Initial Consultation

Led By Accredited Clinical Animal Behaviourist Antonella Marsicano, MSc, ABTC-CAB, CCAB

Book a free 20min introductory call.

Following the call, the first step is to book a face-to-face behaviour consultation with our dog behaviour specialist and certified clinical animal behaviourist, Antonella Marsicano. Each consultation has been designed to help with a particular situation ranging from how to help you with the arrival of a new puppy, training your dog successfully, and addressing complex behavioural problems (e.g. nervous / anxious dogs, aggressive dogs, dealing with fear aggression, food aggression in dogs, and fear aggression with strangers).

 

Foundation Package (Behaviour&Training)

Consultation lasts up to 2hrs & includes 2 x 1 hr training session. It is designed for puppies that need help with generalised training and dogs with a specific behavioural issues (e.g leash reactivity, excessive barking at the doorbell).

  • This service can be booked with or without a vet referral, depending on the behaviour problem presented.

    It includes a total of 4hrs split as following:

    • Initial consultation

    The initial meeting takes up to 2hrs during which we'll explore your dog's history, personality and temperament, to conduct a thorough behavioural assessment, and build a training programme tailored to your dog. This consultation takes place at your home or via video-call if deemed necessary for safety reasons and your dog’s wellbeing.

    • 2 × 1hr training sessions

    Following this, you'll have two one-hour training sessions to kickstart the training process. We will discuss during the consultation where to hold the follow-up sessions as this will depend upon the training tasks we have agreed to work on.

    • We cover all of London zone 1, 2 and some areas further away. So feel free to get in touch regardless of where you live in London as we might be able to help.

    If you have a vet referral, all pet insurance companies cover our fees. Please check your policy to see if you can claim.

    • You will be asked to complete brief questionnaire about your dog’s behaviour issues prior to the assessment.

    • We may also ask you to provide us with your pet’s clinical history and vet referral.

    • We ask that all members of the family be present during the initial consultation.

£560

Behavioural Assessment (Vet Referral)

Consultation lasts up to 2.5hrs and includes 2 follow-up video-calls.  It is designed to assess complex behavioural issues (e.g. dog to dog aggression, human aggression, biting history, fear-aggression, generalised anxiety) .

  • The consultation focuses on understanding your dog's behaviour problems and their possible causes.

    We will discuss the best ways to address these issues, which may involve changing their environment, training required, safety & risk assessment, referring back to the veterinarian for further exams, and/or suggesting extra training sessions.

    • The consultation can take up to 2.5 hours.

    It will take place at your home or via video-call if deemed necessary for safety reasons and your dog’s wellbeing

    • 2 x 45min follow-up support via video-calls

    Ideally to be booked within 8 weeks of the consultation.

    You may be asked following the initial consultation to collect some data (e.g. dairy or videos) of your dog’s behaviour/training before the calls to assess your dog’s progress and modify the behaviour modification programme accordantly.

    • We ask that all members of the family be present during the consultation if possible

    • Support handouts information provided

    • Following the consultation, a written report summarising the assessment for your referring vet and pet insurrance (if applicable) will be provided.

    If you have a vet referral, all pet insurance companies cover our fees. Please check your policy to see if you can claim.insurance companies. However, please check your policy to see if you are eligible to claim.

    • A referral from your vet

    • We will require your dog’s clinical history prior to the assessment.

    • You will be asked to complete a comprehensive questionnaire about your dog’s history prior to the assessment.

£450

FAQs

  • When dogs bark, lunge and growl, they're trying to put more space between themselves and the stranger. One of the most common reasons is because they feel threatened, anxious or even in pain. Basically, instead of showing signs like avoiding approaching the person, looking away, tail tucked between their legs or putting their ears back, which we easily recognise as a dog that is scared, they choose the “fight” response.

  • You should never correct growling. It's your dog’s way to communicate that they are stressed or unhappy. If you punish your dog for growling, it will only inhibit his ability to communicate with you - and you won't have done anything to address the underlying issue.

    If your dog starts barking or growling at a stranger, stay calm. Turn their attention away from the stranger by reassuring them in a calm voice and rewarding them when they stop barking. If you're concerned about your pet's behaviour towards strangers, keep them on the lead when walking and safely in another room when strangers entered your home.

    Consider booking a consultation with our certified clinical animal behaviourist to help you get to the root of the problem and find the best solution to tackle this issue.

  • Our dog behaviour consultants are experts in dog communication and experienced positive reinforcement dog trainers. During the consultation, they will do a thorough assessment of your dog‘s behaviour by gathering information about all aspects of their life, including their medical history, to analyze how and why your dog is feeling that way, what is their motivation, and then propose a solution tailored to your dog.