Specialty Veterinary Technician Session: When working with animals in the veterinary setting or when training husbandry care there are a variety of ways to time the presentation of rewards and/or treats. Should the food come before, during, or after a procedure? I used to think there was only one way to do this effectively. However, over the years I have seen the benefit in being open to a variety of timing strategies depending on the situation and goal. In this session, we will dissect the ins and outs and the pros and cons of different treat/food timing with handling procedures. I hope to clarify some of the confusion around the topic that I struggled with for years and provide you with more techniques to consider.
Learning Objectives:
Recognize possible strategies for using rewards and/or treats with patients while performing veterinary care
Identify pros and cons of the strategies
Determine when a particular strategy might be warranted or contraindicated
