Training & Behavior

Behavior Counseling

Here at Bishop Ranch Veterinary Center & Urgent Care we're dedicated to the special bond that exists between pets and their humans. However, there are times when that relationship can become strained by bad behavior exhibited by your cat or dog. Our doctors offer behavior counseling to help overcome some of the worst behavior problems, like urinating outside of the litter box, biting and separation anxiety.

Focusing on the overall health of your pet is the first step in working with behavior problems. Addressing both the physical and behavioral health of your pet is critical in your pet's overall well-being and identifying the cause of the bad behavior.

If physical problems are contributing factors to the behavior problems they can be identified and treated appropriately. The use of medication for the treatment of particular behavior problems can be prescribed when appropriate.

Importance of Puppy Training

Puppies are like children: as their brains are developing and neural connections are being formed an opportunity exists to shape their future personality and behaviors in a way that is easier, faster, and more permanent (not to mention more fun!) than it is after they have matured and are already "set" in their ways. Just as with children, the sooner we start positively reinforcing appropriate behavior, the better. For our canine companions, this window of opportunity opens at 10-18 weeks of age, and this is the age when puppies should start puppy classes. In our opinion, the three most important reasons for puppy classes are:

1. Teaching a puppy how to use their mouth gently to reduce the risk of ever injuring anyone. This is referred to as teaching "bite inhibition".

2. Teaching puppies to enjoy interacting with other dogs and being handled by people, especially children. These are the foundations of socialization.

3. Teaching reliable off-leash obedience so that a puppy will promptly and willingly respond to verbal commands even when not on-leash and even if distracted.