Animal Agency - Giving Animals a Voice in their Training
Learn. Practise. Build confidence.
Explore the Vet Ready® programme modules and develop practical skills to support communication, cooperative care and more positive veterinary experiences.
The Free Vet Ready® Programme
Live interactive webinars for pet parents
Vet Ready® provides free live online education designed to give pet parents the knowledge and practical foundations needed to support their animal’s veterinary confidence.
The programme covers:
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Progressive monthly live online webinars, with each session building on the knowledge and practical skills introduced in previous sessions.
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Practical skills to practise at home, giving pet parents the opportunity to develop and reinforce skills with their own animal between sessions.
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Recorded webinar sessions, available for members who miss a live session or join the programme after it has started, allowing them to catch up and follow the programme in sequence.
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Practical learning resources to support training and continued progress at home.
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Optional assessment and certification for those who wish to formally demonstrate their skills.
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The Vet Ready® Awards pathway, providing an opportunity to progress through structured levels of achievement as skills develop.
When should I start?
Vet Ready® follows a progressive monthly programme, with a new live webinar delivered on the second Monday of each month.
We recommend starting with Module 1 in January, when the programme begins its annual learning cycle. However, you can join Vet Ready® at any time during the year. If you join after the programme has started, recorded sessions are available in the Members Learning Hub so you can catch up and work through the modules in sequence.
The programme continues progressively throughout the year, with each month building on the skills introduced previously.
There is no need to complete the programme only once. Members can revisit the learning, repeat modules and practise the skills again whenever they wish. You can return to the programme each year to refresh your knowledge, revisit previous sessions and continue developing your pet’s veterinary confidence.
Module 1 – Understanding Your Animal
Why veterinary preparation matters
Pet parents learn about:
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Emotional states
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Animal communication
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Stress and fear responses
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How experiences shape future behaviour
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Welfare-centred training
Understanding how animals communicate is the first step in creating positive veterinary experiences.
Module 2 – Building Communication & Training Foundations
Creating the foundations for successful training
Pet parents learn:
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Engagement
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Marker training
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Hand targeting
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Settling and relaxation skills
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Cat carrier introduction
These foundations help animals understand training, build confidence, and develop predictable communication with their caregivers.
Module 3 – Developing Cooperative Care Behaviours
Building trust, choice and communication
Pet parents learn:
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Bucket Game foundations
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Choice and communication
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Building duration
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Confidence building
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First cooperative touch
Cooperative care allows animals to actively participate and communicate during handling.
Module 4 – Building Confidence & Generalising Skills
Helping animals succeed in different environments
Pet parents learn how to gradually build skills around:
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Different people
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Outdoor environments
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Everyday distractions
Dogs:
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Developing hand target skills
Cats:
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Developing target pole skills
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Carrier progression including:
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Closing the door
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Lifting
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Moving around the room
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Gradual environmental changes
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Module 5 – Cooperative Body Handling
Preparing for veterinary examinations
Pet parents learn:
Dogs:
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Chin rest on hand
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Chin rest on block or step
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Standing positions
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Introduction of Muzzle training
Cats:
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Target positioning
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Mat or towel positioning
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Chin rest on fingers
Also covered:
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Introducing full body checks / touch
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Reading responses
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Understanding when to pause
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Supporting animal choice and communication
Module 6 – Head & Front-End Handling
Preparing for common veterinary checks
Pet parents learn how to gradually introduce:
Eyes
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Looking around the eye area
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Checking for discharge
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Brief examination positioning
Ears
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Touching ears
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Lifting ear flaps
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Looking inside without restraint
Mouth
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Lip lifts
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Looking at teeth
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Preparing for oral checks
Throughout this module, pet parents learn to use cooperative behaviours and recognise when their animal needs support or a break.
Module 7 – Paws, Body & Health Checks
Building confidence with routine care
Pet parents learn:
Paws
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Holding paws
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Looking between toes
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Nail preparation
Body
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Running hands over the body
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Checking coat and skin
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Feeling for changes
Rear end and tail area
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Preparing for veterinary checks
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Building comfort with less preferred areas
Every animal is different. Some areas may require slower progression, particularly for cats or animals with previous negative experiences.
Module 8 – Veterinary Visits & Transport
Bringing skills together for real-life situations
Pet parents learn how to prepare for:
Cats
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Making the carrier part of everyday life
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Voluntary entry
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Closing the door
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Being lifted
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Moving around the home
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Travelling with the carrier
Car preparation:
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Carrier placement
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Sitting in a stationary car
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Engine on
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Short journeys
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Gradual progression
Dogs
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Calm travel
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Entering veterinary environments
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Waiting calmly
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Maintaining learned behaviours away from home
Module 9 – Vet Ready® Skills Portfolio & Progression
Bringing Your Skills Together & Planning Your Progress
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Bringing skills together
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Reviewing progress
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Building a training portfolio
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Recording skills and achievements
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Understanding progression pathways
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Introduction to optional Vet Ready® awards
Vet Ready™ Awards & Certification Pathway
Free learning. Optional paid certification and review.
Pet parents who would like personalised guidance, certification, and formal recognition of their animal’s progress can continue through the optional paid Vet Ready® Award Pathway.
The Vet Ready® Award Pathway provides structured progression, professional review, personalised support, and certification opportunities, allowing pet parents to recognise their animal’s developing skills and confidence.
Awards are achieved through a Vet Ready® Skills Portfolio, allowing evidence to be gathered progressively through training videos, training records and, where available, observations from participating veterinary practices. There is no requirement to demonstrate all skills in a single session.
The pathway includes:
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Vet Ready® Foundation Award
Building understanding, communication, and essential training foundations. -
Vet Ready® Essentials Award
Developing cooperative care skills, confidence, and handling foundations. -
Vet Ready® Advanced Award
Preparing animals for veterinary care, health checks, transport, and real-world applications.
In addition, pet parents can choose from optional Vet Ready® Clinical Confidence Awards — specialist 1:1 training pathways designed to support specific veterinary care experiences and individual animal needs.
Available Clinical Confidence Awards include:
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Blood Sampling Confidence Award
Preparing animals for blood sampling experiences through cooperative positioning and confidence-building training. -
Temperature Check Confidence Award
Supporting animals to feel comfortable with temperature checks and related handling. -
Vaccination and Injection Confidence Award
Preparing animals for routine vaccination visits and injection-related experiences. -
Eye Care Confidence Award
Supporting positive experiences with eye examinations and eye drop administration. -
Ear Care Confidence Award
Preparing animals for ear examinations, handling, cleaning and ear drop administration. -
Dental Care Confidence Award
Supporting positive home dental care routines, including cooperative mouth handling and tooth cleaning preparation. -
Nail Care Confidence Award
Building confidence with paw handling and nail care routines.