Process Expectations

Hello,

Several minutes prior to each session, a Zoom® invitation will be emailed to you.

The 1st session will be educational in nature so you will need note taking materials. We will discuss the answers you provided in the questionnaire and I will tell you which interactions, activities, etc. are beneficial and which ones need to be modified based upon my training and experiences with thousands of pet dogs and hundreds of pet dog owners. It’s important for you to understand that my primary focus will be on helping you understand why your dog behaves as he/she does and explaining what behaviors you need to change in order to boost his/her confidence and help him/her become a more secure and less reactive animal. I have been a canine behavior specialist since 2007, and I have found that change is far more difficult for dog owners than for their dogs so please be prepared to sit down with an open mind and a willingness to modify your behaviors as I recommend. Dog owners who do this typically get the positive results they seek, and the more they commit, study and implement, the faster their dogs’ behaviors improve. You will have homework and your dog will likely tell me whether or not, and to what degree you have done it.

Also, know that patience with the process is crucial and that the older the dog, the longer it can take to unlearn aberrant behaviors while also learning good, new behaviors. Drugs provide fast, but limited change while behavior modification provides slower but more comprehensive change.

Finally, I will do my best to earn your trust and cooperation, and I will try to be flexible within certain parameters. However, if at the conclusion of the first session you should happen to feel an unwillingness to commit to my recommendations fully, feel free to say so and I will move along to the next client with no hard feelings. Experience has taught me that when I compromise too much, positive results suffer and clients do not realize what could have been possible if only they had worked with me a little more. I live with three Australian Shepherds that are happy, fun-loving, well-balanced and obedient. Living with Aussies can be a challenge, but living with my dogs is fulfilling and easy. It is this experience that I wish for all of my clients and their animals.       

I look forward to meeting and working with you and your dog!

Take care,
Kevin C. Ray