5 Tips For Choosing the Best Vet For Your Dog by Charlie Lafave

5 Tips For Choosing the Best Vet For Your Dog by Charlie Lafave

If you havent already found one, or worked with one in the past, you need to find a vet. Pick one you feel comfortable with, and who answers your questions in full, completely and gives you answers you can understand. You dont need a vet who talks down to you, or acts like youre too dumb to understand what theyre saying!

Find a vet, if possible, who specializes in small animals (as opposed to one who treats large and smalllike horses, cows, cats and dogs.) Your community may only have vets that do a little bit of everythingand theres nothing wrong with that, if thats all thats available, but Ill remind youyou usually go to a specialist for your health issues, dont you?

If youre new in the community, or havent needed a vet beforeword of mouth is a great way to start looking for a new vet. Ask everybody you can get your hands onco-workers, friends with pets, local humane societies or shelters. Ask questions: are they happy with their vet? Do they like the way theyre treated when they take their dogs in?

If your dog is a particular breed, check with the local or state breed associations to find out who they use, or local breeders. This can be especially useful if you buy a puppy from a local breeder, because the vet will have seen your puppy and know at least some of his history.
You may want a holistic vet. Go to their website at www.ahvma.org and check out their referral directory. Or contact them via phone at (410) 569-0795
You may also be interested in a veterinarian who has been trained in acupuncture through the International Veterinary Acupuncture XE "Acupuncture" Society. Log onto their website XE "International Veterinary Acupuncture Society" at http://www.ivas.org or call 970-266-0666.
Once you have a referral from someone you trust, here are some questions to ask:

1. What services does the vet offer?
Is it a one-doctor office, or a multi-doctor practice? As vets try to streamline services many are consolidating practices and forming partnerships and group practices. Theres nothing wrong with thisjust be aware that you may not always see the same vet. And find out if they offer 24 hour emergency services, or if he or she is affiliated with someone in the area who does. Like everything else in life, illness or accidents dont always happen between 8:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. Monday through Friday.

2. Does the vet offer a full surgery suite with on-site lab work? X-rays? Ultrasound?
If the vet has to send all lab tests to an outside agency to be processed, you may be getting popped with additional charges because those tests arent being performed or processed in-house.

3. Get a fee schedule.
Cost is usually one of the biggest considerations for dog owners, and it should be lowest on the list of importance, at least in my mind. Not because cost isnt importantof course it is, but - if you have a vet that youre happy withwho gives your dog the best care you can possibly find in your areadoes paying a little extra for that care really matter in the long run?

4. Check out the physical characteristics of the facility.
Is it clean, or does it smell? Are the ads or magazines in the waiting room current? (That may not sound important, but if the staff and doctors arent keeping up-to-date on the latest and greatest information, this may not be the place you want to bring your dog.)

5. Communicationby that I mean how well does your vet communicate with you?
Will he or she explain the condition or illness in terms that you can easily understand, or do they try to confuse you with high-tech or medical jargon? A good vet will go over treatment options with you, explain necessary tests, review x-rays or test results, give complete and clear instructions for home care or further testing requirements, etc.

Take your time to do a complete and thorough evaluation before choosing a new vet. Your dogs life literally depends on what choice you make. Make it a careful one.
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About the Author
Author, "Dog Training Secrets!"
To transform your stubborn, misbehaving dog into a loyal, well-behaving "best friend" who obeys your every command and is the envy of the neighborhood, visit: http://tinyurl.com/6u2cj

The Pro's Never Yell Or Scream Commands At Their Dog by Adam G. Katz

The Pro's Never Yell Or Scream Commands At Their Dog by Adam G. Katz

I never yell at my dog. Never.
Well, okay. There's one exception. And that exception is if: I'm already working with the dog at such a far distance that he can't audibly hear me. And usually this is the case only if I'm teaching the dog to respond to hand signals.
Why don't I ever raise my voice if I'm working with my dog, otherwise?
Because the only thing that raising your voice achieves is to communicate to your dog that you really DO NOT have control.
And since I train with a modified working dog approach, I want my dog to know that I'm ALWAYS in control. Because I'm the "Alpha dog."

Now, if I issue a command, and the dog I'm training does not respond to that command... then I will stop to figure out why he didn't respond. If it's because he didn't understand the command, then I need to go back to basics and do more repetitions. If the dog is simply not responding because he's being stubborn or head-strong, then I'll make my correction more motivational.
But one thing that many observers will realize about the way I work with animals is that my commands are practically whispered. Never yelled or screamed.
In fact, your commands should only be loud enough for your dog to hear. No louder.
So... do you want to know how to spot an amateur dog trainer? He's the one yelling at his dog.
A word or two on consistency and teaching your dog to "come."
If I'm teaching a dog to come on command, it's my job to convince the dog that he MUST come EVERY time I call him. But if he thinks that I'm only going to make him come every other time... or only under certain conditions... then I'll never get the dog to be 100% reliable.

So, where am I going with this line of reasoning? Well, just remember that you should NEVER give a command that you cannot enforce, until your dog is 100%. And you'll know when he is 100% when his responses to commands are immediate! Even when you're asking him to respond around the most tempting of distractions!

Do you want to be able to take your dog anywhere, and KNOW that he'll listen to you... even if tempted by another dog, a cat, or even a piece of food??? Then check out: "Secrets of a Professional Dog Trainer: An Insider's Guide To The Most Jealously Guarded Dog Training Secrets In History!" By Adam G. Katz, Owner of South Bay K-9 Academy and Dog Problems.com. For more information, go to:Secrets of a Professional Dog Trainer! http://tinyurl.com/4efaq
About the Author
Author, Secrets of a Professional Dog Trainer! which you can read more about at:
http://tinyurl.com/4efaq