The Puppy Visit Experience Checklist

Puppy Visit Experience Checklist

A professional self-assessment form for evaluating puppy visit experiences. Use it as a starting point for team discussion, identifying strengths as well as areas where small adjustments could make puppy visits calmer, clearer, and more consistent. Please complete all sections below and submit to see your practice score.
Step 1: Complete & Score

Focus on what usually happens in practice, rather than ideal situations.
Step 2: Review as a Team

Discuss strengths, inconsistencies and opportunities for improvement.
Step 3: implement changes

Choose an area to improve in over the next month and track your progress.
Practice Name
Your Email
example@example.com
Date

MonthDayYear
Date
Completed By
First Impressions & EnvironmenT

What happens when puppies first come into the practice?

First Impressions & Environment

Rows	0 – Not in place	1 – Partly / inconsistent	2 – Consistently in place
Reception staff welcomes puppies and owner calmly & treats always accessible
Waiting area has calming pheromone diffusers in place
A well stocked shop with puppy enrichment products demonstrated in consults
Overwhelming stimuli in the waiting room minimised by reception staff
Positive interaction before procedures when appropriate

Please rate the following statements for Puppy Emotional Experience:

Rows	0 – Not in place	1 – Partly / inconsistent	2 – Consistently in place
Puppy given time to settle before procedures or examinations
Handling introduced calmly and appropriately
A positive experience for puppies is the highest priority of all staff members
Team recognises stress signals and how to improve the situation for the puppy
Food dispensing toys used in all puppy appointments to create positive associations

Please rate the following statements for Owner Education:

Rows	0 – Not in place	1 – Partly / inconsistent	2 – Consistently in place
Relevant education staged across visits
Clear priorities for each visit
Owner questions welcomed & answered confidently by staff
Support materials given to puppy owners to take away
Further training and guidance given to help as puppy grows

Please rate the following statements for Puppy Care Pathway:

Rows	0 – Not in place	1 – Partly / inconsistent	2 – Consistently in place
Future visits explained
Puppy training topics mapped across stages
Preventative health care introduced clearly
Post-vaccine plan discussed
Clear contact pathway for queries

Team Consistency

Consider all of your teams from front of house to vets and RVNs.

Please rate the following statements for Team Consistency:

Rows	0 – Not in place	1 – Partly / inconsistent	2 – Consistently in place
Shared core messages
Reception team understand puppy care pathway
Aligned handling approach
Consistent puppy training advice given across essential areas by all staff
Shared early-life priorities

Please rate the following statements for Consult Flow & Workload:

Rows	0 - Not in place	1 - Partly / inconsistent	2- Consistently in place
Consults feel organised and prepared
No pressure to cover everything in one appointment
Fewer repeat clarification calls as owners understand what to expect
Common questions are anticipated and prepared for

Owner Confidence & Relationship

The foundations of creating long-term, loyal clients.

Please rate the following statements for Owner Confidence & Relationship:

Rows	0 – Not in place	1 – Partly / inconsistent	2 – Consistently in place
Owners know what to focus on after each appointment
Owners know what comes next
Owners feel supported and confident to train their puppy successfully
Practice is seen as the main source for puppy guidance

Reflection

Please provide detailed responses for each question.
Our strongest area
Area with biggest opportunity for changE
One change we would like to make
Who will lead this change
This checklist is part of the Puppy Friendly Practice approach. We provide practical tools, resources and support to deliver a structured puppy care pathway consistently.
Would you like our help to put this in place in your practice so you can reap the rewards?
Thank you for completing the Puppy Visit Experience Checklist. Click Submit to see your overall score and your next steps.
Overall Score out of 66
Should be Empty:

Puppy Visit Experience Checklist