I should start this by saying that I can’t really speak for how all canine behaviourists work as everyone will work in a way that works for them and their clients. This is really a description of how I work.
I know that some people might feel anxious about contacting a canine behaviourist for help. I am always really impressed by the people that do; it shows me that you have your dog’s best interests at heart and that you want to know what to do to make his or her life better. This is a great starting place for change!
The Initial Conversation
If you have contacted me via my contact form, or by email or text then the first thing I will do is agree a time for us to have a short telephone conversation. The purpose of this is for you to tell me about the problem(s) you are experiencing with your dog(s) and for you to decide if you think I am the person who can help you.
I will talk you through the process and price and, if you want to proceed, we will book in a time and day for my visit. If you want a bit of time to think about it, then that is not a problem.
If you haven’t already had your dog checked over by your vet then, depending on the behaviours you are describing, I might ask you to take them for a medical ‘all clear’. If you are planning to claim for this behaviour consultation on your pet insurance, then you will need a referral letter to me from your vet in any case.
If you are contacting me because you have a problem with a dog that is aggressive towards strangers, I will ask that you muzzle train your dog before my visit and I will send you instructions on how to do this. Better safe than sorry!
I will send you a short form to complete ahead of the visit and my terms and conditions of service.
The Visit
I advise that the visit will usually take 2.5 to 3 hours. Very occasionally, visits are shorter, sometimes they are longer. The important thing is to have enough time blocked out so that the process isn’t rushed.
My preference is for the visit to take place at your home. This is because it is really helpful for me to see your dog in its own environment.
We will start off the visit sitting down whilst I gather some information from you and whilst I observe your dog and the interactions between you and your dog.
We will then move on to testing some of your dog’s behaviours – the tests will depend on the behaviours that you have described, and they might take place in your house, your garden or out on a walk.
Once this part of the visit is complete, I will give you a summary diagnosis of your dog’s behavioural issue/s and the possible causes.
I will then explain and then demonstrate to you what you will need to do if you wish to make changes to your dog’s behaviour and give you a chance to practice some of these things so that I can coach you on your training technique.
The Report
After the visit I will write up my report. This contains details of my observations, diagnosis and your personalised written behaviour modification plan for you to follow. Unless I have indicated otherwise, this report will be with you within a week of my visit.
The Aftercare
You are welcome to email or message me at any time after the visit if you have any more questions or if you want to just let me know how you are doing.
I will be in touch with you a few weeks after my visit in any case, to see how things are progressing.
So that’s it. That’s the standard process. The important thing to me is to provide the information to you in a way that is most useful to you and that helps you to make the difference you need to see in your dog’s behaviour, so if you want information in a different format or in smaller chunks then we can talk about that.
Drop me a line or give me a call if you think I can help you and your dog.