Veterinary Behaviour & Training
Dr Debbie Prattley
Most of the animals I’m asked to see have changed their behaviour – of course, that’s how they let us know that something is wrong in their world! Understanding animal behaviour underpins all veterinary rehabilitation. Sometimes, in addition to the hands-on treatments, pain relief and other therapies, we also need to help our pets and horses overcome boredom, fears, anxiety and confusion.
Brain games
Whether you have a pet recovering from surgery who needs to be kept confined, an older dog that can’t walk far any more, or a horse on stable rest or unable to be ridden, there are still lots of activities you can do with them. These include tricks, scent games, and often simple and safe exercises that double up as rehab activities.
Keeping our animals happy is important, even during times when they can’t be as physically active as they’d like to be. Mental stimulation helps to keep them occupied and takes the edge off for animals who are normally very physically active. They also love the one to one time they get to spend with you, which makes a big contribution to their emotional wellbeing – and to yours, as well!
scared or anxious pets
There are many situations that can upset our animals. I often work with pets and horses who are worried about being touched and handled. This can make grooming, nail trimming, vet visits and other activities very upsetting for them. I help you to turn these situations into things your animals can enjoy. We focus on positive reinforcement methods, and pay close attention to how your animal is coping as we train. It’s much better to make slow and steady progress than to try and force them into doing something they’re scared of. I also work in conjunction with animal behaviour vets for animals who need the extra level of care they offer.
physical Exercises
We typically exercise our animals by walking our dogs and riding our horses. There are other options though! Therapeutic exercises are used for particular purposes, such as for strengthening and improving balance, coordination and mobility. However, these exercises are also a really good way to spend time with your animals. They tend to love the one-on-one time with you, plus the food and toy rewards they get. They get mental stimulation learning new things AND use their bodies in a healthy way. We can usually use equipment that you have at home or can find at an op shop or low-cost store. You can see examples of rehab exercises on my YouTube channel.
Training principles
I’ve always had an interest in animal behaviour and training, and have done extra study in this area too. My animals are all trained using positive reinforcement, and get really excited about our sessions. As soon as I put any equipment out my dogs jump on it with wagging tails and VERY alert looks. They start barking if I’m not ready to go fast enough! Training is always responsive to the needs of the individual animal and owner – it’s not just about training your animal, but helping you to become a good trainer too. It’s one of those challenging but enormously rewarding skills to have.
Please get in touch for an appointment if you’d like to learn to train your animal to do exercises, brain games, or cope with the challenging situations in their lives.