At Buttons & Leash Dog Training & Behaviour, we understand that finding the right behaviourist to help you and your dog isn’t always straightforward.
It’s important for owners to know what they should expect from anyone they work with, that’s why I’ve outlined how the Beyond Behaviour Programme works.
Step 1 – Free Assessment Call
The first step is to book a free, 30 minute assessment call with myself so we can discuss your dog’s behaviour and find out if we’re a good fit for each other. Over the years, I’ve come to realise that being able to work with a client is the most important factor when it comes to a successful outcome of a behaviour case.
During this call, we’ll discuss:
- Your dog’s behaviour (when it started, what triggers it and how it’s affecting you)
- You’ll also get the opportunity to ask me any questions you may have
- I’ll then recommend the best behaviour programme for you and how I can help
If you decide to go ahead (there’s no hard sell), you’ll be sent a signup link, where you can choose how to pay and then access your learning hub, where you can get ready for the assessment.
Step 2 – Comprehensive Dog Assessment
We begin by looking at your dog as a whole, this means not only looking at their behaviour but also their day to day life, health, environment & learning history.
By looking at your dog as a whole, we are better able to identify the root cause(s) of their behaviour and create a plan that is specific to them.
The assessment itself is split into 2 parts:
2 Hour in-person dog assessment
This is when I come to your home (if safe to do so) and discuss everything related to your dog. If safe to do so, we will also begin training important foundation skills here too.
Gait analysis (1 hour)
This forms part of the pain assessment and is where we record your dog walking and trotting to analyse any abnormal movements which form part of our vet evidence.
Alongside the above, we also look at how your dog handles stress, arousal and frustration and their effect on your dog’s behaviour. I will also review your dog’s medical history to see if any previous issues could be linked to their behaviour.
The most important factor of resolving aggression, reactivity and anxiety is to identify the root causes, this is the key to achieving lasting behaviour change.
Step 3 – Understanding & Root Cause Treatment
Once all of the evidence has been gathered, we move onto the understanding phase. This is where I give you a clear understanding of your dog’s behaviour through a behaviour pathway report.
This includes:
- Behaviour breakdown (what your dog is doing and why they are doing it)
- Immediate stress relief steps (simple strategies that you can implement to stop things getting worse and start making things easier for everyone)
- Long-term behaviour change pathway (a structured plan for you and your dog moving forward)
Alongside the behaviour pathway report, you will also receive a detailed veterinary report outlining any potential physical issues that could be causing your dog pain or discomfort, which may be contributing to their behaviour. This will include supporting video and picture evidence to make things easier for your vet.
To help you make sense of the veterinary report, we then schedule a Google Meets call where I explain everything and suggest what the next steps are. Once we are all happy with the next steps, I will then liaise with your vet to ensure any underlying health issues receive the correct investigation and treatment.
At this stage, you will also receive access to specific guides (once written) covering:
- How pain can affect dogs
- How to navigate vet visits
- Common treatment terms
- The importance of management and prevention
Step 4 – Ongoing Support & Training
Depending on the tier you go for, you will have access to follow-up training sessions, where I help you implement the long-term behaviour pathway. This begins once we have started addressing the underlying causes identified in the earlier stages.
These 1:1 training sessions are usually 1 hour long and take place in locations where your dog’s behaviour needs help most.
After each session, you will receive follow-up training notes (if required) along with video support for any specific training we have worked on.
In-between session support is available via email, text and WhatsApp and will last for the entirety of our time working together.
How I Can Help
If you’d like to find out more about how the Beyond Behaviour Programme can help you with your dog’s behaviour, you can book a free assessment call.
