Dialogues with Daniel

What if your dog's behaviour is telling you something about their physical health that you haven't yet recognised?Pain and discomfort can have a profound influence on behaviour, yet the signs are often subtle, easily overlooked or mistaken for purely behavioural problems.In this episode, we explore the crucial relationship between physical health and reactive behaviour, drawing on the experiences of three dogs – Amber, Ross and Roscoe.Through their carers' stories, we discover how conditions ranging from musculoskeletal pain to gastrointestinal discomfort can contribute to behavioural difficulties, and why identifying these problems isn't always straightforward.The conversation explores the challenges of recognising hidden pain, the importance of veterinary investigation, and how careful observation of changes in behaviour, sleep, activity and social interactions can provide valuable clues.We also discuss why effective management involves more than medication alone, highlighting the importance of cooperative care, respecting a dog's choices and adapting our expectations to their individual needs.Perhaps the most important message is that suppressing unwanted behaviour doesn't necessarily resolve any underpinning discomfort. This is why quick fixes can be so problematic.Despite the challenges, this is ultimately a hopeful conversation about how understanding the whole dog, rather than focusing solely on their behaviour, can transform quality of life for both dogs and their owners.🎧 Join us for Episode 3 of Pet Behaviour Odysseys.#petbehaviourodysseys #whatmakesyouclick #PBO #professordanielmills #profdsm #reactivedog #DogBehaviour #AnimalWelfare #VeterinaryBehaviour #DogOwners https://companionanimalconsulting.com/

When owning a dog makes your world smaller rather than bigger, how do you cope?For many people, dog ownership brings companionship, social connections and new experiences. But living with a reactive dog can turn those expectations upside down, bringing isolation, anxiety, frustration and the constant pressure of managing situations that other owners take for granted.In this episode, we continue our conversations with Katherine and Debbie, exploring the emotional realities of life with Ross and Roscoe.Drawing on scientific research alongside personal experiences, we discuss the judgement owners can face, the challenges of keeping  dogs and others safe, the overwhelming amount of sometimes conflicting advice available, and the emotional highs and lows of making progress.We also explore why quick fixes and one-size-fits-all approaches can be counterproductive, and how understanding each dog's individual needs, including their physical health, is essential.Perhaps the most important message is that progress isn't necessarily about changing who your dog is, but about learning to understand and support the dog you have.This is an honest, sometimes emotional, but ultimately hopeful conversation about acceptance, resilience and the importance of finding the right support.🎧 Join us for Episode 2 of Pet Behaviour Odysseys.#petbehaviourodysseys #whatmakesyouclick #PBO #professordanielmills #profdsm #reactivedog #DogBehaviour #AnimalWelfare #VeterinaryBehaviour #DogOwners https://companionanimalconsulting.com/

In this new season, Milly and Daniel return to discuss the experience of reactive dog ownership; something which Milly has first hand experience of with Amber. We introduce you to Ross and Roscoe and their dedicated carers. These are individuals who sought to navigate the Odyssey of reactive dog ownership and care, striving to strike a balance between their dog's needs and their own.What's it really like to share your life with a reactive dog?For many owners, it's a journey marked by unexpected challenges, isolation, frustration and sometimes guilt. But it's also a journey of understanding, acceptance and discovering new ways to enjoy life together.Despite very different backgrounds and experiences, the stories of all three carers reveal some striking similarities. They have all faced the emotional challenges of living with a reactive dog, the judgement of others and the frustration of being told their dogs simply need more training.Through their honest and sometimes moving accounts, we explore why reactivity isn't simply a training problem, how our expectations of dog ownership can be challenged, and why understanding the individual dog is so important.This season isn't about quick fixes or miracle cures. It's about listening to real experiences, challenging misconceptions and exploring how we can improve quality of life for both dogs and their owners.🎧 Join us for the beginning of two very personal odysseys.If you have ever owned a reactive dog, you will know how isolating and stressful it can be; how difficult it can be to make realistic, humane decisions. This series is dedicated to you. If you know anyone with a reactive dog, please help them by letting them know about this series. We hope that by sharing these experiences, carers will feel reasured and confident enough to make better decisions. #petbehaviourodysseys #whatmakesyouclick #PBO #professordanielmills #profdsm #reactivedog #DogBehaviour #AnimalWelfare #VeterinaryBehaviour #DogOwners https://companionanimalconsulting.com/

