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Behavior Counseling
Our pets have become increasingly regarded as members of the family at the same
time that our lifestyles have changed to include more 2-career families;
therefore, pets spend more time indoors and more time alone, receiving less
exercise and attention than previously when one family member was available to
supervise and interact with them. The result has been an increase in negative
behaviors on the part of our cats and dogs. In fact, whereas the animal shelters
across the country used to struggle to find spaces for the young cats and dogs
resulting from overpopulation, nowadays they find that their cages are full of
older, healthy animals who have been relinquished by once-doting owners due to
negative behavior traits that developed over time. For that reason, the number
of veterinarians specializing in behavior has increased exponentially.
We recognize that negative behaviors—incessant barking, house soiling,
separation anxiety, and aggression for dogs; destroying furniture and avoiding
the litter box for cats,--can rupture the human-animal bond and lead quickly to
frustration and finally to anger, and perhaps to the ultimate sad fate of
relinquishment. We do not want to see this happen to our patients! Therefore,
our wellness examinations include inquiries into your pet’s behavior in order to
determine if there are any developing problems, with the aim to eliminate the
causes and find remedies as early as possible before negative behaviors become
entrenched. We stress the use of positive training philosophies rather than the
use of punishment. We find that if we are notified of these problems early, we
can help the frustrated client reduce or eliminate the negative behaviors. If
there is an issue that, by its nature, requires more aggressive remediation, we
have a list of experienced trainers as well as access by referral to two
veterinary behaviorists and to Cornell
Veterinary School’s Animal Behavior Clinic for the more challenging
cases.
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