Where Do We Go From Here?

As the shelter in place restrictions begin to relax, more people are reaching out about scheduling in-person appointments with me.  While grateful for the business, I am still thinking ahead and planning what that will look like for what I do.  I truly believe that it is in everyone's best interest to continue to social distance and utilize masks in public places.  I think this is simple to do and something that I can easily ask my clients to do as well.  I am fortunate that the weather is lovely here in California, so I can meet with clients outdoors making social distancing even easier as we move into Summer.  But what about classes?

It's looking like it will be quite a while before typical classroom settings will be approved.  Given that, it may be possible to teach some, smaller classes in outdoor settings with healthy participants who remain 6-10 feet apart and wear masks.  The silver lining will be that my seminar classes on topics such as separation anxiety, canine body language, and aggression can be taught via Zoom.  Students around the world would be able to attend, and best of all, my clients who are immune compromised or otherwise at a higher risk, can still participate from the safety of their own homes.  That brings me a great deal of peace of mind too.  Still being able to teach, answer questions, and have students interact with one another in the digital classroom is my goal.  As I work to get these online seminar classes set up, let me know if there are specific topics you'd like to see covered as well.

There have been a few clients who have said they really hate remote learning and video consultations.  I understand their frustration, but the bottom line is this: we all need to get creative in the way we do business.  While it may not be optimal to have your pet behavior questions answered and addressed through a computer screen, it is possible.  I've already worked with a couple of clients with aggressive dogs who were sure there was no way to do this if I couldn't see their dog in person.  I had them send video ahead of time, and then set up my phone on a tripod so they could see me moving around and using my own dogs to demonstrate the techniques they needed to use with their own dogs to achieve success.  Is this my favorite way to work with dogs and their owners? Not in the least. I will, however, continue to do things this way until our governor deems it safe and prudent to do otherwise.  I don't want to be part of the problem, but I do want to be on the cutting edge of the solutions.

Don't wait to treat the behavior problems you are seeing now.  Let's work together to figure out the best strategy for your success and the mental health and well-being of your pets.  As always, if you have questions about your pet's behavior, you know where to find me.

Ozzie and Desi now follow me when they see me grab the tripod and head out to the yard.  They know that one or both of them will be helping me with a client's dog...and that there will be treats for doing so!