understanding your pet's
behaviour consultation
If your pet’s behaviour has you feeling worried, frustrated, or just plain confused, you’re not alone. Our behaviour team is here to help you understand what’s going on, why it’s happening and how we can make life easier for both you and your pet.
We have compiled a list of the most common questions Dr Natasha Woods receives about her behaviour consultations including what to expect, how to prepare and how she can work with you to support your pet’s emotional and physical wellbeing.
If you are struggling to cope with your pet’s behaviour, it is affecting their quality of life or your household then you have come to the right place. You shouldn’t need to endure your pet’s behaviour problems. Instead, we can help you thrive and enjoy life together.
Dr Woods treats dogs and cats with all types of maladaptive behaviours, including:
- Dog reactivity, including aggression, barking, growling, lunging, snapping and biting
- Aggression towards people
- Noise and storm reactivity and phobias
- Separation-related behaviours
- Generalised anxiety
- Compulsive behaviours such as circling and tail biting
- House soiling
- Fights between pets within a household
Behaviours involving aggression, fear, or anxiety require the underlying cause to be determined. For example, due to excessive or out of proportion emotional responses, a medical condition, or a combination of both. With an accurate diagnosis, we create a specific treatment plan, including addressing any medical problems, leading to better resolution.
This is important because the physical and emotional sides of a pet’s well-being are intrinsically connected. In fact, up to 80% of behavioural cases have physical conditions that cause or contribute to problematic behaviours such as aggression.
- Pre consultation questionnaire and videos:
You will be required to complete a detailed questionnaire before the first consultation as a starting point to springboard from. We also ask you to send videos of the areas in your home where your pet spends time and some of their daily activities, as this provides valuable information about your pet in their home environment, especially regarding their body language and movement.
- Initial consultation:
Dr Woods gathers a detailed history to determine the underlying cause (the WHY) of the behaviour, including compounding and contributing factors. Initial treatment changes will be made to increase safety, prevent escalation, and start the process. Two hours are allocated for the initial consultation.
- First revisit consultation:
During this time, we review changes already made and create our detailed treatment plans. Dr Woods will teach you the techniques needed to take the first steps on this journey. Whilst they require a bit of thought, they won’t be too difficult, and will be tailored to your situation.
- Follow-up visits:
Many owners find revisit consultations very beneficial for further progress, medication adjustments, and improvement on secondary aims.
Please always speak to your vet or reach out to us about the behaviours your pet is exhibiting. From there, you can be directed to the service that most suits your pet’s needs.
Behaviour veterinarians:
- Diagnoses and treats the emotional and physical causes of behaviour to resolve behaviour problems (as described above).
Animal trainers:
- Work on basic manners, unruly behaviour or training specific behaviours to create more obedience.
Animal behaviourists:
- May work with problem behaviours in pets without significant underlying fear, anxiety, or medical conditions. They help by teaching new behaviours or structured desensitisation programs.
Both trainers and behaviourists can be beneficial if that is what your pet needs. However, both trainers and animal behaviourists are unregulated in Australia, and unfortunately, many practice outdated methods that can cause harm or are unqualified to know when further treatment is needed.
If you do engage with a trainer or animal behaviourist, it is crucial to use one who uses force-free, positive methods, with lots of treats and play.
Few providers north of Sydney are genuinely qualified to help pets with severe behaviour problems, making expertise invaluable.
As a behaviour vet, she combines medical knowledge with behavioural science. That means your pet’s physical and emotional health are considered together. She rules out underlying medical issues, develops a comprehensive behaviour plan and, if needed, prescribes safe and effective medication.
Dr Woods genuinely cares about your pet’s emotional and physical health and wants the best for you and your family. She will work closely with you to provide the right tools that fit your routine and lifestyle, helping you and your pet succeed.
Similarly to human psychology and psychiatry, significant time and expertise are required to understand each individual pet, what makes them tick and address the underlying cause of their behaviour.
The cost reflects this time, expertise and care spent before, during and after your consult, reviewing questionnaires, videos and medical histories to create a treatment plan that will help you and your pet achieve lasting results.
Consider it an investment in your pet’s health and your bond together. It has been shown that chronic stress shortens a pet’s life and affects their health. We all want to have our pets with us for as long and as healthy as possible.
See our Fees page for more information on consultation costs.
Success is defined differently by different people and for each pet. Additionally, each pet is an individual and behaviour is influenced by many factors, including genetics, prior learning and environment. No medical professional can guarantee success for any treatment.
However, Dr Woods can guarantee that she will work closely with you to achieve your aims through compassionate, evidence-based treatments. If she believes your aims are not realistic for your pet, she will be honest with you, provide an explanation, and work with you on what is realistic.
No.
Deliberately provoking the behaviour so that Dr Woods can see it is unethical and can be dangerous. We don’t put your pet in situations they find scary or stressful just for the consultation. Instead, all the information required is determined through specific questions and discussion. Extensive training enables her to recognise behavioural patterns from history and context, allowing an accurate diagnoses without putting anyone at risk.
Not all pets need medication to change their behaviour.
Medication is only recommended when it’s appropriate and in your pet’s best interest, for example, to reduce anxiety or fear that prevents learning or causes distress. When used alongside behaviour modification and environmental management, medication can be a valuable tool to help your pet feel calmer and more capable of change.
At this time, we work exclusively from the clinic and do not offer home visits. This setting allows for a calm, safe, and controlled environment where your pet can be assessed without distractions. It also gives access to clinic facilities, medical records, and support staff to ensure the most comprehensive care.
If your pet finds travel stressful, we can discuss strategies to make the visit easier such as timing your appointment for quieter periods, using calming aids, or arranging pre-visit medication if appropriate. In some cases, video consultations may also be an option to support you and your pet remotely.
In situations such as the following, we can offer telemedicine consults:
- You live far away from Newcastle
- You have a pet who is very frightened of travel
- Your pet shows aggression, which could be dangerous in a consultation situation
- You are unable to travel to the clinic
Telemedicine will be conducted via video call, and Dr Woods will use the videos you provide, careful questioning and your pet’s appearance on the call to make my assessment and create the best treatment plan for you and your pet.