Do I Need A Behaviour Consultation?If your dog is fearful or anxious, aggressive or has other problems, then you need a behaviour consult with an educated professional, these are usually problems that require more than teaching ‘sit’ or  ‘stay’.A dog behaviour consultation with Natural Dog Behaviour can help you understand the problem and why it is occurring, but most importantly how to fix it.This isn’t dog training!  Dog training deals with specific skill sets like sit or leash walking, a behavioural consult deals with the emotional and psychological state of your dog and conditioned responses.  We will evaluate what is causing the problem and how it is triggered.  This specific analysis will help you quickly understand the root of the issue.  Once we have fully assessed the problem, we will then prescribe a plan of action to get you on the road to recovery.   This page will help you make that decision.

Please submit a request here:
Natural Dog Calgary Edmonton

 

 

Prior to Consultation

Prior to our visit, we will have a chat by phone so we can get an overview of the problem. Then we will direct you to an on-line history form, this will cover critical information about your pets health, fitness, training and behaviour problems. This information will save time make the consult a more streamlined process. This form must be submitted prior to our visit. You may even be asked to provide pictures or video of your dog at this time, but this will be at the discretion of the behaviourist.

** ALL CONSULTS ARE PRIVATE AND CONDUCTED IN YOUR HOME.

Consultation

During consult we will be assessing your dog and it’s behaviour, We will also be assessing you and how you communicate. We will not be blaming or lecturing, simply measuring. We will also explain the problem behaviour in more detail so you have a thorough understanding of what it is, how it developed and how we change it.

The assessment information establishes a ‘baseline’ for the problem which will then allow us to formulate a treatment plan. We will then show you some exercises to get us started in reshaping your dogs behaviour
Treatment Plan – Homework

During the consult you will be shown specific exercises and given advice on how to start changing your dogs behaviour.  It may be suggested that you book a follow-up session or enroll your dog into one of our full programs.  Your behaviourist will discuss this with you in detail and provide the information required to make an informed decision.
Follow-Up Sessions (as required)

During these visits we will take you through the therapy plan step by step. Working with you and your dog so there is a thorough understanding of what the techniques and therapies are, as well as understanding of how that therapy will help the overall problem.

In order to change a pet’s behavior, owners often have to first modify their own behavior. A lot of problems occurring in dogs is in response to triggers provided by the owner, directly or indirectly: this means being aware of how you are with your dog.

Depending upon the severity of the problem owners are encouraged to book 2-3 additional follow-up sessions to ensure consistency. It takes practice and teamwork to reshape behaviour, if you become lazy or ambivalent to the process no change will take place: that we do guarantee.

Please submit a request here:


Natural Dog Calgary Edmonton

 

 

Fees

Initial Consultation: $225.00 (2 hours)
– $60 for each additional 30 mins

Follow-up Sessions: $120.00 (60 minutes)
– $60 for each additional 30 mins

Please submit a request here:


Natural Dog Calgary Edmonton

 

 

Book a Consult

Please follow these steps for booking a behavioural consultation with Natural Dog.

1. Submit Booking Request: This is the essential first step in getting help for your dog. Please provide plenty of detail – “my dog is aggressive” isn’t enough information.

 

Please submit a request here:


Natural Dog Calgary Edmonton

 

 

2. Follow-up Email and Phone call: We will provide you with an email or phone call within 24 hours of your initial request. During this we will discuss your problem in more detail and book your consultation date and time. We will also accept payment at this time.

3. Submit History Form: You will be emailed the history form prior to the consult. This form contains detailed questions about your dog, it must be submitted prior to the scheduled consult. This form allows the consult to proceed more smoothly and saves time. Please feel free to provide any pictures or video that you think would be helpful.

4. Pre-Consult Instructions: We will send you some specific instructions on how to prepare for the consult. These may include interim exercises that will help you deal with your problem before the behaviourist arrives.

** In emergency cases of aggression or biting, please call immediately

 

Please submit a request here:


Natural Dog Calgary Edmonton

 

 

Consult FAQ’s

How do I know I need help?
Determining if you need help isn’t as difficult as it may seem. You simply need to ask yourself the following question: Does my dogs behaviour diminish his (or mine) quality of life? If you answer yes to one or both of these, then you need help.

If you are unsure and need advice on how to proceed, please call:

Please submit a request here:


Natural Dog Calgary Edmonton

 

 

 

What if I need more help?
We advise that clients plan to book 2-3 additional follow-up sessions in order to ensure success. In cases of severe aggression or fear/anxiety issues this may require more sessions and ongoing support. Owners must be prepared for this, but we will apprise you of that early in the process.

Who should be involved in the process?
For the consults, we require that only the primary people in the dogs life be there. We may need to involve your veterinarian if there are medical/pharmacological issues that need to be discussed, but we do that only as needed.

What if I live out of the Edmonton or Calgary area’s?
We do service all of Alberta, so if you need our services please do not hesitate to contact us. Please click here for more information regarding out of town clients: Out of Area Information

How is a dog behaviourist different from a dog trainer?
The things that are taught by dog trainers involve tasks like sit/stay or leash walking: this is considered a skill set or skills training. Dog behaviour is a collection of behaviours influenced by genetic, social, situational and environmental causes: it is affected by emotional (although limited), psychological and neurological state of your dog. Problems behaviours can even effect its ability to perform skill-sets.

Applied animal behaviourists have highly specialized training and/or advanced degrees in dog behaviour. This is required so clients can get the right information to fix the problem instead of relying on myths, conjecture, punishment or TV personalities.

What if I can’t afford to hire a behaviourist?
Each year, more dogs under the age of 3 yrs are euthanized due to behaviour problems than illness and injury combined! Behaviour issues must be taken seriously and given the same priority as a broken leg – you wouldn’t put that off would you? If you have a concern over your ability to afford the care your dog needs, please call us. However, DO NOT subject your dog and its problems to unqualified people just to save money – it will cost you more in the long run.

Do you give guarantees?
No. Working with behaviour issues is often difficult and challenging, it requires dedication and commitment to the process. There are many factors that determine success, not the least of which is you the OWNER. Avoid dog trainers (a credentialed behaviourist would never offer a guarantee) who ‘guarantee’ they can fix your dogs behaviour problem – we aren’t repairing coffee-makers, dogs are living breathing organisms with sometimes many complicated factors determining any given behaviour.

 

Please submit a request here:


Natural Dog Calgary Edmonton