In the previous episode, we explored Becky and Craig's initial experience of seeking help for Drax, the challenges with finding a professional service and the strain associated with having a loved one with behavioural issues.

In this episode, we look at how we tend to structure our pet behaviour service, especially with regards to identifying where clients are in relation to what is known as the Cycle of Change. This views change as a process not an event and there are several stages involved. It begins with contemplating change (before that we are in a state of precontemplation and thus not considering changing); we then need to help clients make the necessary preparations for change (e.g. developing key skills they will need) if we wish them to succeed making long-term changes; only then are they in a good state to take action (which is what most behaviour advice texts focus on); finally we need to consider the support required by clients to help them to maintian this action.

We take this "process perspective" of change and thus do not rush into action straight away. It is important to us that clients appreciate this process and what is involved, and we recognise that this is not necessarily the way things are done by others. Our first consultation is very much focused on helping owners understand the nature of the problems they face, managing risk and laying the ground work for change. We can only help clients if we can help them build their capabilities and motivations, while enabling opportunities for them to develop the behaviours needed to help their pet. We elaborate and discuss this furtehr in this episode.

We hope you enjoy the episide.

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In this episode we pick up from where we finished Episode 1. We discuss in more detail the minefield that is the unregulated fields of animal training and behaviour.

We explore Becky's and Craig's experience of seeking help from various sources for the behaviours that Drax was exhibiting. We discuss how things progressed; but more importantly, how they each felt on this part of their Odyssey.

We highlight the stresses and strains associated with owning a pet with problem behaviour and introduce the listener to the value ofa validated ‘pet caregiver burden’ questionnaire. Milly and Daniel discuss how important this can be to us, as clinicians, in hleping us understand the nature of the stresses felt by a client, and how this can shape the focus of the assistance we give as a result. We illustrate this by discussing the results of the questionnaire which Becca completed for us. This described how she felt before coming to the Lincoln Animal Behaviour Clinic, and also how things changed as we made progress. This not only helped us, but Becca also explains how important this was to her, Craig and ultimately Drax too!

You can read a bit more about the questionnaire here: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1558787823000576

Footnote for those seeking professional support:

If you are in the UK and would like help with your pet’s behaviour, we encourage you to seek professional advice. A list of Certificated clinical animal behaviourists, including the presenters of this show can be found at www.ccab.uk/.

You can also find further details of the Lincoln Animal Behaviour Clinic at animalbehaviourclinic.lincoln.ac.uk/.

In Europe, if you want to find a veterinary behaviourist you can find a list of Diplomates (individuals who have the highest level of training available in the field) at https://www.ecawbm.org/diplomates-list.

In North America, you can find a directory of certified applied animal behaviorists at https://www.animalbehaviorsociety.org/web/committees-applied-behavior-directory.php and board certified veterinary behaviorists at: https://www.dacvb.org/search/custom.asp?id=4709.

#petbehaviourodysseys, #whatmakesyouclick #PBO

Episode 1: Welcoming a dog into your life – the Odyssey begins

In this episode we introduce you to Becky, Craig and Drax.

We find out how Drax came into Becky's and Craig's life, including the emotional background that so often underpins the decision to acquire a pet. We discuss their love and joy with Drax during these early days in their home, before they felt that things were not turning out quite how they had expected and hoped. Their love and commitment persisted, but the joy became tinged with sadness and frustration as they started to feel there was a problem that was seriously impacting their quality of life.

This led them to navigating the unfamilar and unchartered territory of training and behaviour, as they tried to get professional advice and support.

Who should they turn to for help?

Footnote for those seeking professional support:

If you are in the UK and would like help with your pet’s behaviour, we encourage you to seek professional advice. A list of Certificated clinical animal behaviourists, including the presenters of this show can be found at www.ccab.uk/.

You can also find further details of the Lincoln Animal Behaviour Clinic at animalbehaviourclinic.lincoln.ac.uk/.

In Europe, if you want to find a veterinary behaviourist you can find a list of Diplomates (individuals who have the highest level of training available in the field) at https://www.ecawbm.org/diplomates-list.

In North America, you can find a directory of certified applied animal behaviorists at https://www.animalbehaviorsociety.org/web/committees-applied-behavior-directory.php and board certified veterinary behaviorists at: https://www.dacvb.org/search/custom.asp?id=4709.

