You will initially need to fill in a home-completed questionnaire. The more information about your pet’s behaviour you can provide the better. What may not seem so important to you, or even irrelevant, may be integral to unravelling the causes for your pet’s behaviour as well as providing an important insight into your unique family situation. Recommendations can then be tailored as far as possible to your particular home circumstances.

Once you have completed the questionnaire and returned it to the practice, Carla will contact you via telephone to arrange a mutually convenient appointment time for your consultation to take place. All adults within the household should ideally attend the consultation if possible, as well as your pet.

Following the consultation, Carla will write up a report to include a review of the main concerns, explanation for the behaviour, detailed behaviour modification programme, and any additional advice sheets. This will be sent out to you either via post or email depending on your preference. Once received, the report should be read carefully. If you are unsure of anything in the report, you should contact the practice and speak to Carla.

In addition to your written report, you will also receive 6 months additional telephone or email support. This is an important part of your consultation process and we encourage you to utilise this service for the following reasons:

• Any new problems can be discussed as soon as they arise, and your plan adjusted accordingly.
• Your progress can be checked and further advice given if necessary to ensure the plan is being followed correctly.
• It is sometimes necessary with more complex problems to address the most concerning issues initially. We may plan to revisit other problems at a later stage, once this has been done.
• Making changes to your pet’s behaviour can sometimes be difficult and you may find it hard at times to maintain motivation. Talking through any problems may help you to put these into perspective and provide you the necessary boost to continue to progress with your pet.

Some behavioural changes can be associated with clinical conditions. These may require medical treatment solely, or a combination of this and behavioural therapy. Carla works closely with the veterinary surgeons within the practice to provide the necessary support for your pet’s individual needs.

Many Pet insurance companies will cover for behavioural conditions, but you are advised to contact your specific insurance provider directly to check if your particular policy covers your pet for this type of treatment. We are happy to complete pro forma claim forms in advance of your consultation if this is appropriate.

Please be aware that behaviour modification is not a quick fix. Successful treatment requires hard work, consistency and lots of patience from all members of the household. It is important therefore that everybody at home is committed to making the necessary changes to allow improvement to happen.

Only kind, reward based methods are used in any behaviour modification plan. Carla does not advocate the use of any props, training equipment or techniques, which may intimidate, cause pain or promote fear in your pet.

Behaviour problems in cats tend to be less noticeable to owners due to their nature. Cats may often become more withdrawn which can result in them spending more and more time hiding or resting away from their owners. This may be the only sign of an underlying behavioural problem. They will also in many cases, utilise a flight response to anything they find frightening rather than involving themselves in any physical fighting. Because of this there can often be underlying friction between neighbourhood cats or even cats in the same household, which goes un-noticed by owners. However, this can be the cause of considerable stress and anxiety for the cat, which in turn can result in other undesirable behaviours arising.

Common problems include:

• Spraying in the house
• Indoor urination and defecation
• Scratching carpets and furniture
• Aggression to people, neighbourhood cats, other pets
• Aggression to other cats within a multi-cat household
• Fear/phobia
• Attention seeking
• Over grooming

Dog behaviour problems can have a huge impact on family life. Not only affecting the owners, but also friends, neighbours and society at large. Problems can vary enormously in complexity and also severity. There is often a difference in perception of these behaviours from one owner to another. What is acceptable behaviour to some may be unacceptable to others. Problem dogs can also fuel dog prejudice amongst the non-dog owning public. In some cases of aggression, injuries can be caused to a third party, which may then result in law involvement.

Common problems include:

• Vocalisation at home/in the car
• Destructive behaviour
• Aggression towards people, other animals or other dogs
• Sound sensitivities and phobias
• Fear of new/novel objects
• Guarding toys/food or stealing items
• Chasing
• Socialisation/training problems
• Separation problems
• Handling problems, such as aggression when groomed or on veterinary examination
• Attention seeking
• Sibling rivalry