Dog Friendly Clinic resources

These resources are designed to help veterinary professionals create a dog-friendly clinic environment, by helping to make veterinary care as comfortable as possible for dogs, their owners, and clinic staff.

Dog Friendly Clinics

An introduction to canine behaviour

Discover dog behaviour, common misconceptions around dominance and guilt and an overview of how dogs learn. The more we understand about canine behaviour, the better placed we are to appreciate the effect of our interactions with dogs, how we respond to their behaviour and how we communicate with them.

An overview of canine communication

An overview of canine communication

An overview of canine development

An overview of canine development

An overview of dogs' behaviour

An overview of dogs' behaviour

How dogs learn – a brief overview

How dogs learn – a brief overview

Aggressive behaviour

Aggressive behaviour

Common misconceptions regarding dog behaviour

Common misconceptions regarding dog behaviour

Health, pain and behaviour

Discover how pain and health conditions can be a contributing factor to a dog's behaviour, and learn about behavioural first aid.

How does pain affect behaviour?

How does pain affect behaviour?

Behavioural first aid

Behavioural first aid

Behaviour and the veterinary environment

Discover the impact of the veterinary environment on dog behaviour, stress responses and situation stacking.

Impact of the veterinary environment on behaviour

Impact of the veterinary environment on behaviour

The acute and chronic stress response

The acute and chronic stress response

Situation stacking

Situation stacking

Creating a dog friendly clinic

From staff training to dog handling and preparing the clinic environment, there are many factors to consider when trying to create a dog-friendly vet clinic. 

Staff training, CPD and clinical governance

Staff training, CPD and clinical governance

Preparation of the clinic environment

Preparation of the clinic environment

Handling of dogs during consultations

Handling of dogs during consultations

Hospitalisation

Hospitalisation

Puppy events within veterinary clinics

Puppy events within veterinary clinics

Helping dog owners prepare for vet visits

From habituation and socialisation to counter-conditioning and muzzle training, discover how you can ensure dog owners are preparing their dog for vet visits.

Habituation and socialisation appointments for puppies

Habituation and socialisation appointments for puppies

Desensitisation and counter-conditioning

Desensitisation and counter-conditioning

Muzzle training appointments

Muzzle training appointments

Practical resources

Discover our practical guides, resources and frameworks.

Behavioural referrals

Behavioural referrals

Framework for behavioural consultation

Framework for behavioural consultation

Join the Dog Friendly Clinic scheme

Start your journey today by visiting Dog Friendly Clinic Campus and signing up with the key: 4dLsphL2nh2x

Remember to keep note of your username, as you’ll need it each time you log in. If you’re registering on behalf of a clinic, be sure to choose a name that is clear and appropriate for your clinic.

If you don't want to join the scheme but would like to access some of our web pages, visit our Dog Friendly Clinic resources for some of our webpages containing the course content.

Need help?

If you have any questions regarding the scheme or your application, please contact our helpful Dog Friendly Clinic Team

Disclaimer notice: The advice given on this website [in these materials] is intended for your general information only and should not be relied upon as specific advice for any veterinary practice or clinic. Each veterinary practice or clinic will be unique in its physical environment and each dog attending the veterinary practice or clinic will have specific needs and requirements, which the veterinary practice or clinic is solely responsible for. Unless prohibited by law, Dogs Trust and the British Veterinary Behaviour Association do not accept liability to any person veterinary practice or clinic relating to the use of this information.