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​Dog behaviour service Oxfordshire 

Are you finding some of your dog's behaviour increasingly difficult to manage?  Is your dog showing signs of fear, anxiety, frustration, reactivity, inappropriate toileting, guarding objects and locations, unruly, destructive or other undesirable behaviour?  I can work with you and your dog to carry out a full assessment and to develop a flexible plan to help modify your dog's behaviour. Commitment, consistency and building positive associations for your dog will be a central part of this process. A key aim of the service is to reduce anxiety, fear, impulsivity and excitement and to promote a calm environment within which learning can take place.  Your dog's welfare will always be treated as paramount.  Visits to assess and provide support with dog behaviour issues in Oxfordshire are currently charged at £45 for 90 minutes with a small additional charge for travel over ten miles distance.  This includes a behaviour plan following an initial assessment and any email or telephone contact between visits.  Any subsequent visit during a three month period would be charged at £35 for 90 minutes (plus travel if applicable).      

What you can expect:-

Assessment of your dog's behaviour

​This includes carefully listening to your own concerns and feedback, and drawing on veterinary information and direct observation of your dog's body language and interactions. Consideration will be given to the circumstances under which the behaviour occurs as well as the potential causes to create a plan to modify your dog's behaviour which is as effective as possible and gives you the strategies you need to deliver it.  

 Canine consultation visits *

Visits give the opportunity for me to assess, to provide advice, and to demonstrate positive strategies and techniques for managing your dog's behaviour.  Consultations are a two-way communication process, giving you the chance to ask lots of questions.  If you have any specific needs or requirements of your own please let me know.  

I will need to check and collect basic information on your dog's behaviour and medical history prior to a visit. This helps in my preparation, ensures that any potential medical cause of behaviour can be ruled out, and also that your dog has as calm and positive an experience as possible. ​

Dog behaviour plan 

A written copy of this will be provided to you.  The recommendations will vary depending on your dog's individual needs and motivations.  The plan is likely to cover the following:

• Safe management.
• Diet, physical exercise and mental stimulation.
• Structured training using kind and consistent signals, responses and boundaries that build on your dog's confidence, receptiveness and motivation.  This will make it easier for you to manage your dog's behaviour and to address behaviour issues since it will build on trust and give you more effective control.
• Reward based training to teach your dog an alternative, calm and focused response.
• Building positive associations for your dog with the people, animals, objects or situations with which they are uncomfortable.  This involves a step by step, gentle and graduated process that gives your dog the space and time to approach and deal with issues at their own pace.
• Socialisation and habituation.

* Please note that I am able to do visits as long as social distancing is possible.   If you need help, please do not hesitate to get in touch on fbcaninepotential@gmail.com.