WHAT IS AN
ANIMAL BEHAVIOURIST
?
WHAT IS AN ANIMAL BEHAVIOURIST?
Animal Behaviourists know how animals think. Some people call us Pet Whisperers, others call us Animal Psychologists, Pet Psychologists or Behaviour Specialists. An Animal Behaviourist is professionally trained in the field of pet psychology. Animal Behaviourists understand how animals, think, feel and act the way they do. We know how to solve problem pet behaviours and can prevent problem behaviour from ever taking hold. The result is happier pets, happier owners and better communication between the two!
WHO IS OUR ANIMAL BEHAVIOURIST?
My name is Dionna Newton, I am an Animal Behaviourist. I help people to understand their pets and help them to solve behaviour problems often in just 90 minutes. As a trained Animal Behaviourist, I’ve worked with 100’s of pet owners across the UK, Australia and worldwide. Like Dr. Harry, I am a trained professional.
WHY I DEVELOPED ANIMAL BEHAVIOUR AUSTRALIA & HOW WE CAN HELP YOU:
I developed Animal Behaviour Australia to drive a mission: To change the way that people ‘talk’ to their pets.
I noticed pet owners in Australia face three main issues when it comes to dealing with negative behaviour in their pets:
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Lack of understanding: Most people don’t understand the root cause behind their pet’s negative behaviour;
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Lack of direction: They lack a proven humane method of fixing problems;
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Give up or look in the wrong places: They either put up with problems unnecessarily or, give up on their pet. They may try to fix problems by wasting money and time on so-called gurus or expensive dog training when they need to see a professionally trained, qualified and experienced Animal Behaviourist.
Because of this, Animal Behaviour Australia has developed and built an online consultation service and training platform accessible right across Australia. To teach you to understand and communicate with your pet.
We:
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Provide the understanding: We educate you on why your pet performs the negative behaviour(s) and teach you how to talk to them – we bridge the communication barrier;
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Provide direction: We spend time with you and your pet and show you how to overcome annoying behaviours;
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Provide qualified help in solving behaviour problems: A qualified, experienced Animal Behaviourist will help you to understand the root cause and to solve, fix and prevent behaviour problems.
WE TEACH YOU HOW TO HELP YOUR PET:
We know you love your pet, but sometimes they are a little misunderstood! We teach you with a proven online service, enabling you to get back on track.
WHAT WE OFFER YOU:
We are offering you the opportunity to meet one-on-one with a qualified Animal Behaviourist in your own home, at a time convenient to you, no matter where you live in Australia!
We assess your pet and your unique situation via video call. This proven method allows us to get to the bottom of the root cause quickly, enabling us to design a tailor-made treatment plan for you to work from. After your consultation, you are equipped with a full understanding of your pet's behaviour problem(s) and how to rectify their behaviour. With the tools taught to you by our Animal Behaviourist, along with time practising at home with your pet, you will be fully empowered to successfully change your pet's unwanted behaviour.
An Animal Behaviourist looks at what is driving your pet to perform the behaviour they are conducting. This requires me to think like your pet, to get inside their head, to unravel the underlying motivation(s) driving the problem behaviour. I understand what your pet is thinking and feeling and what is motivating them to perform the behaviour in question. Put simply, I look at the Why? Once I have determined the Why? I show you how to replace the unwanted behaviour in your pet with a suitable alternative behaviour that meets both your pet and your needs. The new behaviour is often far more rewarding for them. This way, you both get what you want and are both happy and content. Happy people, wagging tails, purring felines, I call it!
I use MHERA. A practical, easy-to-use, yet powerful approach that assists me in identifying key emotional aspects of problem behaviour and the factors reinforcing it and defines how best to approach precise treatment. I can design a Behaviour Modification Plan (BMP): a written road-map report that details the nature of the problem and specifies instructions on how to resolve it. BMPs are tailor-made to each case and are designed with the owner to ensure instructions are practical and achievable. No two cases I see are the same. Every plan designed is an unique as the pet and family in question. What I have learned over the years is, that no matter how big or small the behavioural issue, a solution exists!
