services offered
Multiple Dog Households
Am I getting the Right Dog for Me
Multiple Dog Households
Multi-dog households bring challenges for owners where generally changes need to be made to support more than one dog.
Single Dog Households
Am I getting the Right Dog for Me
Multiple Dog Households
Having a dog should be a wonderful adventure but sometimes things may not be quite as planned.
Am I getting the Right Dog for Me
Am I getting the Right Dog for Me
Am I getting the Right Dog for Me
Choosing the right dog for your family and situation is as important as what you do once they arrive.
End of Life Support
Any breed from any Background
Am I getting the Right Dog for Me
Bringing support in your time of need, discussing when is the right time, supporting any decision you make without judgement.
Any breed from any Background
Any breed from any Background
Any breed from any Background
I can work with any breed from any background, bringing understanding and insight into their natural instinct and how that may impact.
Force Free
Any breed from any Background
Any breed from any Background
Never using any methods that cause emotional or physical distress to your dog or dogs, focusing on your relationship at all times
Behaviours Covered
Behaviours Covered
Behaviours Covered
Examples of behaviours I can help with, which includes asking the question why they are reacting that way.
Multiple Dog Households
One , two , three, four, and more!
Having one dog can bring joy and something extra to your house. Having more than one dog can bring double or triple the joy. Can't it? Yes it can, but it can also bring about difficulties. Introducing additional dogs into the household can bring different challenges, things you did not expect, and maybe some things you did.
It is never as simple as just letting dogs sort it out for themselves, and there is no shame in asking for help from a professional. I have had a multi-dog household for a number of years. I have got it right, I have got it wrong. I have been in the position of not knowing if the right decision was made, I have shed the tears. I have contacted a behaviourist myself, followed advice, made changes, some have worked and some did not. It is this journey that led me to want to become a behaviourist myself.
Multi-dog households became an area I was most wanting to focus on as it is close to my heart, and I think I can understand how you feel when it is not perfect. Whether the issues are aggression, guarding, anxiety or something else I can help you understand this from the dog's point of view and provide advice and support on how to address changes that may be needed to bring back the harmony.
Changes can be based on how you as humans need to act, changes to the environment, changes to how dogs are able to interact, or most like a mix of it all. Small changes made one at a time can help you see what is working and what is not, and continue to help us build a picture of your dog's emotional needs.
At all times I will be your dog's advocate, focusing on what needs to change to meet their needs. The advice provided is unlikely to be for just one dog. Multi-dog households often need changes made for more than one dog. The report will cover any aspects needed for your household, human changes needed, environmental changes needed, all tailored to the different dogs that need support. By doing that it will help the entire household become calmer and help build up your relationship with your dogs. Ongoing follow up sessions can be booked as needed at a reduced price.
Single Dog Households
The love for a dog is like nothing else in life
It is easy for people to say their dog is great, they have no issues, and they are perfect. In reality that is unlikely to be true. No dog is perfect. They may be perfect for you, but to someone else they would be a nightmare. And even the perfect for you will have their quirks, their peculiarities, or chinks in the armour. This makes them who they are and forms their personality.
If parts of their personality do not line up with our expectations or needs, as humans we see this as a flaw, as an issue, as a defect. They are not any of these things, they are genetics or life experiences that have shaped the dog. Changing the way a dog feels about specific situations, be that other dogs, being left alone, or letting you on the sofa etc., needs to be done at an emotional level. We need to understand why the dog reacts the way it does, understand why is something frightening to them for example, to be able to change the emotional response to that item.
Never will two cases will be exactly the same. No treatment plans will be identical. Advice will be tailored for your situation, followed by a written report, and ongoing follow-up sessions as needed at a reduced price. You need to expect to have to make changes in your approach as a human, changes to the surroundings, to the routine, to any training aids you have used in the past if necessary to make this successful. It is not an hour or two and then wave a magic wand and all will be sorted. Changing a dog emotionally takes time and effort by you as the dog guardian, I can provide the tools and methods for you to use, but you will need to do much of the work each and every day to make this successful.
What is the right dog for me
Do I want a puppy, a rescue, a Border Collie or a Shih Tzu?
