Behavior Treatment and Management is a Team Sport
The other day I read this article by Mandy Eakins KPA CTP, CPDT-KA, and in it she wrote “Training is a team sport.” You might have heard that before, but in all the years I’ve volunteered in shelters and with rescues, I never heard it put like that. It’s brilliant in its simplicity, and I thought to myself that it applies to behavior treatment and management too.
(Side note: notice I didn’t say “behavior modification.” “Modification” isn’t really what we do when we address problem behaviors. "Modification” suggests that it can be changed and relied on without the need for follow up. “Treatment and management” is really a better way to describe what we do, because it’s an ongoing process for the life of the dog.)
I can’t tell you how many times I’ve talked to people who want an easy fix (like board and train programs) for undesirable behavior issues. Or, they blame their dog for “not getting it” when they attempt to “fix” them through private or group training. I always wish we had the opportunity to talk sooner, because in most cases, by the time they talk to me, they’ve spent hundreds to thousands of dollars they may or may not have had to spare on training that “didn’t work”. Usually, when they talk to me, they want to rehome their dog because they don’t have any more to spend financially or emotionally. And by that time, there’s little that we can do to help them.
If I could talk to owners before they reach their wits end, I would tell them:
to relax and take a deep breath
they are not alone
I can’t promise the problem can be “fixed,” but that we can try
treating and managing problem behaviors can take a lot of work and there isn’t a magic pill or a trainer so gifted that it will be effortless
treating and managing the problem can be costly, but so is training, so let’s apply those dollars to the veterinary behaviorist and deescalate from there.
they may have to rethink what success looks like, and accept the dog they have, not the dog they wish they had
to be successful, they need a dedicated team, and every team member is crucial to the process.
So who is on the team?
Your dog: The one with the most to gain in this whole thing is your dog. You know how frustrated you feel. For your dog it’s infinitely worse. Having pain/illness/stress/anxiety/frustration/insert-problem-here that dominates your days cannot possibly make for a happy being. Additionally, everyone is constantly mad at him for acting on the way he feels. Can you imagine living with that?
Your entire household: Yes, everyone. We cannot expect to make sweeping changes that will make life better for everyone if only one or two people are aware of, and participating in, the changes. It’s also confusing for the dog if some people are doing this new thing, but some people are doing things the old way. How is he supposed to know what to do with whom?
Your regular vet: There will likely be medications, whether temporarily or permanently, that your vet needs to be aware of, and may even manage so that prescriptions can be kept up to date and refills provided. It’s like your primary care doctor. The specialists generally inform the general practitioner about treatment plans.
Your veterinary behaviorist and staff: The people who are going to help you figure out the behavior puzzle and devise the treatment plan that will make everyone’s life so much better.
Maybe a pain management specialist : or maybe that’s just my dog? Lots of pain can be treated with medication and don’t require a rehab specialist and a chiropractor. *ahem*
Maybe a trainer: Believe it or not, many trainers work with veterinary behaviorists. It’s fairly common for there to be training elements used in conjunction with medical elements to manage problem behaviors. (So why can’t you skip the behaviorist and go straight to the trainer? Because there needs to be a diagnosis before there can be treatment.)
You and your dog may need all of these people. Hopefully not, but if they do, each one will be invested in your dog. They’ll all share your joy when things go well, and they’ll share your concern if they don’t. Most importantly, they’ll keep working until there’s nothing left to try. It’s not often that they can’t find a plan that works, so have faith that your team is on your side.
If you are currently dealing with problem behaviors, visit our website, or email us at solutions@vindicatedrescue.org.
