Pet Behaviour Services

Having a well-mannered happy pet as part of the family, does not necessarily “just happen”.  Stephen Terrace Veterinary Clinic provides a comprehensive Pet Behaviour Service to help pet owners achieve a vision of calm pets living in happy homes!

Dogs in particular, need training from a young age to ensure they learn manners when interacting with their humans as well as socialising with their peers and also other pets. The Stephen Terrace Puppy Preschool Programme is the perfect tool for any new canine addition to the family. And it is fun for the owners too!

Sometimes, in spite of training, or as a result of a bad experience at some point in their lives, some pets experience stress and or anxiety. The most usual outcome we observe is some change in usual or appropriate behaviour.

Whether you have a spraying cat, a dog which will not stop barking, a pet which has become destructive or aggressive, or a bird which is picking its feathers, we are here to help. These situations can become very wearing on all family members, and at times it might seem hard to love them when they have just made mincemeat of the new leather couch! We understand your frustration and the stress on you too.

While some behaviour changes are very obvious, sometimes things are not so obvious. Our veterinarians are trained to look for early tell-tale signs which may or may not be obvious to pet owners.

Dr Angus Brown has a particular interest in this area and has been helping pet owners with behaviour problems for years.

In most cases, behaviour management requires a multi factorial approach. There is no one size fits all. A change to new acceptable behaviours will not happen overnight. A detailed overview of the current home situation and any changes is crucial. More often than not there has been a trigger, to set things off in the wrong direction. Our vets are trained to explore these factors and make recommendations to make incremental changes. We do not want to set our friends up for failure.

Our vets understand that in many cases for dogs, revising early training, or specifically tailored one on one training may be required. We may refer you to one of our preferred trainers.

Sometimes part of behaviour management may include carefully selected medications. Decisions about these recommendations are never taken lightly. We understand that pet owners have different philosophies around this potentially sensitive decision. We respect that, and want to work with you.

Our veterinarians are best placed to assess the best suite of strategies to help your pet back to a calmer and happier life.