By CHRISTINE EMERSON, dog behaviourist at Drove Veterinary Hospital.

Do you wish you could take your dog to the vet without the worry of them biting? Do you imagine leaving the surgery with the vet having been bitten, your head held low with shame and a sharp word in your ear to say your otherwise beautiful dog is not welcome back?

Yes, vets need to minimise risk to staff (and for that reason your dog may be muzzled), but we want to help you teach your dog not to worry and defend itself from a stranger’s hands. It is quite normal for dogs to only want physical contact with those they like and are very familiar with. In the wild, adult dogs usually only touch other dogs when mating, fighting or nursing.

They like their ‘personal space’.

So, from an early age, dogs should be taught that handling is great!

They can learn that a good root around in the ears, or even a clutch of the testicles need not be such a bad thing!

Your dog may have had an eye infection and is now oversensitive around that area. If so, pay particular attention to slowly desensitising that part of his body. Many dogs don’t like their paws or rear end being touched. This is partly because these areas are the first to be bitten in a serious attack, and so they see our handling as a threat - but more likely because we don’t stroke them there very often, and they are not used to it.

You first need to make a short list of your dog’s favourite things - for example, roast lamb, his fluffy duck, favourite brush if he loves a groom, a flowerpot, that grey soft blanket and even a hairdyer if he likes a blowdry. From now on, these things only come out when you do the handling exercises – they see them at no other time. You will be timing the touch of his body with these things. When the handling stops, the reward goes away.

Keep your face away from the dog at all times. Have him wearing a basket muzzle, if it helps you relax, and poke treats through the bars.

We offer a free leaflet on this handling exercise, from any branch of Drove Vets. Pop in some time and let us help.

One day that examination could save your dog’s life.