Tips FOR SUCCESSFUL HOME VISITS

Preparing your environment

• Dedicate a quiet, enclosed, comfortable area for treatment, free of distractions such as food, toys and activity of others. 

• Make sure other people and pets are out of view as these can create major distractions. 

• Have your dog's favorite treat(s) on hand as we will use these to build trust and facilitate a positive reward association with therapy.

Preparing your dog

• Please do your best to make sure your dog has recently gone to the bathroom.

• If you regularly take any measures to calm your dog before veterinary visits, it is best to implement these prior to our arrival.

Greeting

• Please have your dog leashed for a smooth handoff. 

• We will greet you and may appear to ignore your dog until they are handed over to us via leash. 

• If your dog is reluctant to interact with us, we can still use that time to make observations of their function and environment to provide education and recommendations.

During Sessions

• We use various treats (yours and/or ours) to build trust, calm dogs, facilitate exercises and distract dogs during certain treatments. Please let us know what ingredients they cannot have where applicable.  

• If your dog is too distracted by your presence during the session, it may be most productive for you to remove yourself from the room. 

• Due to liability concerns, we cannot have you involved with handling your dog during certain treatments.

• Underwater treadmill sessions: have at least one large towel ready so we can dry your dog off afterwards.

After Session

• After each session give your dog lots of praise and rewards to build a positive association with cooperating with therapy! 

• Your dog may be tired and feel more like resting later in the day. 

• Because we use treats during sessions, a lighter dinner for your dog may be more appropriate to remain within their diet for that day.