What Kinds Of Behavior Problems Do You Work With?

If your problem involves people and companion animals, we'll work with you!  Whether it is housetraining a cat, or aggression between dogs, or spats between dogs and cats living in the same household, or something you think we've never heard of, we'll listen to you and help you identify a plan to help your problem. 

Typcial issues might include:

-- Growling, lunging and/or biting strangers
-- Growling, lunging and/or biting family members
-- Growling, lunging and/or biting other dogs
-- Urinating and/or defecating in the house
-- Shyness
-- Fears and phobias (e.g., noises, novelty, cars)
-- Separation anxiety
-- Excessive barking
-- Escape behaviors
-- Destruction of household items/property
-- Difficulty handling for routine veterinary care (e.g., nail-trimming, eye drops, grooming)
-- Obsessive/compulsive behaviors (e.g., shadow-chasing, spinning or self-injury)
-- Guarding of food, toys or locations

Some of us have specific areas of expertise, so each of us will refer you to someone else if we feel like we are not the best person to work with your particular problem.

What Are Your Qualifications For Treating Behavior Problems?

Currently, there is no state regulation of trainers or behavior consultants. Anyone may hang out a shingle and say they are a trainer or behaviorist. It is strictly 'Buyer Beware'. However, there are some things that can differentiate those who have had advanced training and experience.

Each one of our consultants holds an advance educational degree and/or certification in the field of animal behavior and training.

There are several organizations that provide education and or certification for behavior counselors.

Animal Behavior Society

The Animal Behavior Society was founded in 1965. They publish a monthly scientific journal containing reviews, original papers, and research articles on all aspects of animal behavior. They also have an annual meeting with a full educational program.

Membership in ABS is limited to professionals with advanced degrees. Members must meet requirements of education, experience and endorsement to become certified.

There are two levels of certification: Associate Applied Animal Behaviorist and Certified Applied Animal Behaviorist. The Certified Applied Animal Behaviorist category has more rigorous educational and experiential requirements.

Association of Pet Dog Trainers

APDT is an educational organization formed to enhance the human-dog relationship by educating trainers, other animal professionals and the public and advocating dog-friendly training. They hold an annual educational conference and publish a bimonthly educational periodical.

APDT offers certification for trainers through the Certification Council for Pet Dog Trainers.

A trainer who has received the Certified Pet Dog Trainer credential has met eligibility requirements and has successfully demonstrated his or her knowledge by passing the certification exam. To meet eligibility requirements, candidate trainers must have: at least 300 hours experience in dog training within the last five years; a high school diploma or equivalent; and one reference each from a veterinarian, a client, and a professional colleague. The certification testing covers knowledge of dog behavior and application of training techniques. The exam's five content areas include: Learning Theory, Instruction skills, Husbandry, Ethology, and Equipment.

If you want help in choosing a trainer, visit the Choosing A Trainer section on the APDT website.

American Veterinary Society for Animal Behavior - http://www.avma.org/avsab/

The American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior is a group of veterinarians who share an interest in understanding, teaching and treating behavior problems in animals. AVSAB is committed to preserving and improving the human-animal bond wherever it exists. Articles concerning behavior as well as case reports can be found in their quarterly newsletter. They were originally formed in the early 1980's as the American Society of Veterinary Ethology.

A veterinarian who is board certified undergoes a rigorous post graduate residency and receives the designation, DACVB (Diplomat of the American College of Veterinary Behaviorists). These diplomats are the only veterinarians who can use the title of veterinary behaviorist.

Here are some questions you might want to ask a person whom you wish to consult with:

What is your educational background?
Where did you study animal behavior?
What organizations are you a member of?
How long have you been working with animal behavior?

How Do I Choose A Behavior Professional?

After you’ve made the decision to seek the help of a professional, you must then go about the business of finding one who will be the best match for you and your pet. Following are some guidelines to help you make this very important decision.

To learn how to verify qualifications, see What Are Your Qualifications For Treating Behavior Problems? In addition, it’s always good to get recommendations, preferably two or more, from different types of companion animal service providers. Who does your veterinarian recommend and why? How about your groomer, or your co-worker who had a problem with his/her pet? Does your pet sitter have a recommendation?

To see if a particular behavior professional is right for you, look at three criteria:

1. Are you comfortable with the methodology the behavior professional uses?
2. Are you able to establish a rapport with the behavior professional during the initial phone interview
3. Do the price and location work for you?

