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InFocus

Should veterinary professionals be recommending online consultations with pet behaviourists?

“Clear guidance about when online behaviour advice is suitable will be beneficial for both the veterinary team and the pet caregiver”

Since the COVID-19 pandemic, the offering of online behaviour and training sessions for pets has sky-rocketed. This has opened up a whole new avenue for owners to be able to access behaviour help for their pet but it has also created a new confusion for vets. Who should I refer my patient to? When should I refer them? What sort of sessions, in-person or online, should I be referring my clients to?  

One reason for this is that there is a huge variety of online sessions available. Pet caregivers can take online, self-paced courses; they can join online learning communities; and they can have one-to-one sessions via video conferencing. Some behaviourists offer a combination of all these opportunities to create tailored and specialised education.

It is likely that many owners have already engaged with some form of online advice prior to speaking to their veterinary professional. One study found that the internet was the first choice for the vast majority of pet owners (78.6 percent) to find out information on their pet’s health (Kogan et al., 2018). Accordingly, the ease and accessibility of the internet has allowed behaviourists to educate pet owners much further afield than previously possible. Having some clear guidance about when online behaviour advice is suitable will be beneficial for both the veterinary team and the pet caregiver.

What are the benefits of online help from behaviourists?

For people

There are myriad benefits to online training and behaviour help. Firstly, the costs are often much lower than in-person training as the behaviourist or trainer does not need to pay for a venue, travel costs, training goods (such as treats) and travel time.

Access to the online learning is also often much easier and faster – an important factor when first-aid behavioural help is required. Self-paced courses allow owners to work through content in their own time, so they can fit this around busy schedules. Online consultations also allow pet caregivers access to specialised professionals that may be too far away to travel to, which is often the case with many clinical veterinary behaviourists or species-specific behaviourists. This allows clients to get the specific behaviour help they need.

The main impact of behaviour help comes from the owner’s understanding and implementation of a behaviour plan, and this is something that, with the right set-up, can be completed via online consultations

Ensuring people have access to advice that they would not normally be able to access can also have a beneficial effect on owners themselves. One study found that a single online training session for dogs had short-term psychological benefits for the owner when they compared free-play with a structured online training session (Napier et al., 2021). If in-person help is not suitable due to cost, availability, travel or other reasons, then online education can still help pet caregivers in the absence of the “normal” behaviourist route. The main impact of behaviour help comes from the owner’s understanding and implementation of a behaviour plan, and this is something that, with the right set-up, can be completed via online consultations. 

For pets

Benefits for the animals themselves should be considered, too. Dogs that are reactive or anxious around new people or other dogs may find class environments overwhelming. They may not travel well or may have health concerns that make going to a venue or having someone visit them stressful. Animals, cats in particular, can struggle with travel itself or with new people coming into the home. If the caregiver of these animals can access good-quality information through online consultations, it can help to improve their lives without the added stress that consultations may entail.

An increasing number of clinical behaviourists are now carrying out the first consultation online for dogs that show aggression to people. This allows the behaviourist to give some prompt “first aid” advice, such as management techniques, muzzle training and not allowing the dog access to new people, to reduce the likelihood of aggression occurring. It also allows the behaviourist to put into place safety measures for a follow-up in-person training session and assess whether the owner will cooperate with the suggested safety measures – something that should not be underestimated in a world of increasing dog-bite fatalities.

What are the downsides of online help from behaviourists?

The pet behaviour and training industry is unregulated, and there has been a huge rise in self-proclaimed trainers on social media who give unethical and sometimes dangerous advice

There can, however, be downsides to recommending online behaviour training. The biggest one is the access to high-quality, assessed and effective behaviourists. The pet behaviour and training industry is unregulated, and there has been a huge rise in self-proclaimed trainers on social media who give unethical and sometimes dangerous advice. It can often be hard for veterinary professionals, let alone owners, to decipher who is genuine and who is not, especially when the individual has an impressive online portfolio. To combat this, vets should research and create a list of trainers in a range of specialities that they can trust (eg APBC- or ABTC-registered behaviourists), some of which are local to them, who offer online sessions. Having this list prepared in advance ensures you are able to guide owners towards trusted advisors quickly when online help is best suited.

Online sessions may also mean that owners take less accountability and are less invested in the training that they receive. Owners may start with good intentions but not finish the courses they start online. While looking into the socio-economic status of dog owners accessing training, Harris et al. (2019) compared the attendance of in-person classes to online resources and found that no one completed the online course. Therefore, it would be important for veterinary staff to have a conversation with the owners and find out what they are looking for and, perhaps, have a list of online resources included alongside in-person help.

Busting the myth that in-person is always best

Many people believe that a behaviourist has to “see” their animal in person to be able to have an effect on unwanted behaviour. Seeing an animal in person allows the behaviourist to observe body language and behaviour in a way that can be difficult to replicate online, for example when working with dog–dog reactivity. Some owners also need very hands-on and practical help or will need the aid of someone who can do some of the physical training themselves within the session. These owners would be better off seeing someone offering in-person training and should not be encouraged to take online consultations.

To address this, a good behaviourist should have their own checklist for when they are assessing whether an animal or owner is best suited to online or in-person training (Table 1). After consulting the client, they should either offer both or have a good referral system if they only have online sessions available. They should also have clear information that describes what their online training includes, so pet caregivers can make an informed decision about what is best for them and their animal.

Course typeOwner/pet characteristics
Self-paced coursesGood for motivated and keen owners, such as puppy owners
Community coursesGood for those who wish for class training but cannot access a class environment
One-to-one video sessionsGood for “first aid” from behaviourists or training sessions
Online behaviour consultationsThese include the normal requirements from behaviourists, such as referrals from veterinary professionals
Specialist one-to-one programmesGood for specific behaviour issues. For example, separation-related behavioural issues are often well resolved with in-depth training programmes
Some behaviours should be seen in person rather than online
Table (1) What type of behaviour course suits my client best? An example

Conclusion

The best way to guide referrals is a discussion with the owners about what they need for their animal so that they can access the best help available for their unique circumstance

Online behaviour training has continued past the confines of the COVID-19 pandemic and can form an effective modality for owners to receive behaviour help with their animals. Providing that they also have a range of in-person referrals and resources that they can share with owners, veterinary professionals who wish to refer clients to online behaviourists should not face barriers in doing so.

Pet caregivers should be made aware that consulting with a good qualified professional online will often be better for them than seeing someone who is poorly skilled but offers in-person training. Ultimately, the best way to guide referrals is a discussion with the owners about what they need for their animal so that they can access the best help available for their unique circumstance.

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