I also help owners to get on the right path from the beginning, by helping them to avoid going down unnecessary problem behaviour paths. I conduct Behaviour Prevention Consultations, behavioural vaccinations I call them, and believe me, they are just as useful!
ARE YOU A DOG TRAINER?
No, I'm not. A Dog Trainer works with dogs with no behaviour problems and teaches them to learn specific basic (or advanced) skills or tasks. A Dog Trainer is a teacher and can help teach your dog it’s A, B, C’s… This is very important, of course, and is quite a different skill set. They can even teach your dog to get degrees in specific tricks if you want! An Animal Behaviourist helps you when your pet is healthy and knows its ABCs but is performing behaviour that is unwanted / embarrassing / or antisocial? We help when you are struggling with an aspect of your pet's behaviour.
Firstly, determine whom you require help from...
If you want to teach your dog obedience-related tasks (or to do a backflip!) call a Dog Trainer.
If you can’t understand why your pet behaves in an undesirable manner that is becoming problematic, call an Animal Behaviourist.
There are overlaps in the two professions because they are linked. If necessary, Animal Behaviourists and Dog Trainers work together to help you with your pet. A Dog Trainer can help you put in place the plan your Animal Behaviourist has designed for you and your pet.
A professional pet behaviourist is qualified and trained in animal psychology. We often work alongside your vet to help your pet. My job requires me to act as a detective and I love it! I often work with dogs and cats, but I can help rabbits, guinea pigs and birds too.
Animal Behaviourists conduct one-on-one sessions with an owner and their pet. The session is not ‘training’ focused in the normal sense; behaviour training is very different from dog training. Animal Behaviourists rarely run dog training classes, however, a few do.
Dog Trainers teach specific functions, e.g. sit, stay, heel, etc. Dog Trainers typically run group dog training classes, and also perform one-to-one dog training classes.
Your Animal Behaviourist can work with your Vet, and your Dog Trainer to help you with your pet.
MY QUALIFICATIONS
People often ask me how I studied to become an Animal Behaviourist. I am originally from the UK and have a Bachelor of Science Honours Degree. My Honours project focused on animal behaviour. I started training in animal psychology at university and then trained specifically on Pet Animal Behaviour through the Centre of Applied Pet Ethology (COAPE) – a training college that specifically teaches Pet Animal Behaviour. I was lucky enough to be trained by some of the behaviour greats, such as Peter Neville and Val Strong. I have worked in Veterinary Clinics for decades as an Animal Behaviourist.
I studied Veterinary Nursing at the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons in the UK, to give me the medical insight necessary. I need to know what is healthy and unhealthy from a medical perspective in case a medical issue may be contributing to certain behaviour. Depending on the nature of the problem, it might be necessary for me and your vet to work in unison. However, it is specific training in animal psychology that makes me an Animal Behaviourist.
I have worked as an Animal Behaviourist for over two decades now, but never stop learning. A professional Animal Behaviourist conducts continued professional development (CPD) every year because our field is advancing at a fast rate of knots.
THE MOST COMMON QUESTIONS CLIENTS ASK BEFORE BOOKING:
HOW CAN WE HELP YOU?
At Animal Behaviour Australia we are committed to rectifying the cause of your pet’s behaviour problem, giving you a problem-free pet. Dealing with symptoms alone does not rectify the underlying cause or address motivating factors resulting in your pet’s unwanted behaviour. Seek help to address BOTH the cause and symptoms, by booking a Behaviour Consultation for your pet with our Animal Behaviourist. A targeted treatment plan will be provided for your unique pet and particular situation. Each pet and situation is different, therefore, every plan developed is different. A Behaviour Consultation is less costly than you might expect. Get help for your pet. BOOK NOW!!