Melanie Daniels V.N. DIP CABT Animal Behaviourist.

Welcome to my web pages. I am a COAPE (Centre Of Applied Pet Ethology) qualified Companion Animal Behaviourist. I am also a member of Sarah Whitehead’s Inner Circle, the UK’s first and only online CPD platform supporting behaviourists and trainers to be the very best they can. I offer professional behaviour therapy consultations for dogs and cats. The areas I cover are Hereford, Ross-on-Wye, Abergavenny, Monmouth, Newport, Merthyr Tydfil, Aberdare, Cwmbran, Pontypool, Chepstow, Knighton, Presteigne, Brecon, Kington, Leominster and Ledbury. On occasion I am able to travel further afield. I assess and treat behavioural problems in cats and dogs and have over 15 years experience. Combined with my previous career as a Veterinary Nurse and working in animal rescue, I have a wide range of knowledge and skills to be able to help you with your cat and dog behaviour problems.

Dog and Cat Behaviour Problems.

The sort of problems I deal with include:

• Phobias and fearful behaviours e.g. fireworks and thunder
• Aggression or reactivity towards people or other animals-barking, lunging, growling or biting
• Relationship problems between animals in the household
• Introducing a new dog, or cat to other pets in the household
• Nervous and fearfulness
• Toileting problems
• Separation problems
• Resource guarding- a dog preventing you or others access to resources that are important to him e.g. food, toys, bed, people, other dogs, by displaying a range of behaviours
• Marking / Spaying / Soiling

I work with you and your cat or dog in your own home, where it matters. Every dog, cat and family is different and so it is important for me to see your relationship at home. I hope to help restore harmony for you and your dog or cat and create a strong and happy relationship.

My behaviour visits are fully covered by professional indemnity and public liability insurance.

Behaviour Visits

After making contact with me, we will briefly discuss the problem you are having with your dog or cat’s behaviour. A medical check up with your Veterinary Surgeon will usually be recommended (unless it is a training problem) before a behaviour visit takes place. This is to ensure that there are no underlying medical problems which are causing or contributing to the behaviour. Once I get an idea of the problem and feel that I can help you, I will send you a behaviour questionnaire to be filled in and returned before the visit.

The visit takes place in your home so that I can assess your cat or dog in their normal environment. I will be looking at how your dog or cat interacts with the family, their daily routine and what is motivating/reinforcing the behaviour. I will also look at your dogs breed specific characteristics. I will  be open and honest with you as to what I feel we can achieve. You will be given a treatment plan which fits in with your families lifestyle and your dog or cats needs.

I will provide on-going support and help via telephone and email. It can take time, patience and commitment to alter an animals behaviour.

I am up to date with the most current science-based information. I will be using scientifically sound, effective and kind methods and techniques which includes reward based training, and behaviour adjustment training.

There are usually no magic ‘quick fixes’. Unfortunately television programmes can make it look like there are! I do not use aversive methods of training such as water sprays, rattle tins, or any kind of shock collar.

Positive reinforcement training should increase the bonding between you and your dog, not destroy it, which is what can happen with punishment based training.

Puppy visits

After listening to feedback from so many people after a behaviour visit who say that they “wished they had known what they know now” when their dog was a puppy, I have put together an easy to understand puppy visit specifically for puppy owners. Get your puppy off to the best start and learn about the following:

• Puppy socialisation and habituation – to help your puppy grow into a confident, well balanced dog.
• Crate training – to help with toilet training, quiet time and to teach your puppy to chew the appropriate things.
• Toilet training – helping your new puppy understand the appropriate place to toilet.
• Play biting – understanding what this is, and how to deal with it.
• Jumping up – teaching your puppy an alternative way to greet you.
• Educating you – to avoid behaviour problems as your puppy gets older. e.g. teaching him how to be left alone without getting distressed.
• Diet – how this can affect your puppy.
• Techniques – to prevent possessiveness with food and playing appropriately with toys, settling down when needed.
• Breed Traits – to understand and help to prevent the wrong behaviour’s being learnt and to channel your puppy into the correct games and fulfilment for his individual needs.
• Recall – The first steps in teaching your puppy to want to come back when called.

A puppy visit is a small investment that will give you the right information to help your puppy develop into a a well balanced, confident dog which will benefit you and your puppy for the rest of his life. If you have two puppies or have been thinking that your new puppy will learn everything he needs to know from another adult dog in the household, please think again!  You need to work even harder to ensure that things work out for you all. If you are interested please get in touch with me via the contact page.

Areas I cover

I cover Hereford, Ross-on Wye, Abergavenny, Monmouth, Newport, Merthyr Tydfil, Aberdare, Cwmbran, Pontypool, Chepstow, Knighton, Presteigne, Brecon, Kington, Leominster, and Ledbury. On occasion I am able to travel further afield.

Please contact me for further information.