded and ignorant comment to make. If this vet is saying similar things to other Cocker owners I can see some people being freaked out by it - instead of thinking they could learn to modify their dog's behaviour by seeking help they could see their dog as a lost cause and just have it pts instead.  

Now that is exactly what I have been thinking today!  At the time I just went  and said, 'I thought it only existed in show cockers, not workers.' But if I hadn't joined COL and learnt about rage, then I could very easily have gone away extremely worried and misinformed about my dog.