Our Services

Adolescence

Owners often find that their perfectly well-behaved, good-mannered pup has turned into a little monster, that ignores them and has mysteriously picked up ‘bad behaviours’. Firstly, this is a totally normal phase for all dogs, but this is often a frustrating time for everyone that can unfortunately lead to a breakdown in the relationship between the human and dog. Emma can help you and your pooch through these difficult teenage years by rebuilding focus & trust, bringing back the fun, and setting your grumpy four-legged teen back on track.

General obedience

After house training general obedience is probably the next thing pet owners teach their dogs’ the usual ‘sit’ and ‘stay’ come to mind. Owners often say that their dog will sit at home, but ignore them in the park. If this sounds familiar, know that you are not alone because this is a common complaint we hear. Emma can help you teach your dog a solid sit, down, stay, drop-it, come, heel, plus so much more including the all-important but often forgotten STOP’ command.

Loose lead walking

Wouldn’t you agree that It isn’t fun when it feels like your dog is trying to rip your arm out of your shoulder socket; does your dog seem more interested in a squirrel or the smell of another dog’s wee than they are in you? It is often during these tug-of-war-walks frustration sets in for you and your dog, which can damage your relationship and can make walking seem more like a chore, than a choice. Walking your dog should be fun, an all-around enjoyable experience for everyone. Pulling and Tugging on the lead is another common complaint we hear a LOT. Let Emma help you put a stop to your dog pulling for the hills, and instead enjoy walking in your company.

Recall

Recall is such an important skill to have. Not only does it save you the embarrassment of a dog that apparently ignores you, but recall could ultimately save your dog from near death. Emma can teach you the fundamentals of recall by building solid focus on you, working on your dog’s impulse control, and ‘disengage’ techniques that will teach your dog that chasing something, or someone into the road is not a good idea and that coming back to YOU is a more rewarding and enjoyable experience.

Behaviour Modification

Behaviour modification is a technique which is used to change your dog’s behavioural responses’ or associations which can result in undesirable behaviours – so many come to mind! At Pets Assist, Emma uses a variety of techniques including habituation, desensitisation, shaping, classical conditioning & counter-conditioning. Emma is also a fan of the Premack principle which can be used in a variety of different scenarios to reward your dog for performing a low-probability behaviour – ALL of these methods are tried & tested, they are practised by other certified trainers & behaviourists alike & are science-back methods that really do work. Using force-free methods & rewards-based training, the end result is to change your dog’s emotional and psychological responses for the better. Behaviour modification takes time and a lot of patience to boot but Emma will be there every step of the way to guide you and your dog and ensure that you and your dog succeed.

Excessive barking

Do you have a dog that constantly barks, be it at the neighbours, other dogs or even directly into your face whilst you’re trying to watch TV or have dinner. Barking and howling are natural behaviours for dogs that you can never completely eradicate, but when the behaviour becomes excessive you can quickly find yourself in a living nightmare that can affect not just you and the family but everyone around you. A lot of pet owners do not realise that excessive barking is considered a behavioural problem. Behaviour modification is the most effective, long-term solution to tackle this behaviour. Together we can dive deep into the reasons behind your dog’s excessive barking and address the issues head on. Using some of the techniques we mentioned earlier, Emma will bespoke a plan for you and your dog to work through to push that pesky behaviour into extinction.

Aggression

Aggression is a natural and normal behaviour for some dogs. Dogs use a variety of warning signals & body language cues that are often missed or ignored by people or other dogs. Many owners however only seek professional help after their dog has bitten. Dogs are sentient beings acting primarily from self-preservation and will not intentionally set out on a war path. Dogs will therefore demonstrate ‘aggressive’ behaviours as a last resort, or when previous experience has taught them that this is the only way their needs are heard. Another reason for aggression could be health issues, unfortunately, dogs can’t tell us when they are in pain, and aggressive outbursts may be an attempt to protect themselves. Aggression is also often confused with fearful reactivity or anxious behaviours, after all, they look almost identical. Resource guarding is another form of aggression but is relatively easily resolved with the appropriate training. Getting to the root cause of the aggression is key to helping your dog overcome their learnt behavioural responses, behaviour modification is the only way to truly fix this problem.

Anxiety disorders

The most common anxiety problem dog owners seek help for is separation anxiety. Other anxiety disorders can manifest as Destructive behaviours, House soiling, Reactivity, barking, excessive panting or self-harm, pacing, Loud noises, hiding, stranger danger, & barking, plus some forms of aggression. All anxiety disorders are related to the same issue, fear & uncertainty. Anxiety disorders are unfortunately common in our dogs, and that’s not a surprise when you think about how much our lifestyles have changed over recent years, Covid lockdowns come to mind! Behaviour modification is key to tackling anxiety disorders, getting to the root cause of the initial fear or phobia, and helping your dog overcome stress triggers in a safe and controlled way enabling them to live a healthy happier fear-free life.