Methodology

Ask the behavior professional what methods he/she uses for behavior modification. There are two primary methods of dealing with pet behavior: force-based and not force-based. You must make the decision which method you are comfortable with, and the professional should have scientifically valid reasons for using a particular method and be willing to explain them to you. Companion Animal Behavior Connection is committed to using methods of behavior modification that does not frighten or hurt your pet.

Ask the professional what special equipment will be needed; this will give you some clues as to the methodology. If, for example, equipment for a problem with your dog includes a shock collar, a prong collar, a choke chain, a shake can, a throw chain, or sometimes even a water bottle, you can assume that there is likely to be some degree of force-based modification involved. Behavior professionals who list crates, exercise pens, chew toys, and/or head halters are probably working from a more pet-friendly point of view.

What physical treatments will be employed? Restraint? What kind? How about ear-pinching, kneeing, dragging, hitting, shaking, or alpha rolls? This information will also give you hints as to the type of treatment you will be expected to administer to your dog.

The professional should show an interest in history of problem, and not just press for an appointment. This could take the form of questions on the phone, or a written history form mailed or emailed to you.

Rapport

Ask questions to help you establish a rapport with the behavior professional. Does he/she listen you? Does he/she make you feel guilty about the problem?  Ask about his/her professional experience and areas of expertise. Find out how long will the first session will take, and how many appointments there are likely to be. Ask who should attend the sessions, and what each session will involve. It’s perfectly okay for the behavior professional to not initially commit to a specific long-term lesson plan, especially before seeing the pet, but he/she should be able to tell you what is going to happen during the first visit.

Remember, if you are uncomfortable with the behavior professional during the initial phone conversation, it will not be easier when it comes down to actually working together.

Price/Location

What the cost of the behavior modification program, and what exactly does it include? An initial visit? A follow-up visit? A written treatment protocol? Phone support? Included services will vary from professional to professional.

Find out where the behavior professional wants to see your pet. At your home, or at his/her office or facility, or at another location? There are excellent behavior professionals around the world, but owners are usually limited to finding one close to their home. Depending on where you live, you might find someone local, but don’t let that be your only criterion. Sometimes it is necessary to drive an hour or more to take your pet to a behavior appointment.

If the problem persists after the visit(s), does the behavior professional offer any type of follow-up program? What is the cost of follow-up visits, phone calls, or email support?

In Conclusion

Finally, beware of promises of easy fixes and guarantees of complete success. No one can guarantee the behavior of another living, breathing creature, and behavior modification by its very nature requires time and commitment on the part of the pet owner. If you take the time to choose a behavior professional carefully, you will greatly increase the effectiveness of the behavior modification process.

What Happens During A Behavior Consult?

Most behavior consultations are conducted in the clients’ home, though if a home visit is impractical, arrangements may usually be made to meet at another location (e.g., a training facility, a veterinarian’s office).

After arriving at your home and greeting you, your family and your pet, the consultant will sit and ask you several questions about your pet. This will provide a detailed behavioral profile, along with information about daily routines, lifestyle, training history and health issues. The consultant will also interact with your pet in order to gather more information about his/her temperament, reactivity, and responsiveness to training attempts. It is worth noting the consultant will usually want to see your pet’s worst behavior, so there is no need to be embarrassed if the pet acts “rude” or out-of-control. The one exception is when there is a risk that the pet may harm (i.e., bite, scratch, knock over) the consultant. In that case, you will need to restrain your pet by a leash, in a crate, or behind a secure barrier.

The interview, along with the consultant’s direct observations of your pet’s behavior, will be the foundation for the development of a customized behavior-modification plan. And so the second part of the consultation typically will focus on explanations of treatment options and training techniques. Specific training exercises will be demonstrated, and written instructions may be provided. Questions are highly encouraged. The goal is a clear practical plan of action that the whole family can agree on and commit to implementing.

It is often beneficial for the entire family to participate in the discussions. This can foster compliance by each family member, a key component to the success of any training program. At times, though, parents may wish to exclude young children, either because they may get bored or because the discussion in some cases may include sensitive issues such as re-homing or euthanasia.

Initial behavior evaluations typically last between 1½ and 2½ hours. Follow-up sessions tend to be briefer, usually about 45 minutes to 1-hour in length.