Behaviour
At Cottage Veterinary Clinic we are passionate about providing your pet with excellent medical care while also ensuring your pet has a positive experience. We know that coming to the vet clinic can cause a lot of stress and anxiety in your pet so we try our best to minimise this through considerate and gentle handling, lots of treats and a calm environment. In those very anxious pets we can prescribe a calming medication to give at home before coming to the clinic to prevent them getting distressed at the clinic. We also run confidence clinics for those pets who need a little help to feel more at ease – click here for more information on these.
If you are concerned about your pet’s behaviour at home then we can help with this too. Are they anxious, reactive to other dogs or people, or showing signs of aggression? These types of behaviours can gradually get worse over time if they are not addressed and can effect both you and your dog’s quality of life so if you have concerns please get in touch.
Steps to Addressing Behavioural Problems:
- First of all we would recommend a full clinical examination by one of our vet team as often a health issue can cause pain which can really contribute to anxiety, aggression and reactivity to other dogs/people. It is essential to rule these out before starting any behaviour training program.
- We treat any visible health issues and monitor the response in their behaviour. Examples of health problems that can trigger these types of behaviours in your dog include ear infections, skin conditions, dental pain, arthritis, and back pain.
- If we cannot find any health issues then we sometimes advise a pain trial – some dogs are very good at hiding pain so we can only rule out if pain is contributing to their behaviour issues by putting them on pain relief continuously for a few weeks. We then monitor the response in their behaviour.
- If the behaviour continues despite treatment of any health conditions or a pain trial then we would strongly advise getting a trained and experienced behaviourist involved so they can help you to implement a plan to address the problems. We recommend Felicity Kelleher from ForPaws. See below for more information on Felicity’s services.
- Once your pet has been assessed by a behaviourist, we can also provide support through prescribing anti-anxiety or calming medications to improve your dog’s ability to learn and develop new skills through training. It is vital for you to be working with a behaviourist at this stage – anti-anxiety medication is very unlikely to work long term unless it is done in combination with training through a behaviour professional.
For Paws Dog Training and Behaviour - Felicity Kelleher
For Paws provides professional dog training and behaviour support tailored to meet you and your dog’s individual needs. Felicity is a Certified Dog Trainer (DipABST), Certified Canine Behaviour Consultant (CCBCC), Certified Separation Anxiety Trainer (CSAT), and Fear Free Professional.
She focuses on training dogs ethically, using force-free techniques and research-based methods to ensure effective and compassionate results.
Services include:
- One-to-one behaviour and training consultations
- Separation anxiety programs
- Puppy classes at Cottage Vets
With experience in dog sports such as scent work, agility, and trick training, collaboration with the DSPCA, and a focus on ensuring the well-being of your dog, Felicity brings a holistic approach to all cases.
For more information, visit www.forpaws.ie or email at felicity@forpaws.ie
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Hi, I’m Felicity, a certified dog trainer and behaviour consultant with a focus on ethical, force-free training.
I use research-based methods to design individualised behaviour plans that suit your dog’s unique needs.
Each Confidence Clinic starts with a 30-minute assessment consultation for just €25.
This session will help us understand your dog’s specific challenges and develop a tailored plan to improve their comfort at the clinic.
Ready to give your dog the confidence boost they need?
Book today!
- Call us at 045 434848 to schedule an appointment.
- Or email felicity@forpaws.ie for more details.
