Behaviour
Today, behaviour problems kill more pets than any infectious disease. Every year millions of pets are abandoned, relinquished, abused and neglected. Many of them end up in shelters, in the street or killed. An important number of these individuals could be saved if owners were better informed about their pet's behavioural needs through competent sources.
Pets are an integral part of family life and their unwanted behaviour cause their human family distress, which in turn may lead to relinquishment and euthanasia.
Veterinarians play a vital role in guiding pet owners in the right direction. Behaviour problems can involve complex conditions that require behaviour counselling, home visits and regular follow up by a certified professional. This is where a qualified animal behaviour consultant can help.
What are Life Skills?
Good Life Skills help to prevent common behaviour problems later in life. Teaching your pet these Life Skills will of course take consistency and commitment from you. With routines and habits you bring structure to the life of your pet, which in turn will help him to learn and to develop into a balanced individual.
- Strong bond with one or several humans
- Good self-confidence
- Able to listen, focus and learn
- Solid recall - coming when called (dogs)
- Controlled leash work (dogs)
- Able to settle when necessary
- Play and interact appropriately
- Polite manners around people and other animals
- Comfortable being handled, touched and groomed
Behaviour Problems and Problem Behaviour
These are examples of behaviour issues that our pets suffer from:
- Agression, fear, anxiety, stress, phobia
- Separation and hyper-attachment
- Destructiveness
- Puppyhood
- The aging pet
- Indoor marking/house-soiling/litterbox
- Nocturnal activity
- Barking/vocalizing
- Car travel
- Feeding and diet
- Self mutilation
- Hyper excitement
- Biting, scratching, resource gurading
- Multi-pet households
- and more...