Behaviour Consultations - The Process
The process of organising a behaviour consultation can seem daunting, but these easy to follow steps will give you clear, concise guidance to get you started on your journey.
1. Initial Enquiry
Contact me today on [email protected] to start your behaviour journey. Include a brief summary of who you are, where you are based, and what your main concerns are with your dog or cat's behaviour.
2. First Aid Phone Call
Following your initial enquiry, I will arrange an introductory First Aid Phone Call with you. This will last approximately 20 minutes, and will allow me to give you some initial guidance to keep everyone safe and prevent the problem becoming worse.
3. Veterinary Referral Form, Medical History and Behaviour Questionnaires
As a member of FABC and APBC, I am only able to see behaviour cases on veterinary referral. This is because many behaviour cases have a medical element involved, plus only a Vet Surgeon is able to prescribe behaviour medications, which may form part of the treatment plan.
I will give you a form to pass onto your vet to fill out, or if you give me your vet's details I can contact them myself directly. Your animal will need to have been seen recently by your vet prior to referral. I will also ask your vet to send me your animal's medical records, as this can give me information about their state of health, which often impacts their behaviour.
I will then send you a Behaviour Questionnaire to fill in. This asks a series of questions about your animal's life, routines, relationships and behaviour.
Once all these forms are completed and returned, you will then be able to book in your behaviour consultation.
4. Behaviour Consultation
Most of the time I will arrange an in-person consultation, where I visit you at your home. If you live far away, or in cases of aggression to visitors, I may book you in for a remote consultation instead.
I will send you a booking link where you can choose a date and time that suits you. Payment will be taken at the time of booking.
Consultations usually last 2-3 hours. I will go over you animal's history, and will ask a series of questions to gather more information. For dogs, we might take them on a short walk in your local area. It is important that every member of your family is present, as it takes consistency and agreement from everyone to manage problem behaviours.
5. Diagnosis and/or Further Investigations
Once I feel I've got enough information, I will explain why I think your animal is behaving the way they are. Most behaviour problems are emotional in nature; often your dog or cat is worried or unsure about something in their environment, or frustrated because they aren't getting something they want or need.
Sometimes they are in pain or don't feel well. If I suspect this is the case, I will refer you back to your vet for further medical tests and/or treatment.
Sometimes I need more information than I can gather in the initial consultation. If this is the case, I may ask you to keep a diary to record your animal's behaviour, take some video footage, or fill in more specific behaviour assessment questionnaires.
6. Comprehensive Behaviour Modification Plan
During your consultation, I will talk you through various things you can do to help manage your pet's behaviour. Sometimes this involves changing their environment, or changing the way you interact with them. I will also teach you how to read your animal's body language, which will give you a clue as to how they are feeling.
Resolving problem behaviours takes time and commitment, and sometimes they cannot be completely resolved. In these cases it may be necessary to manage your animal's behaviour for the rest of their life. This can seem daunting, but it is possible, and it doesn't mean your animal cannot live a full, happy life.
After your consultation I will send you a detailed report that explains the behaviour modification plan in clear, easy to follow steps. This may be updated after further follow-up sessions.
For some cases, behaviour medication or other medical treatments may be required, which will be the responsibility of your vet to prescribe.
I will keep your vet updated regularly throughout the consultation process, and will also send them a report including my diagnosis and behaviour modification plan. They may wish to speak with me about your animal before prescribing any medication or further treatments.
7. Follow-Up Support
Regular follow-up support is included as part of your package. For dogs, two face-to-face or virtual follow-up sessions are included, and for cats it is one face-to-face or virtual session. These typically take place a month/two months after the behaviour consultation, but this is taken on a case by case basis.
You will also have email support for three months following your consultation. You can ask me questions about the behaviour modification plan and keep me updated on your animal's progress. Please note that if you have a lot of questions or need practical training support, you will need to use one of your follow-up sessions.
You can also book more follow-up sessions for an additional fee, as many as you feel you need.
Solving your dog or cat's problem behaviours can take a long time, and I cannot promise instant results, but with patience, consistency and the right support you can overcome even the most challenging problems.
Invest in your animal's future today, and book your behaviour consultation with a qualified, experienced and empathetic behaviourist.
Dog Behaviour Package: £205
Cat Behaviour Package: £155