How often should we take the dog to the veterinarian?

Take the dog to your vet annually for a checkup and any needed vaccinations. Of course, if issues arise in the meantime, you should contact your vet with any questions or concerns. Note that some veterinarians will give a discount for service dogs. All dogs at Pawsitivity are taken to the veterinarian for an initial health and wellness checkup, which includes any vaccinations that are needed. They go back to the vet as needed, for spaying/neutering or any other concerns that may arise. Then, before each service dog goes to his or her new handler, he/she goes back to the vet for one final wellness visit.

Should we give the dog monthly heartworm pills? What about protection from fleas and ticks?

You can either buy pills from your vet, or your vet can give you a prescription, and you can buy them online from Drs. Foster and Smith or Allivet (at a lower cost). We use Iverhart for heartworm and NexGard to protect against fleas and ticks. We don't recommend topical flea & tick protection because it's too easy for the poison to rub off onto people. Also, you should NEVER use flea/tick collars on your dog. 

Will the dog be spayed or neutered by the time we get the dog?

Yes, it is our policy to always spay or neuter the dogs.