Barking! Peeing on my bed! Growling at strangers! Not using the litterbox!
Why does my pet do that? How can I get them to stop doing that!? Studies indicate that as many as 90% of pet owners would like to change some aspect of their animal’s behavior. Often, this dissatisfaction leads to a breakdown in the human-animal bond, and may cause owners to consider relinquishment or even euthanasia. Animal Behavior Insights was founded to address just these sorts of issues.
Socialization and obedience training are wonderful, worthwhile things to do with your pet. In fact, training is one of the best bonding experiences you can have with your pet. But what happens when this doesn’t solve your problem? Pets with severe behavior problems don’t respond when in an obedience class setting. Trainers are rarely equipped to deal with abnormal behavior. Obedience training is geared towards shaping voluntary behaviors, ones the animal is in control of. When an animal is afraid, anxious, aggressive or compulsive, they are not in control of much, or even any, of their behaviors. Traditional training methods don’t help the problems that these animals have. When an animal has a problem that is rooted in temperament, hormonal, developmental or genetic reasons, sometimes their very quality of life is at stake. It isn’t fun or even safe for that animal to feel the way they do, and continue to perform the undesired behavior.
Your pet is not hopeless, or a lost cause! While established behavior problems are difficult to “cure”, most respond well to behavioral therapy and can improve dramatically. Owners and animals can usually be helped to where the behavior problem no longer plays a prominent, detrimental role in their lives. In effect, the owner’s goals can be met and the animal’s quality of life can improve.
