Guest jupiterooos Posted January 31, 2011 Share Posted January 31, 2011 I'd like to have Jupiter evaluated by a behaviorist, as I am not entirely convinced he is actually a potential problem vis a vis the baby. And I'd hate to rehome him if he's actually adjusting well and I'm just paranoid. However, DH is not convinced about this. He believes that behaviorists are just a crock of poo, and that we might as well consult an animal psychic (which IS a crock of poo as far as I'm concerned). I tried explaining exactly what behaviorists do, but realized I just sort of have a vague understanding of it myself. What DO they do? Also, what can one expect to pay for such a thing? That is Major Sticking Point #2: we are pretty strapped right now. Thoughts? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
greytpups Posted January 31, 2011 Share Posted January 31, 2011 Have you read GTer Giselle's posts or watched her videos? She's a behavourist...so is Patricia McConnell who also has a website. That should give you some ideas. I find both of them amazing. jmho Quote Jan with precious pups Emmy (Stormin J Flag) and Simon (Nitro Si) and Abbey Field. Missing my angels: Bailey Buffetbobleclair 11/11/98-17/12/09; Ben Task Rapid Wave 5/5/02-2/11/15; Brooke Glo's Destroyer 7/09/06-21/06/16 and Katie Crazykatiebug 12/11/06 -21/08/21. My blog about grief The reality is that you will grieve forever. You will not get over the loss of a loved one; you will learn to live with it. You will rebuild yourself around the loss you have suffered. You will be whole again but you will never be the same. Nor should you be the same, nor would you want to. ― Elisabeth Kübler-Ross Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NeylasMom Posted January 31, 2011 Share Posted January 31, 2011 Behaviorists are definitely not a crock if you find a good one, but of course there are limitations to making an evaluation of a dog in a limited timeframe. A good behaviorist will have you complete a full behavioral history and send that along with relevant medical records (to rule out an underlying medical issue) before the appointment. Then they should spend at least an hour with you going over the issues and observing the dog in person. Most behaviorists will include follow-up via phone or email with their fee. I would expect him or her to write out a behavior modification plan for any issues you are experiencing to get you started, and then follow up on how those are going. They may also have copies of relevant articles for you to read. The behavioral consults I have done, both for Zuri and several of my fosters were all with Pat Miller. I feel really lucky to have her within driving distance so I had no qualms whatsoever about spending the money. She charges $175 for a 90 minute consult and email follow-up. That was with me traveling to her. I would imagine being in a large city you should have access to a good one, but I don't know of one off hte top of my head. One place you could look would be on Pat Miller's trainer referral site. These folks are not necessarily behaviorists, but some are. Probably not the best way for you to look, but throwing anything I can think of out there. You can also check professional organizations like the ABMA, etc. I would do a phone interview before committing to spending the money - find out what their experience is, how long they've been in teh business, how they were trained, etc. Not sure if that helps at all. Quote Jen, CPDT-KA with Zuri, lab in a greyhound suit, Violet, formerly known as Faith, Skye, the permanent puppy, Cisco, resident cat, and my baby girl Neyla, forever in my heart "The great thing about science is that you're free to disagree with it, but you'll be wrong." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest jupiterooos Posted January 31, 2011 Share Posted January 31, 2011 Have you read GTer Giselle's posts or watched her videos? She's a behavourist...so is Patricia McConnell who also has a website. That should give you some ideas. I find both of them amazing. jmho Ah, I didn't think of Giselle. I have never seen her videos. I've looked at Patricia McConnell's site, and I have one of her books, but the trouble is I just can't read his behavior very well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Greyt_dog_lover Posted January 31, 2011 Share Posted January 31, 2011 (edited) I agree, Giselle could give you the exact information, but I believe to have the title behaviorist you have to have at least a masters degree, if not a PHD. Giselle did post the educational requirements one time believe me, its not easy to have the title. Would they be expensive, I dont know, but probably. Chad ok, I just did a quick google search for educational requirements for an animal behaviorist. The Animal Behavior Society (ABS) is the leading professional organization in North America for the study of animal behavior, and was the first organization in the United States to offer a certification program for applied animal behaviorists. Certification constitutes recognition by the Animal Behavior Society that the professional applied animal behaviorist meets the educational, experiential and ethical standards required by the society. Educational and experiential requirements are extensive and include a doctoral degree (or masters degree for an associate applied animal behaviorist) from an accredited college or university in a biological or behavioral science with an emphasis on animal behavior and a minimum of five years of professional experience. Another option is a doctorate from an accredited college or university in veterinary medicine plus two years in a university approved residency in animal behavior and three additional years of professional experience in applied animal behavior. At the time of this writing, there are only 32 Certified Applied Animal Behaviorists in the United States. Edited January 31, 2011 by Greyt_dog_lover Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NeylasMom Posted January 31, 2011 Share Posted January 31, 2011 I don't believe you need someone who fits the criteria that Chad looked up to find a good behaviorist, but you do need to be discerning - figure out what methods they use, what organizations they belong to, their training and experience, etc. Anyone can say they do behavior evaluations. What about this person? I found her through the IAABC site. Quote Jen, CPDT-KA with Zuri, lab in a greyhound suit, Violet, formerly known as Faith, Skye, the permanent puppy, Cisco, resident cat, and my baby girl Neyla, forever in my heart "The great thing about science is that you're free to disagree with it, but you'll be wrong." