Behaviour Modification & Correction
Having extensive experience working with various behavioural issues in many breeds of dog, stemming from our backgrounds in dog rescue and veterinary nursing, we are able to offer our clients a tailored service using a balanced approach to suit the individual needs of both dog and owner. We regularly work with issues including but not limited to; aggression, anxiety, chasing/prey drive, destructiveness, food and toy possessiveness, attention seeking, nipping etc.
Behavioural Consultations
In order to discover the best method to use when working with your dog's behavioural issues, you firstly have to understand the underlying reason(s) why the dog behaves the way it does! Aggression, for example can stem from many underlying causes; anxiety, frustration, prey drive, resource guarding, physical pain etc. And you have to determine the cause in order to effectively resolve the issue!
As the saying goes; there is more than one way to skin a cat! and what works for one dog to combat a particular issue may not work for another dog with a similar problem, - like us, dogs all have different personalities and you have to be open minded to using various potential methods and 'tools', so that the method your dog responds to best can be determined and applied accordingly.
Initial consultations usually last betwen 1-3 hours.
1-2-1 Modification Sessions
Following an initial consultation, we work with your dog to discover the method your dog responds to best in changing the undesirable behaviour into a desirable behaviour. We will tailor an 'action programme' to suit the needs of your specific situation, so that you can follow on from where we leave off - though of course we are always there to offer extra support and more hands-on help where needed.
Changing a behavioural pattern is hard work - it takes a lot of time, patience and effort. There is no such thing as a quick fix (unless the issue really isn't a behavioural problem at all) and we are not miracle workers! What we aim to do is provide you with the necessary tools, knowledge and techniques to carry on from our initial kick-start on the road to achieving what you want from your dog!
Long Term stays - 'Dog Borstal'
If you are having real difficulty in dealing with your dog's behavioural issues we can offer longer term rehabilitation to really get a good start on the road to recovery, so that by the time you collect your dog from us the effects of it's behavioural issues are much reduced, if not completely erased.
As stated above, there is no quick fix in changing behavioural patterns, and dogs often associate their owners with their undesirable behaviour. Therefore they can regress back to their old habits if the rehabilitation programme is not carried forwards and continued with. For that reason, we still strongly advise a bit of 'owner training' on the last day of your dog's stay so that you can carry on applying the methods used to correct to your dog's behaviour that we have initiated. Refresher sessions may also prove necessary.