Latest Images
|
Best Behaviour offers a holistic approach to behaviour problems.
|
My career in the weird and wonderful world of animal behaviour began in 2001 when I chose a wonderful sweet and sleepy puppy from a litter - or so I thought!! I spent so many evenings tearing my hair out in complete frustration as she turned into a complete horror before my eyes. There were so many problems I didn't know where to start and I'm sure people thought I was just making it up, because she spent all day at work sleeping! So, I started to read books - lots of books - and tried all sorts of different techniques, with varying degrees of success. I asked lots of people what I was doing wrong, but nobody really seemed to have the answers. I did however find a wonderful trainer, whose classes I attended regularly for around 3 years. She helped me realise that I had a very bright and fast dog, who was way ahead of me every minute of every day and she helped me to get the situation under control. I learnt so much about training methods and dog psychology from her and probably one of the most important lessons about how food can affect a dog enormously. On a natural diet she was still challenging, but much calmer and less 'OTT' about everything. At that point a little light bulb went on in my head and it was to shape the way I went on to develop my knowledge and methods. Cassie went on to complete her Kennel Club Good Citizen Gold award and I was extremely proud of her and myself for the achievement, as there was a point I thought it would never happen I was also studying for a degree in Animal Behaviour and Welfare at the same time as I was doing the Good Citizen training and Canine Studies City and Guilds Level II. During that time I also did voluntary behaviour work for clients of Shuttleworth Veterinary Group and worked with Rescue dogs at Bleakholt Animal Sanctuary, so I was doing extensive studying and practical work for around three years. The practical experience was invaluable, as I had worked with so many dogs and people during the three years of study that I felt confident about going into business as a Dog Behaviourist when I completed my studies. However, the training didn't end there!! I had realised during my period of study that there was something missing from my learning experience and I went in search of answers. That is when I discovered Tellington Touch and finally found the missing pieces of the jigsaw. It is the perfect complement to positive training techniques and helps animals to learn, relax and actually change themselves, rather than having bad habits merely managed or controlled by strict training. I have found it speeds up training programmes and encourages a good healthy bond between animals and people.
Treating an animal holistically (as a whole) means you can work on several things together and tackle things which can be hard to see or are seemingly non-related. For example, if you consider the fact that posture affects behaviour, then by doing exercises to relax a dogs back, they may not feel as ready to raise their hackles so quickly, which then means they are slower to react negatively with aggression, therefore giving you the chance to train a new behaviour, because you have that slight gap where they can think before they react. A behaviour may have several combined influences, so a multifaceted approach is less restrictive and more effective than a single method. Complementary therapies such as flower essences, essential oils and Tellington Touch treat the animal from within and as a whole, which encourages a better outcome to behavioural therapy as everything doesn't then rely on training alone.
|
