LIVE SESSION 4th December 2022 at 6pm GMT
The visible behaviours we see in our dogs (the things they do!) are an expression of underlying emotions and needs. Understanding the intrinsic link between these and both physical and emotional wellbeing is vital not only for canine professionals in every discipline (and transformative for the clients we support) but can unlock an even greater level of wonderful for all of us in the way we share our lives with our special canine companions.
Feeling well, both physically and emotionally is an essential building block for happiness and great behaviour -and all these things together enable our canine companions to really flourish, particularly in the human-led environments they share with us. When any one of these goes off-course, the others tend to follow, but often what we see outwardly is just one small part and frequently the effect rather than underlying cause. Think about the dog who pulls on the lead or constantly jumps up, which is thought to be a training issue, but really is about that dog coping with pain, or the dog who is stressed about being left, or irritable about being disturbed, or obsessed with carrying a ball, who actually has gastrointestinal health issues.
I see so, so many of these dogs in practice, often with wonderful guardians who have worked really hard to do things well, sometimes alongside professionals with excellent skills - and yet progress is slow or just not what it should be... unpicking the link between health, emotions and behaviour is almost always the missing key.
We use a model called the Canine Thinking House of Harmony to help all our clients (both pet guardians and other professionals) understand the essential building blocks and benefits of taking a 'whole dog' approach, whether for teaching lovely pet manners or enabling easy, co-operative healthcare and grooming, to supporting highly complex or longstanding behavioural and medical difficulties.
In this presentation I take you through the model; the key concepts; and a step-by-step approach to building the foundations, using real case studies to illustrate how to join all the dots (and the difference doing this makes!).
We know that health in particular can feel like a really sticky topic for both canine guardians and non-veterinary professionals (and vice-versa for vets and behaviour!), but it is critically important. We'll take a look at some examples of common health issues like body pain and gut health and how they they may present through behaviours, including some of the early signs that can often be overlooked and never make it to the vet until they become more severe, by which time behaviour difficulties have also often become more severe and the dog has been in discomfort for longer than they needed to be.
The right knowledge and detective work can really aid in early diagnosis and a pro-active approach to wellness - and have a profound, beneficial effect on behaviour and on happiness as a result! Behaviourists, trainers (and other non-veterinary professionals) have a really important role to play in this and effective collaboration with veterinary colleagues results in overall exceptional support and results for the client and their dog. It doesn't need to be daunting either! We absolutely need to bring our respective skills and insights together - the difference we can make as a team is so much better than as individuals.
Please come and join me for an introduction to the Canine Thinking House of Harmony model, meet some of the wonderful, fascinating dogs that I have had the privilege to support and learn from and build your confidence with every aspect of a 'whole dog' approach to behaviour and wellbeing, whether as a pet guardian with your own dog or as a professional supporting clients - and let's celebrate truly enjoying life together with our dogs, in a way that feels great for both ends of the lead.
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