Our New Behavioural Service and Trainer!
Happy and Healthy Pets
Milton Village Vet warmly welcomes Becky Emans as the newest member of our behavioural management team. Becky has a Bachelor of Science in animal behaviour and Cert III in captive animal management and is Delta Society trained. She is currently enrolled in the Delta Institute’s certificate IV in Companion Animal Services.
Becky will be running our four week Polite Puppy Preschool [8 to 16 week old pups] course on Wednesday afternoons followed by a junior [>16 weeks old] class. She will also be available for house visits and consultations for both dogs with minor problem behaviour and those with serious behaviour problems diagnosed by one of our veterinarians. Please call the hospital for further information.
Behavioural trainers like Becky provide advice based on sound scientific principles and being present during the crucial learning phase means she can identify and help solve problems before the human-animal bond breaks down. She will teach owners how dogs learn, how to monitor and respond to their dog’s body language and help them to create a safe and relaxed environment for optimum learning outcomes. Importantly she will teach owners how this can be achieved ethically with positive reward based operant conditioning.
Why all the fuss about behaviour?
Did you know that the leading cause of mortality for dogs under the age of three is behavioural issues. Milton Village Vet’s goal of both “Happy and Healthy Pets” means we want to be actively involved during the key puppy learning period from 8 weeks to 12 months of age when so many behaviours both genetic and learnt are established. Our aim is to help owners raise emotionally stable, resilient and self-confident dogs.
Obedience versus Behaviour Training
It seems the same but isn’t. A dog can be extremely obedient but internally anxious. Obedience trainers are usually not interested in whether the dog feels scared, eager for a reward or comfortable and relaxed, they just want the physical act of the dog with their rear end on the ground. Behavioural trainers are more interested in the emotional state of the dog and how that interferes with their ability to sit quietly and calmly.
