Do vet visits or grooming appointments leave your Doodle anxious, tense, or shut down? Stress-free vet visits are possible — and they start with understanding body language, consent, and cooperative care. Vet visits and grooming days don’t have to feel overwhelming for your Doodle. In this episode of The Doodle Pro® Podcast, expert trainer Laura Monaco Torelli joins me to share how Doodle parents can make care routines calmer, safer, and more positive for both dogs and humans.
We dig into reading early stress signals, building trust with your vet and groomer, and creating a cooperative care plan that helps your Doodle feel more comfortable from start to finish.
💡 In this episode, you’ll learn:
✔️ How to spot early stress signals in your Doodle’s body language
✔️ Why trust and teamwork with your vet and groomer matter most
✔️ Strategies to reduce fear at appointments, including outdoor exams and video updates
✔️ The difference between “get it done” care and a true partnership approach
✔️ Practical ways to prepare your Doodle for handling, grooming, and medical care at home
📘 Preventative support note:
Predictable daily rhythms can make care routines easier before stress builds. Inside Your Doodle’s Daily Schedule Blueprint™, I share a grooming rhythm designed to support calmer vet and grooming visits. Learn more at thedoodlepro.com/book
👉 Next listen: Continue with Episode 49: Stress-Free Doodle Grooming: Making Brushing and Handling Positive (Part 2) for step-by-step cooperative care strategies you can start using right away.
🌿 Supportive tools for calm care experiences
Tools I use to support this work
👉 Chris Christensen grooming brush
https://thedoodlepro.com/shop/grooming
Gentle, consistent brushing at home builds handling tolerance that carries over to vet visits and professional grooming. This is the brush I trust for Doodle coats to reduce matting, keep skin comfortable, and make cooperative care easier day to day.
🎧 Hit play to help your Doodle feel safer, calmer, and more confident during vet and grooming care — without force, fear, or shutdown.
🌟 Want Ongoing Support With Your Doodle?
Love your Doodle and want ongoing, science-based support? The Doodle Pro® Honor Society offers live Q&As with me, expert guest sessions, a resource library, and a private Doodle parent community.
👉 Learn more at https://thedoodlepro.com/honorsociety
