‘Happy dog,
Happy human,
Happy household.’
At Rascals I have come to understand that not everyone is comfortable with or has the time for in person consultations.
My remote online behaviour consultation sessions are designed for all those people and dogs that perhaps don’t want a stranger in their home, feel too anxious to meet in person, don’t have the time to meet up in person, or have a dog whose behaviour might be triggered by my presence.
- Michelle McDonald, Rascals founder.
Being around dogs has always been my happy place.
Watching their body language, feeling my most relaxed around them but also having the best fun kicking around the woods or playing tug with them. I often find myself wondering what they must think of us humans and the crazy world we all share.
We often have such high expectations of them to fit into our lives and I’m often amazed by how well they achieve this, and I’m not surprised how sometimes this goes a little (or a lot) wrong.
Equally there is high expectation for us to be the best dog owners possible, balancing our lives with their needs. This can prove difficult at the best of times but if we are confused or frustrated by a behaviour we don’t understand or find a challenge to live alongside it can be incredibly stressful.
Whilst there will always be comical moments when we just think ‘really’ or ‘why on earth have you done that’, I am here to work with you to understand unwanted behaviour that is really affecting your enjoyment of living alongside your dog or making your day-to-day activities difficult.
Together we can work on a realistic and effective treatment plan, using kind and positive methods, to reduce, manage or stop your dogs unwanted behaviour, restoring balance back to your household and putting the joy back into living with your dog.
You might be able to claim back part or all of your consultation cost from your dogs insurance company. Myself or your vets can help with this if needed.
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Rascals' Dog Behaviour Consultant Services
Here at Rascals, I understand that aggression in dogs can stem from a number of internal and environmental factors.
At Rascals, I understand that resource guarding in dogs arise for a number of reasons and needs to be treated with great care to ensure the guarding understood and minimised.
We tackle coprophagia by identifying its cause and using positive reinforcement techniques to stop the dog’s behaviour.
Once the cause of the jumping behaviour is established, I offer treatment plans to stop dogs from jumping up, using positive reinforcement techniques to promote calm, alternative and appropriate behaviour.
Excessive howling and barking can result from anxiety, boredom or attention seeking and unintentional reinforcement.
There is nothing more sad than seeing a dog not thriving in life because of fears and phobias within its environment. I am here to help identify triggers and put the joy back into daily life for your dog.
Rascals Dog Behaviour Consultants provides specialised training to help dogs overcome separation anxiety, fostering independence and confidence and reducing stress when left alone.
House soiling often stems from anxiety, lack of training or medical concerns. It is important the reason is established!
It is easy to feel frustrated by your dogs destructive behaviour but it is important to remember they are not simply trying to annoy you and there is reason behind it including, boredom, anxiety or lack of training or suitable alternatives offered.
Read Rascals’ Dog Behaviour Blog.
I’ll update this dog blog regularly and I intend to write about key behavioural traits, amusing incidents and thoughts, and highlight all manner of doggy-related stuff! It will range from the most serious scientific discussions and legal cases that might affect dogs in the UK, and the light-hearted antics that all dog’s bring out in us.
