Dog training covers the basics and beyond so this includes training your puppy or adult dog how to come when you call it (recall), how to do various commands and tricks, sit, stay, down, drop, retrieve and so on. Training will also cover integrating dogs into society, getting them to walk nicely on a lead, to pass by strangers in the street without pestering them and some basics around interacting with other dogs. Training also includes specialist areas such as sports and hobbies, agility, gun dog, schutzhund, scent detection and tracking. It can also include getting your dog ready for the groomers or the vets or how to be comfortable being left alone.
Usually within the training there will be little hiccups along the way where the dog is learning new things and these are usually smoothed out without any real issues. Training is very much focused around the dog and teaching the handler how to do X, Y, Z and progressing through stages of difficulty. Training is usually fun, without stress and positive, results are easily achieved and while there is some problem solving there doesn’t require too much investigation into deeper issues around the dog’s life.
Behaviour is a different kettle of fish! Behaviour usually addresses pre-existing unwanted behaviours that the dog has picked up for whatever reason. These sorts of behaviours are generally a problem for the owner by causing inconvenience, pain, distress, trouble with the police or the council, or just general inability to enjoy your dog the way we all want to. Some people like to work on behaviour before issues arrive (sensible). Behavioural issues are broad but the most common problems we see are aggression towards other dogs, aggression towards strangers or family members, reactivity separation anxiety and generalised anxiety disorders, destructive behaviour, not getting on with other family pets, guarding of food, toys, people, OCD type issues, and the weird and wonderful in between.
Behaviour is so much more in depth than training because it often involves a large amount of information gathering, investigation and analysis. A behaviourist will review medical history, I often read the full medical history of the dog, I take a full history questionnaire, I look at the whole family and past trauma, diet, lifestyle, the parents of the dog, the litter mates, and any medication the dog is taking and their overall wellbeing. Resolving behaviour issues is often about looking at all these factors and tweaking many of them and getting the owner to change their outlook, handling, approach and methods as well as some basic training. Behaviour work needs a very different lens to training. Issues are often complex and numerous, for example dogs with separation anxiety may also have gut issues and resource guard their owners so we have to resolve all these things.
Behaviourists often want to know about sex status, hormones, neutering, and the relationships with each individual member of the family and the energy and attitude of the dog out on walks. Never underestimate how fast the cogs are whirring inside your behaviourists head when they are working with you and your dog! I certainly am taking in much more than what is happening on the surface, I am constantly reading between the lines and picking up on subtle information the whole time I am present. Information is key.
All this takes time and consideration. I will often spend a while pondering matters before I see the dog and after I see the dog, sometimes things are not crystal clear and it takes a lot of probing and curiosity to figure out what’s going on before we can even think about fixing it.
A consultation is followed up by a written report, regular contact and support and some follow up sessions. There may be a vet referral and communication with the vet or groomer or doggy day care and so on. The relationship lasts a while and support is provided along the way. We also provide emotional support when it is needed, and sadly if a dog needs to be rehomed or even euthanised this is something a behaviourist has to navigate.
We undergo a lot of training (certified behaviourists do anyway) and we are members of organisations whose code of conduct we have to abide by.
This explains why behaviour costs so much more than training. Behaviour work is very ‘heady’ for the behaviourist, it is a mentally draining vocation, we often take home our cases and it affects us outside our working lives. We are invested on a deep level.
