Behaviour Support
Does it feel like no matter what you do, things simply aren’t changing? Maybe you’re worried about what your dog may do next, or things getting worse? Sometimes the challenges you’re facing with your dog can go beyond what everyday training alone can help with. This is often because there’s a deeper, underlying reason for why your dog is acting the way they are.
Through taking a closer look into what has been happening, I can help you understand the ‘how’s, ‘why’s and what to do next!
IS Behaviour Support What You Need?
Do you dread your daily walks because of how your dog reacts to other dogs? Maybe you have to brace yourself every time they spot a squirrel or a cat, or you fear complaints from your neighbours because of how much your dog barks when someone walks past your house?
While these things are all very different behaviours, they each have something in common; they are all usually small pieces of a bigger picture. As a qualified Behaviour Specialist, I’m trained to get a better idea of what that bigger picture is, working together with you and learning more about your dog to help prevent things from getting worse and to get you on the right track for positive change!
Some examples of issues that require Behaviour Support instead of Everyday Training alone include (but are not limited to):
Dog to Dog ‘Reactivity’ - Your dog reacting to another dog in an alarming or concerning manner.
Prey Driven Behaviours - Reacting or ‘switching off’ when around prey animals such as birds, squirrels, cats, livestock etc.
Barking - While barking is a natural behaviour for dogs, there is a difference between ‘normal’ barking and a not-so-normal amount or intensity.
Separation Related Issues - When a dog struggles to cope with being left alone, or without a certain person present.
Guarding Issues - When a dog feels the need to protect something they see as valuable - be it food, an object, a person or a place.
Car Chasing - Chasing after, barking or lunging at vehicles as they pass by.
‘Aggressive’ Behaviours - Any behaviour that includes or feels like it could build to growling, snarling, snapping or biting.
Fearfulness/Anxiousness - When your dog reacts to something in a fearful or panicked way, or avoids something in a way that suggests they are scared or uncertain.
Sometimes it can be hard to tell whether you need everyday training or behaviour support…
This is because it’s not unusual for the things we would usually resort to everyday training for help with to actually be another symptom of some of the above things, or of an underlying issue, such as intense pulling on the lead, ‘not listening’ to cues or eating things they shouldn’t be. If you’re unsure of whether you need Everyday Training or Behaviour Support, book a free call with me so we can explore the options!
Behaviour
Support Options
Get in-person (within the catchment area of East Kent) or online support for your dog’s behaviour - check out the options below for my pricing and packages!
Initial Consultation
Start your behaviour journey here:
check Initial Behaviour Consultation - A 90-120 minute (1.5-2 hours) session available either in-person or online via Zoom, where we will discuss the behaviour in depth and come up with a behaviour support plan that works for you.
Then:
check Behaviour Support Plan - A tailored support plan that will help to break down; potential causes for the behaviour and underlying factors; the training and management steps going forward (including prevention techniques, new training & skills to learn, and how to set your dog up for success); and, where applicable, recommendations for further clinical involvement and support.
Full Consultation Price:
£260
Check with your dog’s insurance provider as you may be able to claim back the cost of behavioural support!
Follow-Up Sessions
Pay
Monthly
Subscription payment:
check One (1) Follow-Up Session Per Month - 1x 60 minute session to continue to support you with the steps outlined in your plan, available online and in-person. £80 per month
check Two (2) Follow-Up Sessions Per Month - 2x 60 minute sessions to continue to support you with the steps outlined in your plan, available online and in-person. £160 per month
Session
Packages
Pay Up Front:
check Three (3) Follow-Up Sessions - 3x 60 minute sessions to continue to support you with the steps outlined in your plan, available online and in-person. £240
check Six (6) Follow-Up Sessions - 6x
60 minute sessions to continue to support you with the steps outlined in your plan, available online and in-person. £480
Pay-As-You-Go
Pay Per Session:
check One (1) Follow-Up Session - 1x 60 minute session to continue to support you with the steps outlined in your plan, available online and in-person.
Pay-As-You-Go Price:
£85
All Behaviour Support Options Include:
check Initial Behaviour Support Plan & Updates - A tailored support plan that will help to break down; potential causes for the behaviour and underlying factors; the training and management steps going forward (including prevention techniques, new training & skills to learn, and how to set your dog up for success); and, where applicable, recommendations for further clinical involvement and support.
check Whatsapp support between sessions - where you can get questions answered, resources shared & footage of your progress reviewed (within business hours).
