By Patty Khuly, Special for USA TODAY

Ever walked into a vet's waiting room only to run smack into an aggressive dog straining against the full length of his retractable leash? Or seen a pet owner holding her cat in her lap, otherwise unrestrained? How about the pet owners who insist on bringing six pets at a time, unable to control them all? Or the parent whose four children run amok in the small space?

As with everything in life there is a right way and a wrong way to approach it. The veterinary waiting room is no different.

Sure, veterinary hospitals need to make their waiting areas hospitable, managea...