Animal Behavior Services

Preventative Behavior Services

Early intervention puppy and kitten assessments for animals under 16 weeks.  These visits are to discuss how to socialize your pet appropriately and to help you to prevent behavioral problems as they transition into adolescence and adulthood.

Puppy Socialization / Handling Classes

This 6 week class is available to veterinary clinics as a service they can offer to their clients.  Maximum number of puppies is 5.  This class is intended for puppies under 16 weeks of age to get them started on the right foot behaviorally.  Owners will learn basic dog body language, how to socialize their puppy appropriately and how to get their puppy to love being handled at the veterinary office and to take pills with ease.  Puppies will also learn some basic obedience commands.

Kitten Socialization / Handling Classes

This 3 week class is available to veterinary clinics as a service they can offer to their clients.  Maximum number of kittens per class is 5.  This class is intended for kittens under 16 weeks of age to get them started on the right foot behaviorally.  Owners will learn basic cat body language, how to socialize their kitten and how to get their kitten to love being handled at the veterinary office and to take pills with ease.  Kittens will also learn a few very basic commands.

New Pet Introductions

Adding a new pet to your home is an exciting time but it can be very stressful for the pet.  Planning ahead will make this transition much easier for all family members involved

Getting Ready for a New Baby

Adding a new member to the family is a busy and exciting time for everyone but this can be very stressful for your pet.  Making sure you have a plan ready well in advance will help to make everyone more comfortable with this transition

Behavioral Interventions

Desensitization / Counterconditioning

Pets often have difficulty with being handled or with grooming tasks at home or at the veterinary office.  There are a lot of things we can do to teach them that these tasks are tolerable and in some cases enjoyable.  If your pet won't allow you to brush them, trim their nails, brush their teeth or hates going to the vet I can help.

One on One Obedience Training

Some pets don't do well in a class environment for a variety of reasons.  If your dog is having trouble learning basic commands, pulling you on leash, barking excessively then we can work together to help improve these problems.

Behavior Consultations

For pets that have developed behavioral issues this involves a 1-2 hour meeting with all family members preferably in your home so I can observe your pet in it's natural environment and watch their behaviors close up.  This can also be done by Skype with videofeed if necessary for scheduling purposes.  During this appointment we will discuss what your concerns are with your pet, what your goals are, what goals are realistic for the pet and start working on a treatment plan that everyone can agree on.