Behavioural signs can be the first indication of an underlying physical and/or mental health issue.

By accepting only cases that are referred to me by a veterinary surgeon, we will have the peace of mind that any physical health issues that could be contributing to your dog’s behaviour are being addressed or have been ruled out, prior to embarking on a behaviour modification plan. This approach increases the chances of positive outcomes for you and your dog.

This approach is also in line with the standards of good practice of leading professional animal behaviour bodies, including the Fellowship of Animal Behaviour Clinicians (FABC), of which I am a candidate member. Find out more on the FABC website (section 2.6).

This is the time that is generally needed to ensure that all the required information for a behavioural evaluation is gathered. The precise length of the consultation may vary depending on the complexity of the behavioural issue, hence a range is given. If you have any concerns regarding the consultation duration, please feel free to get in touch to see if we can find a suitable solution.

While at home consultation is standard practice, there may be cases where I might suggest a partly or fully online consultation, such as in certain cases of human-directed aggressive behaviour.

Should you have any concerns or reservations about a home consultation, please get in touch to discuss the best way forward.

Although these terms are at times used interchangeably, they outline different roles for which one requires to receive different levels and types of training and education.

Here is a summary of the roles:

TRAINER (or training instructor): A person “who trains dogs and their handlers” in order to prevent or to manage problem behaviour.

BEHAVIOURIST: A person who works “with the owner to discover the cause of the problem behaviour”. By discovering the cause or underlying emotion of a behaviour, a behaviour modification programme that is specific to that case can be devised and implemented.

VETERINARY BEHAVIOURIST: A person who works “with the owner to discover the cause of the problem behaviour and to devise and implement a behaviour modification programme that is specific to that case” …

AND is a veterinary surgeon who is well placed to discuss potential physical health issues with your vet and can recommend further investigations +/- the use of medication where needed.

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Above information quoted and adapted from McBride, E.A. (2010). It’s a dog’s life – the what and who of training and behaviour. Corridan, C. (ed.) In Proceedings of the CABTSG Study Day – Management of Repetitive Behaviours and Regulation of Dogs Trainers and Behaviourists in the UK. Companion Animal Behaviour Therapy Study Group. pp. 31-35.

A trainer can teach you and your dog new behaviours, including various life skills such as recall, not pulling on the lead/loose lead walking, scent work, agility.

A behaviourist aims to understand the underlying cause of a behaviour (behavioural diagnosis), that is, understand the underlying emotion that motivates your dog to behave in a certain way. The behaviourist then helps you to work on changing how your dog feels, so that their behaviour can change accordingly. Issues that a behaviourist may be able to help with include generalised anxiety, frustration, fear, aversions and phobias, separation-related behaviour, compulsive behaviour, aggressive behaviour.

If you are uncertain about the service that you and your dog need, you can ask your vet or GET IN TOUCH.

1. Ask about their background, experience, qualifications/training: e.g. did they obtain their qualifications from a reputable institution that upholds rigorous assessment standards?

2. If they say that they are certified or accredited, did they obtain their certification/accreditation through an independent body e.g. CCAB?

3. Are they members of reputable animal behaviour organisations that bind members to uphold certain standards of practice and to attend a number of hours of continuous professional development per year? E.g. FABC, ABTC

4. What methods do they use to bring about behaviour change?

   You could ask about this directly, ask others who have used their service or look at their website or social media pages to help you determine this.

   Look for words that suggest that their approach is humane and that their focus is to strengthen the human-animal bond e.g. kind, positive, empathic, reward-based. Methods based on punishment and/or instigating fear should be avoided - these compromise your dog’s welfare and learning ability, increase the risk of aggressive behaviour towards the handler, and strain the human-animal bond.

5. Look for clarity about their service - you should be able to clearly discern what the service you are seeking will include and its cost, prior to making a decision on whether to embark on it or not.

6. Lastly, you should feel that your chosen behaviourist is knowledgeable, approachable and easy to communicate with, happily answering any questions that you may have about their approach, methods and services.