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Houndtime Posted January 31, 2011 Share Posted January 31, 2011 We took John E to a behaviorist at the University of Pennsylvania Veterinary School. Dr. Reisner is a veterinarian/behaviorist. There were also clinical behaviorists present. We met with a panel of five. The cost was over $300 for almost a 1/2 day session. I had to fill out a 20 page questionnaire before the appointment. I don't think all behaviorists are a crock. Dr. Reisner prescribed medication and a series of exercises and confidence building that we did with John. They also did blood work and took urine samples. Taking your dog to the doctor/behaviorist is not enough. You have to work at the solution also. Good luck. If you think it is good idea, go for it. Quote Irene Ullmann w/Flying Odin and Mama Mia in Lower Delaware Angels Brandy, John E, American Idol, Paul, Fuzzy and Shine Handcrafted Greyhound and Custom Clocks http://www.houndtime.com Zoom Doggies-Racing Coats for Racing Greyhounds Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest jupiterooos Posted January 31, 2011 Share Posted January 31, 2011 I don't believe you need someone who fits the criteria that Chad looked up to find a good behaviorist, but you do need to be discerning - figure out what methods they use, what organizations they belong to, their training and experience, etc. Anyone can say they do behavior evaluations. What about this person? I found her through the IAABC site. I sent her a message. Can't hurt. The real sticking point here is cost; we just can't afford $300 or even $175 right now. Which might render this question entirely pointless Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NeylasMom Posted January 31, 2011 Share Posted January 31, 2011 We took John E to a behaviorist at the University of Pennsylvania Veterinary School. Dr. Reisner is a veterinarian/behaviorist. There were also clinical behaviorists present. We met with a panel of five. The cost was over $300 for almost a 1/2 day session. I had to fill out a 20 page questionnaire before the appointment. I don't think all behaviorists are a crock. Dr. Reisner prescribed medication and a series of exercises and confidence building that we did with John. They also did blood work and took urine samples. Taking your dog to the doctor/behaviorist is not enough. You have to work at the solution also. Good luck. If you think it is good idea, go for it. Just for clarification, a veterinary behaviorist (above) is different than a behaviorist. If you don't suspect medical issues and have done basic medical tests to rule out anything, I wouldn't recommend it in your case simply because they tend to be a lot more expensive and often will recommend additional medical testing that would also cost you. I don't recall how severe Jupiter's issues are, but we tend to reserve those for dogs with more risky aggression, taht sort of thing. Not saying I would say don't go if money weren't tight, don't get me wrong, they're sort of the best of the best for dogs that really need help, I just don't think you need that level of evaluation. They're also hard to come by. We actually have 2 in our area and the one we use charges about $500-600 for the initial consult and it tends to take about a half a day. Quote Jen, CPDT-KA with Zuri, lab in a greyhound suit, Violet, formerly known as Faith, Skye, the permanent puppy, Cisco, resident cat, and my baby girl Neyla, forever in my heart "The great thing about science is that you're free to disagree with it, but you'll be wrong." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mychip1 Posted January 31, 2011 Share Posted January 31, 2011 (edited) I used Dr. Nicholas Dodman at Tufts University. He is a Vet with a behavior specialty. Given your location, they offer the option of electronic communication for people who can't do a visit. He was wonderfully helpful for my Jack before he left for the bridge. DH might be more comfortable with the fact that he looks both at physical and physchoogical issues. He has written several books like "The Dog Who Loved Too Much" and "The Well-Adjusted Dog". He is wonderful to work with as are his associates. Good Luck. ETA: He is also very conservative about testing. He does not believe in putting dogs through tests that are not necessary. He believes in looking at the behavior first and trying to deal with it from that perspecive - and then take the more traditioal vet route. Edited January 31, 2011 by mychip1 Quote Robin, EZ (Tribal Track), JJ (What a Story), Dustin (E's Full House) and our beautiful Jack (Mana Black Jack) and Lily (Chip's Little Miss Lily) both at the BridgeThe WFUBCC honors our beautiful friends at the bridge. Godspeed sweet angels. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cleptogrey Posted February 2, 2011 Share Posted February 2, 2011 we have some excellent trainers around here w/ years of experience. have you contacted any regular trainers and just spoken to them about you sitation? interview a couple, their rates are far more reasonable.maybe you can find someone who also has kids of their own, something to consider, a knowlegable dog person and PARENT could be an asset. i do know one of the resuce groups in your area has an excellent female vet who has helped my friend who relocated to the chicago area. if you are interested in her name, pm me. she has been really supportive of my friend grey who has numerous issues. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.