For over a century, our scientific understanding of animals has undergone a massive paradigm shift. We’ve moved away from viewing animals merely as biological machines to recognising them as psychologically complex, sentient beings whose quality of life depends on dynamic interactions between brain, body, and environment.Here is an AI generted podcast that discusses my recent resentation "A History of Veterinary Behavioural Medicine and Animal Welfare Science" that highlights how veterinary behavioural medicine and animal welfare science evolved through four key conceptual revolutions:1. The Behaviorist Era: Focused on learning history, antecedents, and external consequences to modify observable behaviour.2. The Medical Model (Veterinary Psychiatry): Framed behavioural issues as neurological or physical disorders requiring formal diagnoses and medical interventions.3. The Psychobiological Synthesis: Applied affective neuroscience (pioneered by the late great Jaak Panksepp) to ground animal emotions in biologically conserved systems.4. The Emergins Systems & Ecosystem Approach: Seeks to highlight how biological, psychological, and environmental factors interact over an individual's entire lifespan.💡The core clinical question has evolved from "What is the animal doing?" to "What is the animal experiencing?". This shift allows the veterinary profession to move beyond merely caring about disease prevention and productivity to comprehensively caring for individual animals by protecting their emotional well-being and quality of life.#VeterinaryMedicine #AnimalBehaviour #Ethology #AffectiveNeuroscience #VeterinaryScience#petbehaviourodysseys #whatmakesyouclick #PBO #professordanielmills #profdsm #reactivedog #DogBehaviour #AnimalWelfare #VeterinaryBehaviour #DogOwners https://companionanimalconsulting.com/

In this final episode we look back with Becky and Craig on their personal pet behaviour Odyssey and how far they have come. They share the insights they have gained and how this has helped to built their relationship. They discuss the many positives of the journey but also the challenges they met on the way. Every client is an individual and every case is a unique  learning opportunity for us as clinicians, so we share what we learned on the way too. However we leave the last word to Becky and we hope you find her words inspirational. Thank you for listening. We hope this was useful to youo. If you liked this video please help to spread the word and share it with your friends, like, subscribe and turn on notifications (click/tap on the bell by the subscribe button).Footnote for those seeking professional support: If you are in the UK and would like help with your pet’s behaviour, we encourage  you to seek professional advice. A list of Certificated clinical animal behaviourists, including the presenters of this show can be found at www.ccab.uk/. You can also find further details of the Lincoln Animal Behaviour Clinic at animalbehaviourclinic.lincoln.ac.uk/.  In Europe, if you want to find a veterinary behaviourist you can find a list of Diplomates (individuals who have the highest level of training available in the field) at https://www.ecawbm.org/diplomates-list. In North America, you can find a directory of certified applied animal behaviorists at https://www.animalbehaviorsociety.org/web/committees-applied-behavior-directory.php and board certified veterinary behaviorists at: https://www.dacvb.org/search/custom.asp?id=4709.#petbehaviourodysseys #whatmakesyouclick #PBO #professordanielmills #profdsm #reactivedog #DogBehaviour #AnimalWelfare #VeterinaryBehaviour #DogOwners https://companionanimalconsulting.com/

