BEHAVIOR PROBLEMS          One of the most common requests we get at Companion Animal Consultants is help with behavior problems in pets, horses, exotics, and livestock. These requests range from house training problems in dogs to rearing and bolting in horses. Behavior problems kill more animals each year than all diseases combined and are the reason most animals end up unwanted in shelters, auctions, and abandoned by their owners. That's why we take behavior problems very seriously. They can be a life or death matter for many animals. Our approach  is two fold: First we try to help the owner understand what may be causing the problem and second, we try and work with the owners to find a way to resolve the problem behavior using proven, gentle psychological methods.  In addition, while their are no simple answers and easy cures for most behavior problems, there are often ways to change the animals environment in such a way that the behavior ceases to be problematic. Since fixing behavior problems is often extremly time consuming and instructions must be consistantly followed by all members of a family, these solutions work best for today's busy pet owners who cannot devote weeks or months to their pets to the exclusion of all other activities. For example, it is often easier to place a dog in day care than to spend months at home teaching the dog to behave when left alone all day.          A very good example of solving a problem by changing  human behavior is a horse I remember way back in the 80's. This was a lovely Thoroughbred gelding who had real potential as a Show Hunter, however, he was so rank when being led to his paddock for daily turn-out he quickly made his way through several trainers and ended up at a friend's barn at a greatly reduced price. Knowing this horse's bad habits, these clever trainers simply built the horse direct access from his stall to his turn-out paddock and avoided broken knuckles like the prevous trainers had suffered. The horse, not having to battle on the way to turn-out everyday quickly settled into his new routine and went on to National recognition and was horse of the year in his division several times. This "quick fix" method cost the smart trainers only a few dollars but solved the problem without spending months or risking injury to either horse or handlers.         These kinds of solutions do not come from a book or a video tape. It requires individual attention to each animal/human pair's particular situation. That is why we believe our services can offer you more than generic solutions that would work in a perfect world where every pet owner stayed home all day and every animal had impecable breeding and needed only a few pointers to become the perfect pet. In the real world humans often work all day and many animals come from shody breeders, shelters, or pet shops and may have behavior problems when they arrive in their new homes that require more time than the new owner can spare. Our services can help animal caretakers to avoid causing problems, to understand why the animal is misbehaving, and to understand how the human behavior reinforces the animals behavior. Most of our requests involve more people training than animal training!        All our behavior consultations are addressed by Sara Silverman, the founder of our organization. Ms Silverman's years of experience as a horse/dog trainer and groomer combined with a succesful academic career and a thriving post academic consulting service mean that you, as a consumer, can have the best of both worlds: Years of practical hands on experience combined with a thorough knowledge of animal management and behavior. Most Online services can give you one, or the other, but few academics can match the professional experience Ms. Silverman gained before entering the academic world.       When using our service it is important to give as much information as possible and follow all instructions carefully, however, it often surprises customers just how simple some solutions can be. Our email consultations can address many common problems and are a good place to start. If we can resolve your problems simply, then it may be a god idea to consider a phone consultation. If it is not possible to help you long distance, we will research your area to try and help you find a respected professional in your area to help you. HOME   FEES