Fear-Free tip: Know who's training your patients

GETTYIMAGES/Anke Van wykOne of the greatest dangers facing dogs is the negative effect of behavior issues. When a dog isn't given the proper setup for socialization and training, or major issues like separation anxiety and aggression go unresolved, the dog's bond with their people suffers and the dog is at risk for surrender or euthanasia. 

Far too often veterinary hospitals and training services operate separately. A better approach: integrating training and behavior help within the veterinary practice to treat pets. 

The gold standard of behavior help is a veterinary behaviorist. You may also identify a certified applied animal behaviorist. Pet owners will seek your guidance when they're interested in a puppy or dog training class or looking for help to improve their dog's manners.

A study published in Veterinary Record in 2013 found that in 17 veterinary consultations with 6 different veterinarians clients brought up at least 1 behavior concern in each consult, adding up to 58 concerns in total. Of those 58 concerns, only 10 were addressed. More concerning: None of the concerns were overseen past the consultation to implement a plan to manage the problem.

Sometimes a hospital's only connection to training is a collection of trainers' business cards or contacts you pass to clients. But it's critical to know the type of training the trainers use. Ideally, your practice will work in collaboration with a reputable trainer, with your veterinarian providing oversight to better serve the pet. Or your practice may also opt to offer behavior services in-house. The key to success: Forging a close connection to integrate the veterinary and behavior services together rather than operating as separate entities. 

Unfortunately, some training professionals operate under the guise of “balanced training” or claim to use rewards while in reality they mix rewards with aversive and confrontational tactics. And aversive methods can lead to various problems, like increased anxiety and aggression. 

Before you develop a relationship with a trainer, answer these questions: 

>Is the trainer certified? And if so, by which organization? 

Find qualified professionals to use in hospital training or for referrals, such as a veterinary behavior technician or a certified trainer who has gained certification through a governing organization like the Association of Pet Dog Trainers, the International Association of Applied Animal Behaviorists or the Karen Pryor Academy. For more advanced cases it's wise to create a preferred list of referral sources that includes veterinary behaviorists and applied animal behaviorists. 

> Is the trainer committed to using the humane hierarchy in their practice? 

When recommending a trainer, look into their certifications, ask for recommendations from other veterinary professionals or even take their training classes. One marketing strategy training professionals often use is offering their classes to veterinary team members for free. So get in on classes to learn more about the trainer's techniques so you can make a proper referral even easier. 

> Will they work directly with a veterinarian and refer to a veterinarian when necessary?

Training classes at the hospital not only provide a rewarding experience, but can teach predictable behaviors within the hospital you can use during visits to get willing cooperation from pets and keep them calmer.

Why is veterinary oversight so important? To begin with, medical issues may contribute to behavior problems or elevate existing behavior problems. It's possible to miss the underlying cause without collaborative efforts and oversight by the veterinary team. And in some cases animals benefit greatly from medications to help address a behavior issue. Socialization and ongoing training make it easier to catch behavior issues early, before they turn into bigger problems.

Working with a trainer also moves you closer to providing Fear-Free veterinary visits. You can work with a trainer to decrease the anxiety a pet feels on a veterinary visit to reduce or eliminate the pet's fear of examination, handling and procedures. 

Remember, it's important to have the resources for training and behavior help, as they safeguard pets and people. Dogs that have attended puppy class at least two times before the age of 12 weeks had 1.4 times reduced risk of aggression towards unfamiliar people entering the house and 1.6 times reduced risk of aggression to unfamiliar people outside of the home.