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

Introduction: 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. Methods: Third-year veterinary students ( Results: 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 ( Discussion: 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.