Too often, pet behavior receives attention only when an owner complains of a problem, such as excessive barking, jumping up on people, and destroying property. It's always better to prevent behavior problems before they happen!
Pet Education Classes are an important part
of having a well-behaved pet. But it's just as important for pet-owning families to learn and understand about how pets think and why they do the things they do. Often, incorrect beliefs and myths keep us from achieving the most rewarding relationship possible.
What's Behavior Wellness?
It's the condition or state of normal and acceptable pet conduct that enhances the human-animal bond and the pet's quality of life.*
Just as good health is more than the absence of disease, behavior wellness is more than the absence of behavior problems.
How Do I Know if my Pet is Behaviorally Healthy?
Take a quiz from Animal Behavior Associates and find out if your dog is behaviorally healthy.
Take a quiz from Animal Behavior Associates and find out if your cat is behaviorally healthy.
Dr. Suzanne Hetts and Dr. Dan Estep (Animal Behavior Associates, Inc.) are two of Forever Friends' heroes! Dan and Suzanne maintain many incredibly helpful resources at their website.
Check out books and teleclasses for topics such as:
Free Downloads of Behavior Articles By Dr. Hetts and Dr. Estep
Information on Common Behavior Problems
Dr. Suzanne Hetts teaches how to read dog & cat
body language at a Forever Friends education event
Forever Friends Endorses Animal Behavior Associates' Behavior Wellness Program©
Behavior Wellness emphasizes learning how to bring out good behavior that can be reinforced. This approach is easier, more successful, and less stressful for both you and your pet to learn, than what people normally do: trying to get the pet to stop doing something.
The positive approach of Behavior Wellness involves:
Attend Forever Friends education classes to improve the relationship with your pet.
Ask our medical staff for help with behavior questions.
Attention Pet Parents! Be Careful of Bad Advice!
Incorrect information found via the internet, television and popular literature could lead to erroneous assessments of behavior, ineffective or inhumane treatments, and damage to your pet's behavioral health.
The best possible behavioral care for your pet comes from professionals with in-depth academic education and professional experience in animal behavior.
Whether your pet's behavior has recently become a concern or you are dealing with long-standing behavior problems, Certified Applied Animal Behaviorists (CAAB) are uniquely qualified to work with you and your family to find the best solution.
CAABs know the importance of providing effective and humane behavior modification protocols..
Reference: Pet Behavior Wellness Care
*(Hetts, S., Heinke, M., & Estep, D. Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association, Aug. 15, 2004. p 506-510)