Creating a Dog-Friendly Experience at Davies Veterinary Specialists

At Davies Veterinary Specialists, we understand that a visit to the vet can be a stressful experience for dogs. Over time, we’ve become increasingly aware of the importance of supporting our patients not just physically, but emotionally too. That’s why joining the Dog Friendly Clinic Scheme, developed by Dogs Trust in collaboration with the British Veterinary Behaviour Association, felt like a natural and meaningful step for us.

The scheme is designed to help veterinary teams apply canine behavioural principles to everyday practice, making veterinary visits more comfortable for dogs, their owners, and the clinic team. At Davies, we embraced this approach wholeheartedly.

To prepare for accreditation, we created a comprehensive training programme for our associates. This included an educational PowerPoint focused on canine body language, stress signals, and emotional wellbeing. Associates then completed a quiz to reinforce their learning and ensure consistent understanding across the team.

During our assessment, the evaluators were particularly impressed by several features of our hospital:

• Reception area design: Thoughtfully arranged to allow dogs to move freely and avoid forced interactions.
• Kennel setups: Tailored to individual patient needs, with padded mattresses, privacy curtains, and calming sensory enrichment such as dog relaxation music and TV.
• Staff awareness: Our team is trained to recognise subtle signs of stress and respond with low-stress handling techniques.

This accreditation is more than a badge — it reflects our ongoing commitment to creating a low-stress, emotionally supportive environment for every dog in our care. By integrating behavioural understanding into our clinical practice, we aim to strengthen the bond between dogs, their owners, and our veterinary team, ensuring every visit is as positive and reassuring as possible.