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I'm not getting a warm fuzzy about bringing Bruno to the clinic. They say they can diagnose him by reading the questionaire we fill out. Here's the web address. Have any of you heard anything on this particular Dr.? Does this sound like a normal method of accurate examination for a behaviorist?

On a different note we started approaching the bowl with a handful of food at a time. Obviously it's way to early to say how it's working but I can see how it should help. Sometimes he'll growl AFTER the food's been dropped and we're walking away. We tell him "No!" and take it back, then wait awhile to give him more. It happened to me twice this last feeding and it was a very low rumble. I would like to stick with this approach until we see the behaviorist to give him something to get used to.
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DZ

"People sleep peaceably in their beds at night only because rough men stand ready to do violence on their behalf." -- George Orwell

http://www.veterinarybehaviorclinic.com/aboutUs.htm
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DZ

"People sleep peaceably in their beds at night only because rough men stand ready to do violence on their behalf." -- George Orwell

Looks like a good facility to me. The behaviorist has a lot of experience under her belt and they they seem genuinly concerned for the welfare of the animals.

>>http://www.veterinarybehaviorclinic.com/aboutUs.htm
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The form is very thorough, helps them to get YOU organized so that they can evaulate more effectively.
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Debra
ebraDownSth@aol.com" target="_blank">DebraDownSth@aol.com
Blessed Are The Flexible For They
Shall Not Be Bent Out of Shape.]

>>I'm not getting a warm fuzzy about bringing Bruno to the clinic. They say they can diagnose him by reading the questionaire we fill out. Here's the web address. Have any of you heard anything on this particular Dr.? Does this sound like a normal method of accurate examination for a behaviorist?
>>
>>On a different note we started approaching the bowl with a handful of food at a time. Obviously it's way to early to say how it's working but I can see how it should help. Sometimes he'll growl AFTER the food's been dropped and we're walking away. We tell him "No!" and take it back, then wait awhile to give him more. It happened to me twice this last feeding and it was a very low rumble. I would like to stick with this approach until we see the behaviorist to give him something to get used to.
>>-----
>>DZ
>>
>>"People sleep peaceably in their beds at night only because rough men stand ready to do violence on their behalf." -- George Orwell

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

The questionnaire is a pre-appointment questionnaire. It does not take the place of an appointment, but it would save some time at the appointment while you thought about answers and a doctor sat there and took dictation. It makes total sense to offer you the option of filling it out in advance. You would get your money's worth out of the actual appointment by doing so. Since this is apparently an actual veterinarian in the practice of a behavior specialty, she will not be able to prescribe for your dog over the Internet or telephone without having an in-person relationship and having examined the dog. That isn't the service being offered. A complete history for a dog behavior problem is very involved, much more so than that form you fill out when you go to a new human doctor. Filling this out in advance makes sense. I don't see anything there that says they will allow you to pay for advice just on the basis of the questionnaire, and they're not going to give you advice for free. It's pre-appointment, not instead of an appointmnt.

I don't recommend that you yell "NO!" and go take the dog's food back if he growls. That's going back to conditioning him to guard his food from you! Instead, stop giving him food for at least 15 minutes. He will quickly understand that penalty and learn to control himself better in order to get what he wants.
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Kathy Diamond Davis, author, "Therapy Dogs: Training Your Dog to Reach Others," 2nd edition, and the free Canine Behavior Series at www.veterinaryforum.com

I think you misunderstood what I was asking. I know they're not going to be able to help me on line of over the phone and I'm sure they don't do it for free. It just seemed odd that they would be able to diagnose my dog in their office based on a questionaire I brought in. I was under the impression they came to our house and witnessed what he does at home. I was asking if this method sounded normal to you. There are so many scams these days and I just want to make sure I'm not wasting my money.

Thanx for the input on feeding.
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DZ

"People sleep peaceably in their beds at night only because rough men stand ready to do violence on their behalf." -- George Orwell

The site says that you have to bring in the questionaire at least 10 days before your appointment.. Did they tell you not to bring the dog to the appointment? If they specifically told you that, I would definitely not go, but it sounds more like you bring in the form so that they have time to look it over and that way when you bring your dog in they already have an idea of what's going on.. With my behaviourist I answered all of the same questions over the phone a few days before the appointment and then when I brought Kaiser in she did some tests and things to confirm what I was saying..

I don't think they want to make a diagnosis by the info on the form, I think they just want to get an idea of what they're looking at before they see the dog.. I think it's great that they require the info ahead of time. If you're paying by the hour that you're there, like Kathy said you don't want an hour of that to be filling out a form, you want all the time to be used on the actual assessment of your dog..

>>I think you misunderstood what I was asking. I know they're not going to be able to help me on line of over the phone and I'm sure they don't do it for free. It just seemed odd that they would be able to diagnose my dog in their office based on a questionaire I brought in. I was under the impression they came to our house and witnessed what he does at home. I was asking if this method sounded normal to you. There are so many scams these days and I just want to make sure I'm not wasting my money.
>>
>>Thanx for the input on feeding.
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>>DZ
>>
>>"People sleep peaceably in their beds at night only because rough men stand ready to do violence on their behalf." -- George Orwell

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

The method is normal.
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Kathy Diamond Davis, author, "Therapy Dogs: Training Your Dog to Reach Others," 2nd edition, and the free Canine Behavior Series at www.veterinaryforum.com

If you read the cover letter that goes with the pre-questionaire, the first appointment will last 1.5-3 hours and you should bring your dog in hungry with special treats. Video or audiotapes of the behavior is also valuable to them. Sounds like they know what they are doing.
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Melody/PHFasDog
Email me at PHFasDog

My furkids:
Shadow, Jadzia and Lyta.
Kira waiting at the bridge.

Dogs come into our lives, and too quickly go leaving pawprints on our hearts, and we will never be quite the same again.

>>On a different note we started approaching the bowl with a handful of food at a time. Obviously it's way to early to say how it's working but I can see how it should help. Sometimes he'll growl AFTER the food's been dropped and we're walking away. We tell him "No!" and take it back, then wait awhile to give him more. It happened to me twice this last feeding and it was a very low rumble.

While I agree with Kathy's approach in general, considering his response, I truly would give the dog his food in a secure place and leave him alone til you can get him evaluated. Or don't put food in the bowl when he is near it but let him SEE you do it so that by the time he gets to the bowl you are removed.
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Debra
ebraDownSth@aol.com" target="_blank">DebraDownSth@aol.com
Blessed Are The Flexible For They
Shall Not Be Bent Out of Shape.]