Consultation
Currently, you do not know which way to turn. You have been questioning if you need professional help, or should try and continue to struggle on your own. At some point, your dog seemed to improve so you held off. But now his reactive episodes are becoming more frequent and intense.
This is now having a significant effect on you and your family's life, not to mention the damage to the relationship between you and your dog. There is no question that you love your dog, but a lot of the time you do not enjoy their company and often resent them.
If you are experiencing the following you need professional help.
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Questioning your dog's behaviour, not sure if it is something that can be helped.
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Your social life and family life have been affected by your dog's reactive episodes.
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You feel lost and in a fog, not being able to see a way out.
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Don't know how to handle your dog's behaviour on a day-to-day basis.
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Are overwhelmed with emotions, exhausted by it all.
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Have had discussions about rehoming or having your dog put down!
Don't let the stigma hold you back!
One of the biggest reasons owners hold back from seeking professional help is that it involves them admitting out loud that they have a 'reactive' dog.
There is a massive stigma attached to the label 'reactive'. This is due to a lack of knowledge and understanding by the general public and badly constructed media. You see, reactive dogs are not naughty dogs who seek joy in upsetting their owners. Often we find the root cause is emotionally driven, undiagnosed illness or discomfort.
This said it is still extremely hard for owners to reach out and seek help, I know! I have been where you are right now. Unfortunately, my experience with professional trainers and behaviourists at the time was not a great one. I was made to feel like 'just' another dog client. There was no sympathy or connection.
When you are at your wit's end with your dog's behaviour and you finally pluck up the courage to pick up that phone or send that email, you need to be met with professionalism, sympathy, and non-judgmental advice.
That's where I come in!
In-depth behaviour consultation
As a fully qualified Behaviourist and Dynamic Dog Practitioner, my consultations differ significantly from the traditional approach.
I will take a deep dive into all aspects of your dog's life to establish the root cause of the behaviour. Some areas I look at are; diet, health, training history, previous experiences, relationship dynamics, behaviour, and environment. I also include a functional assessment and look at how your dog goes about his day-to-day activities. How he eats, drinks, walks, rests, plays, and moves in general can tell me a lot about what is going on for him physically, which may or may not be contributing to or causing the behaviour problem.
What to expect from an in-depth behavioural assessment
1) An initial call to establish what is going on for you and your dog, and to talk you through the process.
2) Liaising with your vet to obtain your dog's medical history and to give them a heads-up that we will be working together. We may need your vet's support later on.
3) History gathering: A simple form for you to complete before the consultation itself, this helps to give me a head start and a baseline to work from.
4) Behaviour observation: where possible and where safe to do so, I ask that you get video footage of your dog’s behaviour for me to analyze.
5) Deep dive – This is a 90-minute fact-finding session where I gather all of the information I need to get a good understanding of why your dog is behaving the way he is.
6) Functional assessment – I will ask you to gather specific videos and photos for me to view to help support our findings from the deep dive.
7) Report – I will put together a report to help you understand your dogs behaviour, summarise things discussed in the consultation and support the functional assessment. Where applicable a Veterinary report will be put together to supply to your vet with clear evidence of potential physical areas to be investigated or contributing factors affecting the behaviour of your dog.
8) Feedback zoom – 30-minute chat to talk through the findings, discuss our next steps and go through the proposed treatment plan
Consultations can be done virtually or in person depending on your location. Canine Reactive will advise which is most appropriate depending on the behaviour problem presented. If there is a risk of bite or the dog will become too stressed or anxious with a stranger in the home, then you will be advised on a virtual consult.
Virtual consultations are recorded and a copy can be sent to you for future reference.
Prices
Virtual £195.00
In-person £215.00 ** Visits outside of a ten-mile radius are subject to a fuel charge at 50p per mile**