holistic
I am a Level 6 Canine Behaviourist specialising in complex cases where behaviour may be linked to underlying physical discomfort, stress, or reduced emotional wellbeing – particularly cases involving sudden behavioural change, escalating behaviours, or those showing limited progress despite previous interventions – behaviour that doesn’t quite add up.
My holistic approach means that I fully explore every possible cause of the behaviour you are seeing, with an added focus on identifying and analysing subtle movement, gait and postural changes that may be contributing to, or causing the behavioural issues. I help guardians understand the ‘why’ behind the behaviours they are seeing, removing the guesswork when deciding how best to move forward. Having an holistic approach that is rooted in the latest evidence-based scientific research, and has the physical and emotional welfare of your dog at its heart, contributes to longer-lasting and more effective behaviour plans that give you the knowledge and confidence to help you help your dog be the best they can be.
Working with a Behaviourist is both an investment and a partnership.
It’s an investment in your dog’s future that will give you valuable insight into the ‘whys’ behind the behaviours but also gives you the means to help you both move forward more successfully.
It’s a partnership because it’s not all me. It can’t be.
I can only guide, advise, and coach you. I can explain and teach you how to do things but you are the one who has to implement the plan every day for, potentially, a long time. Behaviour change doesn’t happen overnight and, like any partnership, you have to be committed to putting the effort in every day. It doesn’t even stop at the end of our time together because the partnership changes to become you and your dog.
You have to show up every day for them.
investment
behaviour package £744
2-3 hour Comprehensive Consultation and Assessment, covering your dog’s history/background, health, diet, sleep, breed needs, daily life/routine, behaviour struggles and the influencing factors behind those behaviours
Clear Summary Reports, Action Plans and Training Plans tailored to you, your dog, and your life together.
Movement MOT with Vet liaison.
5 x 1-1 Follow-Up sessions (typically an hour long)
Regular WA support for guidance and reassurance during and for 2 months post-completion, meaning you’re never left feeling stuck or alone between sessions.
Payment Plans are available on request.
FAQ
Most frequent questions and answers
- Behaviour work is for the dogs who are struggling with aspects of their life – they’re demonstrating big feelings and maybe big behaviours to go with it. You might describe their feelings as worry, anxiety, fearfulness, frustration, over-excited; you might use the words aggressive or reactive. You might describe their behaviours as lunging, barking, growling, snapping, jumping, mouthing, biting. At the other end of the scale, you might say your dog seems scared and runs away, cowers or hides. If any of these describe your dog, you need a Behaviour Package. I tend to think of training as teaching your dog how to exist in your world, training manners like coming back when called, walking nicely, not jumping up, being able to settle. Training can also extend to teaching your dog skills like agility, scent detection, hoopers, trick training etc – it’s all about teaching your dog how to do stuff. If you just need help with basic training like loose lead walking, recall, not jumping up, teaching your dog to settle etc then you need a Training Package.
- The proper name for a Movement MOT is a Dynamic Dog Assessment. It’s a process involving an in-depth investigation into your dog’s posture, gait and movement to identify any subtle changes or abnormalities that might indicate underlying physical discomfort. After a Deep Dive to find out everything I can about your dog, I then send you off with a list of photos and videos of your dog to collect which I then assess and analyse. The results are written up in a detailed Vet Report which is sent to your Vet to direct their investigations and get any potential underlying discomfort resolved/managed. See the Movement MOT for more information.
- Given that up to 80% of behaviour cases have underlying discomfort either as the cause of, or a significant contributing factor to the behaviour struggle, getting potential discomfort/pain identified and treated is essential. In many cases, it is often the missing piece of the puzzle. Think of physical discomfort as the cause and the behaviour itself as a symptom. To ignore potential discomfort and just push ahead with a behaviour programme is just treating the symptom and not the cause, making it almost pointless and a waste of everybody’s time and money. Progress/success with a Behaviour programme that hasn’t ruled out or addressed pain is often painfully slow and, perhaps more frustratingly, can often regress almost overnight back to square one again, and again, and again. It might be why you’re here now reading this – nothing has worked previously…
In your home predominantly, although later sessions may be taken out to a quiet public space to practise your new skills ‘in the wild’.
- Hmmm this isn’t an easy question to answer – there are many factors that influence behaviour – genetics, developmental periods, training methods, learning, life experiences and, of course, pain. If your dog has been struggling with the behaviours for many years, it will take considerably longer than if your dog has only been struggling for a few weeks. Progress relies on consistent implementation of the programme so if you don’t have much time to devote to the cause, then progress will be slower but if you focus your time and efforts into applying the guidance into everyday life, you may see results much quicker than you anticipated. If physical discomfort is part of the picture, then the priority will be to get that resolved/managed first. While this may initially delay progress in the beginning, you will find the training falls into place really quickly afterwards partly because now your dog feels so much better, they are in a position to learn but also because the cause or contributing factor has been resolved, the behaviour now feels less troublesome and easier to manage.
Nope. Working with a Behaviourist is a partnership – I do my best to give you the skills and information you need to help your dog, you do your best to implement the guidance and advice provided. I can give you all the advice in the world but if it isn’t followed through then it won’t work. However, it is also better to reframe what ‘success’ looks like. If you have a dog who has experienced some trauma at some point in their life, or has come from a less-than-ideal background, or has had an inappropriate or inadequate socialisation period, or has been doing the behaviour for years, you are unlikely to see success in terms of a complete cure. Instead, we should measure success in a different way – we are looking to reduce the frequency of the behaviours, the intensity of the behaviours, the duration of the behaviours and we want to improve your dog’s ability to recover and ‘bounce back’ faster. These are far better measures of success than an outright cure.
- No, but it is better value if you do. My Behaviour Package has been designed based on years of experience of what is really needed to achieve long-lasting improvements. Payment Plans are available on request.
I am science-backed and reward-based. I do not use tools designed to inflict pain or fear. The welfare of your dog is at the heart of everything I do.
I am a COAPE Animal Behaviourist (CCAB); ISCP Level 6 Advanced Canine Practitioner (ISCP Adv.Canine.Prac); Dynamic Dog Practitioner; ProDog Trainer (Absolute Dogs). I achieved all qualifications at Distinction level and often at the top of the class. I am a member of ICAN, CABTi, UK Dog Behaviour & Training Charter, and the Association of Dynamic Dog Practitioners – all of these organisations require that I undertake regular annual CPD to ensure my knowledge remains up to date and relevant.
I cover South Oxfordshire and West Berkshire primarily. Movement MOTs can be conducted anywhere in the world as they are entirely online.
CONTACT
I’d be happy to answer any questions you have.
Normal Working Hours (subject to change over
Holidays)
Sunday: Closed
Monday: Closed
Tuesday: 12.30pm – 7.30pm
Wednesday: 12.30pm – 7.30pm
Thursday: 12.30pm – 7.30pm
Friday: 12.30pm – 4.30pm
Saturday: 12.30pm – 4.30pm
info@sohelpmedog.co.uk
Please tell me a little about your dog and give a brief outline of the struggles you are currently experiencing, if applicable. Please let me know your postcode so I can see if you are in my catchment area.