The roles of professionals
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Jake was a fantastic boy to work with; every session we made phenomenal steps into the goals that his guardian had asked we work on. As his dog behaviourist I was using the power of our building attachment as well to guide him through his difficulties. No dog I work with is ever "just another dog"; they are all incredibly unique and a connection between us is always formed when we are working so closely on a weekly basis.
So you can imagine my despair when I learned that Jake had died. That despair of course overtook any despair I'd had at my work with Jake being taken over by a dog walker who believed he could do exactly what I was doing, but for less money. To learn my work with Jake had come to an end was difficult because this was a severe case that really needed to be seen through to the end. But months down the line Jake lost his life, as a direct consequence of the behavioural issues that were ongoing, and that was a much tougher pill to swallow. |
I don't blame the guardian, in fact, I don't blame anyone. It is just the unfortunate reality of what can happen when roles are blurred. Anyone who works with dogs will likely do so because they have a drive to help them. The dog walker just wanted to help, as much as I did. He believed he had the skills to do that and no doubt tried his best. However there is a fine line between helping a dog, and hindering them. Walks in a park can help one dog, but hinder another. Obedience training can help one dog, but hinder another. When a behaviourist assesses a dog we get to know the dog as they are in that moment, and with every session we are building on these assessments we have made because dogs progress over time and have different needs- that is why we do what we do, to seek that progression. If someone is unable to assess the dog accurately right at the beginning because they simply have not been trained to assess a dog holistically, if we simply do what we have seen work with another dog, we are not doing what is best for the dog and unfortunately, we would not then be helping them. Sometimes that can have severe consequences.
As a behaviourist, I have referred cases on if I do not feel equipped to deal with them. It is so important in whatever capacity we work with dogs that we recognise our limits, because we are not working with computers that can just be restored to a previous state if a mistake is made. We are working with living feeling beings that are learning about the world around them, and the consequences of their behaviour, every single minute of every single day. Dogs cannot be rebooted. Dogs are sponges, soaking up everything around them, so what we do with them can influence every cell in their body. We know that stress, anxiety, fear and other strong emotions can influence our dogs emotional and physical health in really powerful ways. When we work with a dogs behaviour presentations that is what we are working with - their emotional, physical and behavioural health. It is a big responsibility and not one that I take on lightly, ever.
It is not about respecting dog behaviourists by leaving the behaviour work to them: those who have spent thousands of pounds and many many years learning all that needs to be learned in order to be able to truly help some of our most vulnerable dogs. It is not about that. It is actually about respecting the dogs. Our dogs deserve to be treated with respect and a huge part of that is ensuring their needs are being met. Some dogs need behavioural guidance, that is just a fact of life. Whilst they cannot directly ask for it, they are reliant on their guardian to recognise this need and seek it out for them, you can honestly feel the gratitude that comes from a dog who benefits from this intervention. Sometimes it enables them to feel more at ease for the first time in a very long time. Dogs deserve to be able to feel that release.
You wouldn't go to the dentist for a filling and settle for the receptionist doing the job in the dentists absence. Dentists have a role and receptionists have a role. One is not more important than the other. The dentists are needed to fix the teeth. The receptionist is needed to help people access this important service. They come together and coordinate a compulsory service in our world today.
It's the same for those who work with dogs; walkers, trainers, groomers, hydrotherapists, behaviourists, day care, sport coaches, vets... the list goes on. We all come together for our dogs in our world today to ensure they are as happy and healthy as can be. We ALL have our roles to play.
I think we just owe it to our dogs to be aware of our role, and be aware of the roles of others around us. Blurring those boundaries can unfortunately be a matter of life and death.
As a behaviourist, I have referred cases on if I do not feel equipped to deal with them. It is so important in whatever capacity we work with dogs that we recognise our limits, because we are not working with computers that can just be restored to a previous state if a mistake is made. We are working with living feeling beings that are learning about the world around them, and the consequences of their behaviour, every single minute of every single day. Dogs cannot be rebooted. Dogs are sponges, soaking up everything around them, so what we do with them can influence every cell in their body. We know that stress, anxiety, fear and other strong emotions can influence our dogs emotional and physical health in really powerful ways. When we work with a dogs behaviour presentations that is what we are working with - their emotional, physical and behavioural health. It is a big responsibility and not one that I take on lightly, ever.
It is not about respecting dog behaviourists by leaving the behaviour work to them: those who have spent thousands of pounds and many many years learning all that needs to be learned in order to be able to truly help some of our most vulnerable dogs. It is not about that. It is actually about respecting the dogs. Our dogs deserve to be treated with respect and a huge part of that is ensuring their needs are being met. Some dogs need behavioural guidance, that is just a fact of life. Whilst they cannot directly ask for it, they are reliant on their guardian to recognise this need and seek it out for them, you can honestly feel the gratitude that comes from a dog who benefits from this intervention. Sometimes it enables them to feel more at ease for the first time in a very long time. Dogs deserve to be able to feel that release.
You wouldn't go to the dentist for a filling and settle for the receptionist doing the job in the dentists absence. Dentists have a role and receptionists have a role. One is not more important than the other. The dentists are needed to fix the teeth. The receptionist is needed to help people access this important service. They come together and coordinate a compulsory service in our world today.
It's the same for those who work with dogs; walkers, trainers, groomers, hydrotherapists, behaviourists, day care, sport coaches, vets... the list goes on. We all come together for our dogs in our world today to ensure they are as happy and healthy as can be. We ALL have our roles to play.
I think we just owe it to our dogs to be aware of our role, and be aware of the roles of others around us. Blurring those boundaries can unfortunately be a matter of life and death.