When we ask clients to do something it is important that we support them throughout the process. What a client needs at this time is not the same as what they need to encourage initial action. At this time things like reinforcement for progress, become particularly important, as do helpful relationships that support the change process.  Again this is something that is perhaps not as widely appreciated as it should be. This aspect of treatment forms the basis of the current episode. Becky and Craig discuss the highs and lows of their Odyssey. They also share with us, what it was that made them think they were making progress.  They  thus provide invaluable insight for others. What an owner sees as an important marker of success and what a clinician sees as important in this regard are not always the same initially. We must listen to our clients and help them achieve meaningful goals. If you liked this video please help to spead the word and share it with your friends, like, subscribe and turn on notifications (click/tap on the bell by the subscribe button).Footnote for those seeking professional support: If you are in the UK and would like help with your pet’s behaviour, we encourage  you to seek professional advice. A list of Certificated clinical animal behaviourists, including the presenters of this show can be found at www.ccab.uk/. You can also find further details of the Lincoln Animal Behaviour Clinic at animalbehaviourclinic.lincoln.ac.uk/.  In Europe, if you want to find a veterinary behaviourist you can find a list of Diplomates (individuals who have the highest level of training available in the field) at https://www.ecawbm.org/diplomates-list. In North America, you can find a directory of certified applied animal behaviorists at https://www.animalbehaviorsociety.org/web/committees-applied-behavior-directory.php and board certified veterinary behaviorists at: https://www.dacvb.org/search/custom.asp?id=4709.#petbehaviourodysseys #whatmakesyouclick #PBO #professordanielmills #profdsm #reactivedog #DogBehaviour #AnimalWelfare #VeterinaryBehaviour #DogOwners https://companionanimalconsulting.com/

Individualising treatment for a given client and their pet is essential and so we have to go beyond the theoretical techniques used in human and animal behaviour modification. In the last episode we looked at the COM-B model of human behaviour change. COM-B stands for Capability, Opportunities and Motivations underpinning human Behaviour change. We also introduced the Theoretical Domains, like an individual’s knowledge, beliefs about their capabilities, emotions, ability to visualize a goal and so forth and the Intervention Functions used to make these as optimal as we can for the client. In this episode we return to the dog side of things in our discussion with Becky and Craig . We talk about the importance of avoidance of triggers, and diary keeping but expand on two protocols we have developed at Lincoln. The safe haven and sensitive carer routines. These may be somewhat different to other versions of the protocol that are commonly discussed by behaviourists and trainers. It is important to pay attention to certain details if they are to work as we would hope. When choosing interventions it is important that they are right for that client and so we introduce the concept of the APEASE criteria, from the human behaviour change literature, for assessing their suitability. These are important considerations: I detail here what each letter in the acronym APEASE stands for: A is  for acceptabilityP for practicalE for effectiveA for affordableS for safeEquitable, i.e is it fairWe discuss these further  in the current episode,  and the last E  is an important ethical consideration and may be where some quick fixes fall down. Footnote for those seeking professional support: If you are in the UK and would like help with your pet’s behaviour, we encourage  you to seek professional advice. A list of Certificated clinical animal behaviourists, including the presenters of this show can be found at www.ccab.uk/. You can also find further details of the Lincoln Animal Behaviour Clinic at animalbehaviourclinic.lincoln.ac.uk/.  In Europe, if you want to find a veterinary behaviourist you can find a list of Diplomates (individuals who have the highest level of training available in the field) at https://www.ecawbm.org/diplomates-list. In North America, you can find a directory of certified applied animal behaviorists at https://www.animalbehaviorsociety.org/web/committees-applied-behavior-directory.php and board certified veterinary behaviorists at: https://www.dacvb.org/search/custom.asp?id=4709.  #petbehaviourodysseys #whatmakesyouclick #PBO #professordanielmills #profdsm #reactivedog #DogBehaviour #AnimalWelfare #VeterinaryBehaviour #DogOwners https://companionanimalconsulting.com/

