Creekside Veterinary Hospital

06/26/2026

Join us in wishing happy SEVENTEENTH birthday to Stewie!! 🥳🎂🎉

We LOVE our super senior patients 🥰

Photo Cred: Christa P., Vet Assistant

06/25/2026

Heads up! We have NO DOCTOR availability tomorrow (Friday June 26)

Please call us today with any needs! 423.709.7979

We are sorry for the inconvenience but we promise the long term benefits will be worth it!

🐶🐺🐱🐭🐹🐰🐸🐯🐨🐻🐷🐮🐗🐵🐒🐴🐑🐘🐧🐦🐤🐔🐍🐛🐙🐠🐟🐬🐳🐎🐫

06/24/2026

See our ad on Indeed for more information! We’ve been voted best local workplace for 3 years running 💙🥇

06/24/2026

Three legs, endless joy. 🐾

This sweet boy has been thriving for years after overcoming an early injury as a puppy, and he’s never let it slow him down. Recently, he came in for a revision surgery to help resolve some lingering discomfort in his partial front left leg —and he’s already back to doing what he does best: soaking up love and living life to the fullest. 🥰

Safe to say he’s feeling better than ever and enjoying the extra attention from our team along the way. ❤️

Featuring: Finn and Katie A., VA

06/24/2026

Two sweet hearts that mean a whole lot to Creekside! Can you name them both?

“Saving one dog will not change the world, but surely for that one dog, the world will change forever.”

06/23/2026

Patiently waiting for the chicken to make the first move 👀🐔💛

Featuring: Ollie

06/22/2026

You may notice a new sticker on our door ✨🥇

06/20/2026

Our boarding is booking up faster than ever! 💨

With multiple boarding facilities announcing closure over the last year, please make sure you secure your reservation with us EARLY! ⌛️

Learn more about our services in our website ➡️ https://creeksidepetvet.com/boarding-bathing-cleveland-tn/

Featuring: Bentley, Lola and Apollo 🥰
Photo Cred: Kendra M., PCR 👑

06/19/2026

📢📣📢📣

📚 The Science Is Clear: Early Socialization + Positive Reinforcement = Fewer Behavior Problems
That adorable puppy or kitten in your arms right now? The experiences they have in the next few weeks will shape their behavior for the rest of their lives, and the research backs this up.
🐶 For puppies, the critical socialization window is approximately 3–14 weeks of age. Research shows that dogs who had more social contacts or attended puppy classes before 12 weeks were less likely to develop fearful or aggressive behavior (AVMA, 2024). A study of 6,000 dogs found that poor socialization during puppyhood was significantly associated with social fearfulness in adulthood (Salonen et al., 2020).

🐱 For kittens, the primary socialization window is even shorter, just 2–7 weeks of age, with a secondary window extending to about 14–16 weeks. Kittens handled by at least 4 different people during this critical period showed significantly greater friendliness toward strangers as adults (Casey & Bradshaw, 2008). Without positive early experiences, cats are at risk for lifelong fear, stress, and aggression.

⚠️ Why this matters more than most people realize:
An estimated 72–85% of pet dogs exhibit at least one type of problem behavior. Behavioral issues are the leading cause of death in privately owned dogs under age 3, and behavior problems contribute to up to 28% of shelter surrenders. Every year, over 5.8 million dogs and cats enter U.S. shelters.
✅ How you train matters just as much as when you start. The body of research consistently shows that positive reinforcement is associated with fewer behavioral issues (including aggression, fear, and anxiety) compared to punishment-based methods (Blackwell et al., 2008; Deldalle & Gaunet, 2014). Dogs trained with reward-based methods show lower cortisol levels and fewer signs of anxiety.

The bottom line? Early, positive experiences during these critical developmental windows, paired with reward-based training throughout your pet's life, are among the most powerful things you can do to prevent serious behavior problems.

Already past the socialization window? It's not too late. Our qualified behavior team can help you build confidence and reduce fear using the same force-free, science-based principles.