#petbehaviourodysseys, #whatmakesyouclick #PBO

Find out more about the new spodcast series eries Pet behaviour odysseys exploring the experience of having a problem pet, focusing especially on the client’s experience. The series is hosted by myself, Daniel Mills, Professor of Veterinary Behavioural Medicine at the University of Lincoln, and my colleague at the Lincoln Animal Behaviour Clinic, Clinical Animal Behaviourist, MillyJones. Each week we are joined by Becca and Craig, who have been on a pet behaviour odyssey, with their little dog Drax, who had a combination of both separation related problems and interdog reactivity.

Each week, we examine a different part of Drax’s family’s journey and we hope the series will be of interst to anyone who might be challenged by their pet’s behaviour and those who help others in these situation.

#petbehaviourodysseys, #whatmakesyouclick #PBO

Pet behaviour odysseys is a podcast series exploring the experience of having a problem pet, focusing especially on the client’s experience. Each week myself, Daniel Mills and my colleague at the Lincoln Animal Behaviour Clinic, MillyJones, are joined by a family who have been on the pet behaviour odyssey.

The current eight part series is dedicated to the journey associated with an adorable little daxi called Drax and his family – Becca, Craig and their young daughter. Drax came to us with a combination of both separation related problems and interdog reactivity.

Each week, we examine a different part of Drax’s family’s journey and we hope the series will reassure and inspire anyone who might be challenged by their pet’s behaviour. We also hope it will be of interest to those working in this field as I know it can sometimes appear to be a lonely and at times stressful profession. Whatever your situation, I hope you appreciate that you are not alone.

#petbehaviourodysseys #whatmakesyouclick

#petbehaviourodysseys, #whatmakesyouclick #PBO

In this episode I get to chat with longstanding friend, journalist and best selling cat author, Celia Haddon, with whom I have recently co-authored my latest book "Being your cat - what's really going on in your feline's mind" (https://www.amazon.co.uk/Being-Your-Cat-Inside-Felines/dp/178840405X/ref=monarch_sidesheet). I learn that trying to interview a journalist is not an easy thing to do, and perhaps the tables get turned on me. We discuss a lot of cat literature and out views on living and also writing about cats. Hope you enjoy it.

#petbehaviourodysseys, #whatmakesyouclick #PBO

Bob Cook is a pioneering equine veterinarian and emeritus professor at Tufts University, working in the field of ear, nose and throat medicine, who has championed a reconsideration of how we interact and communicate with horses. In his career he has identified many performance and medical problems which he was the first to attribute to the use of the bit. I got to know Bob, through his work on headshaking in horses and his work directly inspired some of my own PhD on this topic (and coincidentally 2 other people I worked with also called Cook! another point we discuss in this chat) I was therefore very privileged when he reached out to me quite a few years and asked if we could collaborate on some work he was doing. This was eventually published as: Cook, W. R., & Mills, D. S. (2009). Preliminary study of jointed snaffle vs. crossunder bitless bridles: Quantified comparison of behaviour in four horses. Equine veterinary journal, 41(8), 827-830. Bob has been pioneering a move towards bit-free riding for many years and we discuss this at length, along with his concerns about the bit and so much more. We also discuss shoes and saddles. I hope you enjoy the discussion.
We mention a few websites and details are below.
https://worldbitlessassociation.org/resources/
I would particularly recommend his recent publications here:
https://worldbitlessassociation.org/resources/does-use-of-a-bit-endanger-the-health-and-safety-of-horse-and-rider-professor-robert-cook-july-2022/
https://worldbitlessassociation.org/resources/the-effect-of-bit-induced-pain-in-the-horse-on-the-feelings-of-riders-about-riding-2022/
another great article we refer to can be found here: https://en.weltexpress.info/2021/09/29/pain-free-horsemannship/
Bob has always been willing to discuss his ideas and share his knowledge so it was a treat for me to finally catch up with him face-o-face through this chat. You can check out his website here: https://bitlessbridle.com/

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I catch up with Turid Rugaas, who I first met at a conference at Cambridge, where she introduced her ideas on calming signals and reading dogs to many people in the UK for the first time. I immediately got where she was coming from, unlike some of the audience, as we both remember. We get to chat here about her early life (with horses) but also the issue of control, and our shared concern over what seems to be a growing tendency not to allow a dog to make mistakes, and learn from them. A focus on control using external reinforcement might not be helping dogs develop emotional resilience. A great chat.

#petbehaviourodysseys, #whatmakesyouclick #PBO