New Vet Techs Need to Be Trained Not to Bite
Not many veterinary practices require a vet tech with the skill for biting a dog. Some do, but many do not. Therefore, when a DVM hires a new vet tech, there are several techniques and tips to follow in order to train the new vet tech not to bite any clients. Here are some tips to follow:
1. Pick a breed of vet tech that is easy to train. Typically, one with at least an associate’s degree is minimally acceptable, although one that has a bachelor’s degree might prove easier to handle. Many different breeds of vet techs are predisposed to carrying biting traits in their DNA such as dark, long-haired varieties. Short, light haired vet techs should prove easier to work with when it comes to biting training. If you do not have enough time to devote toward training the more volatile dark, long-haired breed of vet tech, do not hire one. This is especially true if you are a new veterinarian with limited experience dealing with vet techs. However, all breeds of vet techs will bite somewhat, after all, a vet tech will be a vet tech. Employ a little patience and time devoted to train your selected vet tech that biting your Doberman client is not only unhealthy, but quite foolish as well.
2. Once you have selected your new vet tech, you must begin training immediately before allowing exposure to Collies, German Shepherds, Pomeranians and the like. Use positive reinforcement such as rewarding good behavior with a double cheeseburger or chocolate milkshake. Also, try playing ACDC whenever the vet tech responds positively. It is important to never inflict negative reinforcement like denying the new vet tech a 15-minute morning and afternoon break.
3. Make sure your new vet tech is not merely using “love bites” greeting a new dog to the environment. This is normal behavior for many new vet techs and you may want to provide plenty of rubber end eraser pencils as chew toy substitutes. Don’t use bowls of candy placed randomly throughout the premises because you do not want the new vet tech to confuse the availability of sweets when still biting incoming dogs. When a new tech does bite, turn off the rock ‘n roll music immediately explaining the tunes will reappear when the new vet tech acts in an appropriate manner.
4. Don’t allow your new vet tech to engage in any biting games with other employees – especially if the two are of the opposite sex. It is important that your new vet tech does not have any oral fixations concerning other practice employees. Do not leave any vet techs of the opposite sex alone in any room, including ones that can be locked from the inside.
5. No matter how well you might train your new vet tech to not express feelings in the form of biting clientele, keep in mind all the stress that is faced when accepting the responsibilities of a new job. Therefore, it is important to maintain constant supervision in the beginning days of a new vet tech’s employment to not only protect you from career crushing financially draining clientele initiated lawsuits, but to create in your new vet tech an acceptably sociable creature that can be a possible practice asset.