Plus:
check Written &/or Video training resources - to help with practising exercises between sessions.
check Progress & achievement tracking - to help you see the changes in your dog’s behaviour.
check Enrichment, Training, Behaviour & Troubleshooting Guides - so that you can understand your dog’s needs, the best ways to train, how to refine your own skills, and what might be going on in their brains and bodies that will influence their behaviour.
check Blank Printable/Digital Training Templates (Progress Tracker, Training Planner, Enrichment Menu etc.) - making it easier to keep on top of what we will be working on.
READY TO Start?
How It Works
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step 1.
When you click the ‘Book Now’ button below you will be taken to the contact options below. I find starting off with a ‘free call’ is a great way to start, as it gives us a chance to ‘break the ice’ and for you to ask questions, as well as to help determine whether Behaviour Support or Everyday Training is the way forward, but you can also fill out my in-depth Behaviour Support Form or chat to me on WhatsApp as a way to get started as well, if a Free Call doesn’t suit.
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step 2.
After we’ve established the best way forward you will be sent a summary of the behaviour services and relevent information for your next steps, a link to the Behaviour Support form to be filled out (if you haven’t done so already) and a link to booking and payment for our initial session together. The form must be completed before our initial session and in as much detail as you can provide, as these are key to my fact finding and Risk Assessment.
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step 3.
Our first session will take place either via Zoom or in person and is approximately 1.5 - 2 hours long. This is the time when I will ask any questions that have been inspired by your answers to the questions in the Behaviour Support form and give you opportunity to elaborate on or discuss anything you wish to. We will then have time to discuss initial preventative and supportive advice going forward as well as potentially introduce some exercises to get started with.
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step 4.
After our first session you will receive a Behaviour Support Plan containing; a summary of what we covered & my evaluation including potential causes for the behaviour and underlying factors; the plan going forward, including ways for prevention and new skills to help manage situations, and, where applicable, recommendations for veterinary, Clinical Animal Behaviourist (CAB) or Veterinary Behaviourist (VB) involvement.
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step 5.
Depending on the recommendations from our initial session, we can now start to work on the new skills, understanding and management techniques that are a key part of helping with the behaviour and keeping everyone involved safe. These sessions will be approximately 60 minutes long and will take place either in-person or online via zoom, behaviour depending. Your plan will continue to be updated with new observations and progress tracking.
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step 6.
Where CAB or VB involvement is recommended, I can help you through this process by providing recommendations of professionals for you to decide from and contacting them alongside you. The process from there will depend on the professional and how they work, but many are happy to either work alongside me, or refer you back to me with a Behaviour Modification Plan that I can then help to implement for you.
FAQs
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My catchment area is the distance I am able to travel to see you in-person. Currently this area covers:
Herne Bay, Canterbury, Whitstable, Faversham, & Thanet
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With behaviour work there is usually an underlying reason why your dog acts the way they do. These reasons can include; what they’ve been bred for, something they’ve experienced previously, what their early puppy development was like, a strong emotional motivation (like fear or frustration) and, in some cases, pain or a medical reason.
The ability to ‘fix’ the behaviour will depend on many different factors. Sometimes the behaviour will resolve once some changes have been made or once the underlying issues have been addressed and ‘solved’ (where possible), other times behaviour modification will need to be put in place, which works to change how a dog feels about something (which is usually where CAB or VB involvement is needed).
Ultimately, though, I cannot make any guarantees when it comes to your dog’s progress, however, I am committed to helping both dog and owner to get the best results possible, with welfare always my top priority.
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This is not something any qualified and ethical profession will be able to tell you.
There are so many factors that go into how long it takes behaviour change to happen, including the behaviour itself, the underlying causes, how strictly the training plan is adhered to, any adjustments that need to be made, aspects in your own life, the involvement of other professionals and simply uncontrollable factors such as situations that may happen which make the behaviour worse or create a set-back.
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Sadly, the dog training and behaviour industry is currently unregulated, meaning that anyone can call themselves a trainer or behaviourist, regardless of qualifications and experience, which is something I believe needs to be changed, for the safety of all dogs and their owners.
However, as an Animal Behaviour Technician with the ABTC, I have been assessed and accredited to be able to work with behaviour cases, and I am currently studying towards my Level 6 qualification in Clinical Animal Behaviour. I also often work alongside Clinical Animal Behaviourists (CABs) for more complex cases, so you can rest assured that you and your dog are always in safe, capable, accredited hands. You can find out more about the different definitions for animal professionals by visiting the ABTC website here.
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Accessibility for disabilities is vital and something I believe in strongly. Please be sure to let me know of any accommodations you require in advance - you will be prompted to do so during the booking process but if there is anything you forget to include, please email me - and I will do everything I can to ensure these are met.
LEt’s Get Started.
Ready to start your behaviour support joruney with me? Book a free call with me, fill out the Behaviour Support Form or choose one of the other options below and I will be in touch shortly! I can't wait to hear from you!