Behavioural
Consultations

Helping your dog overcome fear and anxiety, using animal friendly and evidence-based methods.
white labradoodle

Do you dream of:

A relaxed and happy dog
without anxiety?

You have a dog that you absolutely love, but it is not always easy. Do you find yourself wondering why your dog is scared of so many things, maybe even things that shouldn’t be scary at all? Is she easily stressed or over-stimulated? Or can you not leave him alone for more than five minutes, or even only one?

By the time you read this, you have probably tried everything. You’ve bought tons of books, watched heaps of YouTube videos, tried supplements, essential oils and relaxing massages. Maybe you’ve even visited a veterinarian, a dog trainer or behaviourist. But so far, nothing has worked. Your dog is still stressed and scared.

get the free e-guide:

The five most common mistakes dog owners make when treating separation anxiety.

Have you tried to help your dog get over separation anxiety, but without any result? You know there must be a better way, but you feel overwhelmed and don’t know where to start?

Here’s why, and what to do instead. Download my free e-guide here:

* You will also receive regular tips and information about separation anxiety directly in your inbox, but never any spam!

But it doesn't need to be this way.

With lots of love and patience, we can identify your dog’s anxiety problems and create a tailor-made solution that will help your dog to become happier and more relaxed. 

Online courses

Laptop on table

Calm Canines: An Online Course to manage Separation Anxiety.

Lower your dog's stress levels, reduce anxiety, and improve your relationship

Fearless dogs: An Online Course to Reduce Fear and Anxiety in dogs

Helping dogs conquer fear and build resilience

Individual coaching programs for:

Lonely puppy

Separation anxiety

Understand why your dog gets so stressed when you leave them alone. Help them to feel more calm so that can leave the house without feeling guilty.

Fears and phobias

Learn how to identify your dogs triggers, and gently let them face their fears. Find out how to calm your dog down in any situation

Dogs playing

Stress, reactivity and general anxiety

Understand and work with your dog's triggers so that you can take your dog out to meet other dogs and people without feeling stressed.

The best part is that you can do all of this without using aversive or punitive approaches, which may appear to work in the short term but are more likely to make the problem worse in the long run.

Therefore, I only use animal welfare friendly methods. Your dog is stressed enough already, so let’s not add more pressure by punishing or ‘correcting’ them. However, it is always a good idea to set limits and boundaries for your dog.

A red thread through my approach is the focus on creating a predictable and controllable environment for your dog, which helps to reduce stress and anxiety. The wellbeing of your dog is my absolute top priority!

Empowering you to make positive changes in your life.

Frequently Asked Questions

Here are some answers to the questions we receive the most about our services.
If we missed anything, please do not hesitate to contact us. We’ll be happy to help.

You need a dog behaviourist when the quality of your daily life (and that of your dog) is reduced. This is when your dog can no longer behave like a ‘normal’ dog. For example, they cannot be alone, are excessively anxious and stressed, or show aggressive behaviour. It is important to look for help as early as possible, so that the problem can be prevented from getting worse. Anxiety problems are complex, and it is difficult to solve them without expert help. In some cases, the wrong approach can actually make the problem worse. And the longer you wait, the longer it often takes before the problem is solved.

One of the biggest problems is that the dog world is unregulated, so anyone can call themselves a dog trainer, behaviourist, coach or specialist. Most dog training courses are (part-time) courses of a few years, or even just a few weeks. In addition, there are many dog trainers and behavioural therapists who themselves train other therapists and provide them with ‘certification’. All those stamps look nice on the website, but unfortunately there is no independent control over the quality of the education or the knowledge of the therapists.

In the worst case, the behavioural therapist has no formal education at all but has had a problematic dog that they ‘cured’ themselves and now they want to help everyone else. Of course, these are nice stories, but it really doesn’t work like that. There is no ‘one size fits all’ approach to behavioural problems. Just as you would not send your child to someone who has cured her own child of depression, you should not do the same with your dog.

A good dog trainer is worth their weight in gold, and excellent for helping with puppy training, obedience training, agility training, and more. They are also good at teaching your dog not to pull on the lead and to come when you call them.

But can a dog trainer help you solve your dog’s fears?

That is the same as expecting your child’s school teacher to solve your child’s depression and anxiety. Is a teacher valuable and good at what he does? Yes, absolutely. But learning to read and write is a very different skill from treating a behavioural problem.

Fear and anxiety problems are complex and need a specialist approach. A behavioural therapist needs a lot of modern knowledge in the field of ethology (the study of animal behaviour), emotions, cognition, endocrine and stress physiology. So make sure that the behavioural therapist has received formal and recognised education and has sufficient knowledge. 

So how can I help you? I am an Associate Professor in animal welfare, and a specialist in the field of ethology (animal behaviour), animal emotions (including fear and anxiety, but also positive emotions) and phyiology. I have completed eight years of (full-time) scientific education at recognized universities. As a scientist with a PhD degree, I also lead scientific research in this field, so you will get updated knowledge directly from the source. I keep up to date with the latest scientific development and translate this for you, so that you can best help your dog.

No, there are no quick fixes. Run from anyone who promises that they can solve stress, fear or anxiety with a few simple tricks, in only 10 min a day or by next week. 

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