By Dr. Marty Becker, April 28, 2016 –
There is no more noticeable and understandable sign of a calm and happy dog than a wagging tail – and there’s no better way to get a pet to wag her tail than to open a bag of treats!
If you want to see the connection between the mouth and tail in action, just fork over the tastiest tidbits and you’ll see anything from a feather duster like swish to a tail-wag so hard the dog’s rear legs start marching.
There are several keys to having a dog respond positively and predictably to treats:
Hunger. While most dogs would eat a tasty treat even with a post-Thanksgiving meal gut, they are much more excited when there are some hunger pangs in the mix. Instruct owners that, unless medically contraindicated, they should stop feeding their dog 12 hours before the veterinary visit, or feed only a very small meal. Doing so will really amp up the dog’s interest in, and appetite for, taking treats from the veterinary team.
Find out what the pet owner already knows. Every pet owner knows the treat or treats that make their dogs’ lick their lips in anticipation and their eyes dance. Find out if it’s peanut butter, turkey, bologna, cheese, or even ice cream. Either have the pet owner bring this special treat with them on the visit, or make sure you have it on hand and stocked in the exam room (and in the veterinarians’ and veterinary nurses’ pockets).
Err on the side of having too many treats. When I first started with Fear FreeSM veterinary visits over six years ago, we had a rookie’s pantry of freeze-dried liver and Honey Nut Cheerios. Now, we have a power pantry of various deli meats, cheeses (including spray cheese), four to five kinds of sweet breakfast cereals (like Honey Nut Cheerios, Cap’n Crunch, and Froot Loops), various freeze-dried meats, Beggin’ Strips, Zuke’s Mini Treats, baby food, turkey hot dogs, probably five kinds of Kong Stuff’N, various cat treats (we give to dogs), and various canned and moist foods including things like Hill’s a/d and, again, cat foods such as Fancy Feast (probably 10 kinds in stock for both dogs and cats).
Release the Snack’n. For dogs I know are anxious or fearful, or who I’m meeting for the first time, the nurse or I will warm the deli meat, Beggin’ Strips, or Fancy Feast in the microwave for a few seconds, releasing ambrosial aromas and upping the tasty factor.
Everyone has a favorite dessert. My favorite dessert in the world is my wife’s homemade huckleberry ice cream. My favorite candy bar is a Payday. Between asking the pet owner what treat(s) their dog likes best and your own experimentation (most dogs haven’t tried turkey hot dogs, baby food, Kong Stuff’N, or moist cat food before), you’ll soon know what really, really hits that pet’s taste buds like hundreds of bullseyes. Now imagine the next visit, when owner and pet enter the room, and find it stocked with the pet’s favorite goodies. Cue lip smacking sounds here!
In another article I’ll touch on what treats to give pets who have dietary problems such as food allergies.
