Behavioural Counselling

It’s important to know behaviour counselling is not for “bad” pets. It’s a supportive service meant to ease your pet’s anxieties and treat their emotional health. These consultations are especially helpful for puppies, kittens and adopted pets. Our sessions help us get to know your pet, understand your lifestyle, and teach you both how to live together peacefully. To see how you and your furry companion can benefit from behaviour counselling, book an appointment by calling 250-591-4050.

What happens during a behaviour consultation?

We like to start the session by asking questions about you and your pet. We want to know where you got them, if you know their history or past owners, and how they have been behaving at home. Before you bring them in, keep track of any patterns in their behaviour. Do they show a fear of items, aggression towards certain people or destruction of property? This could indicate a past trauma and they’re simply responding to triggers. You may also notice excessive licking or pulling of their fur. These could be signs of stress, and we would like to get to the bottom of it. When we know more about your home life, we can discuss the behaviour modification skills you can work on and the kind of environment that would suit your pet.

How long is a behaviour consultation?

The length and frequency of behaviour consultations depend on you and your pet’s success. We like to set up a behaviour modification program that introduces your pet, step-by-step, to new conditioning. Pet owners will practice the exercises we teach them at home and return for another consultation. These follow ups allows us to track your pet’s progress and hear about effective or ineffective techniques. It could take a day, weeks or a couple of months before they fully assimilate. This depends on the severity of their behaviour. They will need lots of love and support during this time. We suggest scheduling follow up appointments every 4 to 6 weeks.