- Making the right choice is never going to be easy. There is no right answer, but there is information you can use to get you on the right track. There are many websites out there to help narrow down breeds, you can read article after article advising on puppy or rescue.
If you want tailor-made advice for your family I can help. Together we will work through a series of questions all based on key areas of needs, for example, characteristics, exercise needs, mental stimulation, and training needs. Using this individual information we can narrow down breed types based on a number of criteria personal to you and your family. It is easy to base a decision on how a dog looks, but let's be honest they are all gorgeous in their own way, so we need to consider other mental and physical attributes.
The purpose is to attempt to match the right type of dog to your lifestyle, whether that is a puppy, a rescue adult or a senior dog. For example, if you do not want to spend time training then a border collie may not be for you, if you want to walk only short distances for 20-30 mins a spaniel may not be the right choice. But there are dogs out there that will match you, your family, and your needs, and I can help you narrow down potential matches.
If you want additional support following a getting your dog please look for the puppy and rescue extended package.
The puppy package will cover how to prepare for the new arrival, how to socialise, and what to expect in the key times of their life.
The rescue package on how to prepare for your new arrival, and integrate your new dog.
Neither of these cover specific behavioural treatments, only generalised advice to set yourselves up for success.
End of Life Support
Is there ever a right time?
When a dog falls ill, gets old, or seems to be near the end there are many emotions we can feel. None of them is wrong, none of them should make us feel guilty, or have any other negative thoughts. Losing a beloved pet hurts, for some, it is harder than others. Some heal quickly, some more slowly, some find they can cope with the loss, and others find it hard.
Making the decision to euthanise is very hard and should never be underestimated. Knowing when the decision should be made assumes a right and a wrong answer and that just is not the case. Every person and every dog is different and should be treated as such.
By taking a tried and tested method developed by Dr Alice Villalobos and expanding it I can help you work through any thought processes you have to aid the decision. Discussing each question in relation to your situation, explaining what that question means, and delving into your answers, it may help you cement any thinking. I will document the answers with reasons and provide this to you following the session. You can take away the questionnaire and your answers and continue to use it and track changes.
This service does not replace the help and support your vet provides, and at no point can I offer you my opinion or make any decisions for you. This service is to help and support you make a decision that is right for you and your circumstance. I am here to listen without any judgement and provide some structure around the emotional decision.
Any breed from any background
The breed and life to date can define a dog
You may notice my love of spaniels from the pictures, but i can assess any breed of dog from any background. I have only owned rescues as an adult, but i have studied and followed many different breeds from puppies to mature dogs.
All dogs will have a different common traits due to the breed, from the things we will know about such as herding sheep, to lesser known uses to help us cook and eat. Understanding your dogs historic breed jobs can help us understand the behaviour and harness their needs to channel into fun activities.
Rescue dogs from specific backgrounds can also show common traits. From puppy farm dogs to foreign rescues i can help unlock the thoughts and some of the why is this happening.
Force free
Creating training plans that do not use force
There are lots of words used in dog training and behaviour - desensitisation, counter-conditioning, balanced training, positive training, force free training. I use various methods but always practice force free training. That means i do nothing and use nothing that can be seen as aversive to the dog. For example I will not recommend using a choke collar, a shock collar, a head collar. I will not use fear or physical force to train. At all times it will be pitched at a level your dog can cope with, keeping them in a zone where they can learn.
My methods are built on partnerships between you and your dog, building trust and confidence. Teaching your dog what they should be doing, not punishing them if they get it wrong. This takes patience and understanding. It takes time. But time invested will be paid back in the relationship you build and the change you will see.
I could quote many academic studies showing how dogs learn better using force free methods. How they learn is similar to young children. Always think if you would not treat or teach a child like this then you should not treat or teach a dog like that. I can help show you how to do this, and put it into perspective using analogies to help build insight.
Get in touch today for the initial discussion.
Behaviours Supported
Many behaviours can be worked on
There are many behaviours I can help with, some of which are listed below. If you need help with anything not on the list please get in touch.
- Anxiety
- Resource guarding
- Separation anxiety
- Reactivity to specific items or situations
- Noise sensitivity
- Dog/dog aggression or reactivity
- Dog/human aggression or reactivity