In this episode we  talk about the process of implementing treatment. In particular we discuss the less often discussed issue of human behaviour change, with a  focus on how we consider the underpinning capability, opportunities and motivation of a client to enable more effective change. We introduce the theoretical domains framework. This is a synthesis of lots of different evidence based approaches for bringing about human behaviour change. At its simplest it is a list of about 14 different ways in which  we can help people bring about change. By doign this we can more accurately set expectations for change. Find out more by listening to the episode, and please do give us a rating if you have enjoyed the episode. Footnote on seeking help: If you are in the UK and would like help with your pet’s behaviour, we encourage  you to seek professional advice. A list of Certificated clinical animal behaviourists, including the presenters of this show can be found at www.ccab.uk/. You can also find further details of the Lincoln Animal Behaviour Clinic at animalbehaviourclinic.lincoln.ac.uk/.  In Europe, if you want to find a veterinary behaviourist you can find a list of Diplomates (individuals who have the highest level of training available in the field) at https://www.ecawbm.org/diplomates-list. In North America, you can find a directory of certified applied animal behaviorists at https://www.animalbehaviorsociety.org/web/committees-applied-behavior-directory.php and board certified veterinary behaviorists at: https://www.dacvb.org/search/custom.asp?id=4709. #petbehaviourodysseys #whatmakesyouclick #PBO #professordanielmills #profdsm #reactivedog #DogBehaviour #AnimalWelfare #VeterinaryBehaviour #DogOwners https://companionanimalconsulting.com/

Separation related problems are commonly misunderstood, and the term separation anxiety is an unhelpful misnomer. Indeed our scientific understanding of separation related problems is rapidly being revised in light of new research. It is now clear there are four common forms of the condition, which represent different responses to the frustration that arises when a pet is left at home. These are typically described as a Exit frustration relatedb Reactive excitedc Reactive inhibitedd. Boredom related, inhibited-conflicted If you think your dog might have one of these problems, you can find out more by using the App we developed with ZigZag and Tech4Animals, just visit  https://separation.zigzag.dog/In this episode we discuss the nature of separation related problems as they applied to Drax and the implications of a more scientific assessment. We also explore the role of attachment. These dogs are not hyper-attached (even if they follow their owner around the whole time), rather what is seen as hyper-attachment is often a sign of insecure attachment. The owner’s behaviour is important in this regard, but it is not the only thing driving the problem. It is not the owner’s fault. Effective intervention involves individualised treatment, so if you want to learn more listen to the episode, and please don’t forget to share this with others. We'd really appreciate it if you could give us a rating if you have enjoyed the show. #petbehaviourodysseys #whatmakesyouclick #PBO #professordanielmills #profdsm #reactivedog #DogBehaviour #AnimalWelfare #VeterinaryBehaviour #DogOwners https://companionanimalconsulting.com/

In the previous episode, we explored Becky and Craig's initial experience of seeking help for Drax, the challenges with finding a professional service and the strain associated with having a loved one with behavioural issues. In this episode, we  look at  how we tend to structure our pet behaviour service, especially with regards to identifying where clients are in relation to what is known as the Cycle of Change. This views change as a process not an event and there are several stages involved. It begins with contemplating change (before that we are in a state of precontemplation and thus not considering changing); we then need to help clients make the necessary preparations for change (e.g. developing key skills they will need)  if we wish them to succeed making long-term changes; only then are they in a good state to take action (which is what most behaviour advice texts  focus on); finally we need to consider the support required by clients to help them to maintian this action. We take this "process perspective" of change and thus do not rush into action straight away. It is important to us that clients appreciate this process and what is involved, and we recognise that this is not necessarily the way things are done by others. Our first consultation is very much focused on helping owners understand the nature of the problems they face, managing risk and laying the ground work for change. We can only help clients if we can help them build their capabilities and motivations, while enabling opportunities for them to develop the behaviours needed to help their pet.  We elaborate and discuss this furtehr in this episode. We hope you enjoy the episide.#petbehaviourodysseys #whatmakesyouclick #PBO #professordanielmills #profdsm #reactivedog #DogBehaviour #AnimalWelfare #VeterinaryBehaviour #DogOwners https://companionanimalconsulting.com/