Behaviour

Just as much as physical health, the mental health of our dogs is an important and potentially complicated subject. When our dogs are anxious, scared, destructive or even aggressive, it can really affect our enjoyment of living with them.

If you have any behavioural concerns about your dog, it is always worth a vet appointment first to rule out any potential medical cause e.g. the dog may be painful rather than grumpy!

For some more common behaviour issues (e.g. noise phobia), there may be advice we can give and products we can prescribe that will help your dog cope.

For more complex issues, we will recommend referral to a behaviorist accredited by the Association of Pet Behaviour Counsellors (APBC). Unfortunately anyone can set themselves up as a dog behaviourist or trainer, without any qualifications or experience, but the APBC is a self regulating body that ensures all members are trained and using only the most up-to-date and scientifically tested training methods.

The following sites may help:
https://www.apbc.org.uk/
https://www.rspca.org.uk/adviceandwelfare/pets/dogs/behaviour
https://www.bluecross.org.uk/pet-advice/dog-training

Please note that Special Friends Vets are not a rehoming organisation, and are unable to rehome your pet for you - however we will help where we can to point you in the right direction.