Veterinary student wellbeing and its relationship with dog handling and fear responses during a clinical examination...

Veterinary care can be a significant source of fear and stress for dogs, and handling techniques play a key role in shaping these responses. Emerging evidence suggests that clinician mental wellbeing and stress can influence patient interactions. These challenges extend to veterinary students, who experience high stress during training and represent a critical population for understanding how these influences may emerge in clinical development. During a clinical examination laboratory, we aimed to assess (1) associations among veterinary students' mental well-being and affective state, dog handling techniques, and dog fear responses, (2) whether dog fear responses were associated with students' affective state, and (3) how students' assessments of dog fear compared with investigator-rated fear scores.

Third-year veterinary students (n = 66) performed physical examinations on dogs (n = 13) and communicated findings to a simulated client. Student mental well-being and affective state were measured using the WHO-5 and PANAS-SF, respectively. Following the laboratory, students rated the dog's level of fear during the examination using a validated 5-item scale (0 = no fear, 4 = severe fear). Dog behavior and handling techniques were assessed from videos using one-zero sampling, with fear-related behaviors measured using an ethogram and the 5-item fear scale. Mixed regression models examined associations between student and examination factors, and dog fear outcomes.

Passive handling was associated with lower dog fear scores and fear-related behaviors; whereas more restrictive techniques, including standing restraint, abdominal lift, and muzzle hold, were associated with higher fear scores and behaviors (e.g., avoidance, reduced posture, lip/snout licking). Students assigned lower dog fear scores compared to the investigator (p < 0.001). Student mental well-being and affective state was not associated with handling techniques or dog fear outcomes; however, negative affect decreased post-laboratory (p < 0.001) and was associated with higher student-rated dog fear scores (p = 0.017).

These findings highlight the influence of handling techniques on dog fear responses during clinical training and suggest the need for enhanced education in behavior recognition. Although student well-being was not associated with dog handling, supporting resilience during training may foster positive clinical interactions throughout veterinary careers.