Ottawa Veterinary Behaviour Services

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Ottawa, ON
Ottawa Veterinary Behaviour Services

Need help with your pet’s behaviour? Dr. Michelle Nicholson is a vet with a special interest in Veterinary Behavioural Medicine.

She is able to offer virtual consult as well as occasional in person appointments.

09/07/2025

“Just teach him to sit when he sees another dog.”
“Make her heel through a busy street.”
Sound familiar? 🐾

👉 Obedience skills like sit, down, and stay can be great training exercises, but they don’t address the root causes of fear, aggression, or anxiety. Those behaviours come from emotions like fear, frustration and panic - not a lack of training. In fact, many of our clients struggling with these issues have gone above and beyond in their training efforts before seeing us.

That’s where behaviour modification, environmental management, physical health and overall wellbeing come in. It’s about changing the emotional response—helping your pet feel safe, secure, and able to cope—so that the behaviour shifts as their feelings do.

So go ahead and train that “sit” or “stay”. Just remember to look at the whole picture when your dog is struggling.

📌 Save this post for the next time someone says, “he just needs more training.”

09/05/2025

Did you know cats need vertical space? 🐾🐈‍⬛

Vertical space gives cats safe places to rest, climb, and observe. It lowers stress, helps prevent conflict in multi-pet homes, and gives your cat the choice and control they need to feel secure. Cats with unmet needs, who feel unsafe or have a lack of escape routes are more prone to developing undesirable behaviour.

Here are some ways to build up, not out:
✨ Cat trees or towers
✨ Window perches and hammocks for bird-watching
✨ Tall furniture that they can climb safely
✨ Wall-mounted shelves or “cat highways” (multiple shelves they can walk between)
✨ Repurposed ladders or floating corner shelves

For multi-cat homes, be sure to include multiple perches and access routes so everyone has space to climb and relax.

Vertical space isn’t just décor — it’s a key part of your cat’s wellbeing and resilience. 💛

✨ Save this post for inspiration when setting up your cat’s environment!

09/03/2025

It can be confusing to know who to ask for help with your pet’s behaviour. 🤷‍♀️

The truth is: trainers/behaviour consultants and behaviour vets are both essential, each bringing different expertise to your pet’s care team.

🐾 Trainers support you with everyday skills, environmental management, comprehensive behaviour change plans and building a strong relationship with your dog.

🐾 Behaviour vets help with medications, diagnoses and by providing holistic treatment plans.

There is sometimes crossover between the two types of professionals; for example, your behaviour vet may give you a behaviour modification plan, but your trainer is better suited to hold your hand and answer all of the nitty gritty questions you might have.

Neither replaces the other — they work best side by side. Knowing who to ask what means your pet gets the right support, at the right time. 💛

✨ Save this post for the next time you’re unsure who to turn to!

08/22/2025

Progress doesn’t always look how we expect it to. While social media might make it seem like dramatic transformations are the norm, it’s the small wins that add up to big progress over time.

Did your dog settle a little faster today? Did your cat let you trim one nail? Did your bird approach the perch without hesitation? Those small wins still count. In fact, they’re often the most important steps toward lasting change.

Every tiny step forward is worth celebrating—and together, they add up to real transformation.

Don’t forget to save this post for those days when you need a little reminder of how far you’ve come. 💙

08/19/2025

Dogs with big feelings often feel better when life gets a little more predictable. That’s where pattern games come in.

Originally created by Leslie McDevitt in the Control Unleashed program, these games use simple, repeatable patterns to help dogs stay engaged with their handler and fall back onto predictability in unpredictable moments. When something happens that your dog perceives as scary or overwhelming, knowing what will happen next can make a world of difference. And best of all - they are incredibly user-friendly, even for training newbies.

✨ Here are 3 pattern games we love:
1️⃣ 1-2-3 Game – count out loud and reward on “3” while walking.
2️⃣ Up-Down Game – eat food off of the ground, look back at you, repeat.
3️⃣ Ping Pong – move back and forth to fetch treats, checking in with you in the middle.

As with all training, these pattern games won’t work if you teach them around triggers right off the bat. Start in the quietest environment possible (home) and work your way up gradually to the situations that trigger your dog most.

08/16/2025

Did you know the idea that dogs are motivated to become the “alpha” comes from outdated wolf studies that have been debunked for decades? Dogs aren’t trying to take over your home — they’re trying to feel safe, get their needs met, and understand how to navigate our human world.

When we approach training like a battle for dominance, we risk damaging trust, increasing fear, and making behaviour problems worse.

Instead, think of your relationship as a partnership. We guide with consistency, kindness, and clear communication — not power struggles. Your dog doesn’t need a boss; they need a teacher, advocate, and friend. 💙

📅 Need help understanding your dog’s behaviour? Contact us to book a consultation!

08/13/2025

Think of your pet’s healthcare like a team sport. 🤾

Your primary care veterinarian is your pet’s first line of defence — the one who knows their medical history inside and out, keeps up with vaccines, monitors overall health, and catches problems early.

A behaviour vet (like us) focuses on all of the moving pieces that impact behaviour — including environmental management, physical health, medications, behaviour modification and training — and works closely with your primary vet to ensure nothing is missed, and that your pet’s mental health gets just as much attention as their physical health.

We deeply appreciate primary care vets. They are our partners in care, and together we can support your pet’s wellbeing from nose to tail, inside and out. 🩺💙

📅 If your pet’s behaviour is impacting your life, contact us to book a consultation — we’ll join your care team to help you both thrive.

08/11/2025

Hey you - are you being hard on yourself again?

On social media it can feel like everyone but you is buying every enrichment toy, seeing every specialist and sparing no expense to help their pet.

It might feel like everyone but you is sacrificing all of their money, energy and spare time to make their pet's life better.

It may feel that way - but that doesn't make it true.

You are doing what you can within your own lifestyle and limitations. We know that. We don't judge you for it. We'll find a way to figure out the right solution for both you AND your pet, together.

08/08/2025

We love to talk about the positive aspects of working with our clients; the wins, the successes and the progress - but that's only half of the picture.

We know that behind every success, there is hard work and struggle. We know how isolating it can feel to have a pet with behavioural challenges - and how sometimes, you wish you could just walk away and never look back. That doesn't mean you don't love your pet, it just means you are only human.

So if you're feeling this way, we hope this post makes you feel seen. You deserve it, and you're doing a great job.

08/04/2025

Have you ever heard the term "a tired dog is a happy dog?"

We're here to tell you - that isn't necessarily true. ❌

While some dogs do need more (or a different type of) exercise to be fulfilled, keeping your dog too busy can have dire consequences as well. Within our caseload of dogs suffering from behavioural challenges, many of them are not receiving enough quality or quantity of sleep.

Instead of focusing on exercising your dog more, focus on these two things:

🌱 What type of exercise are they getting? Is it fulfilling for them? Do they have agency and freedom of movement on walks? What makes them light up? Is there variety?

💤 How much rest are they getting (quantity) and how restful is it? Are you overscheduling them? Even if your dog is lying around the house for much of the day, if they're always sleeping with one eye open or constantly being interrupted by family chaos, they won't reap the benefits.

Tag a friend who might find this helpful! 🏷️

08/01/2025

Dogs do not bark, lunge, bite or panic because they haven't been trained to sit or stay. In fact, many of our clients come to us with dogs who, by all intents and purposes, are highly trained in obedience or sports. The problem is not that they need more training - but that they need more of the OTHER pieces of the puzzle. 🧩

Just like us, dogs who struggle with fear or anxiety need a holistic, supportive approach to see success. This includes a qualified, positive reinforcement based trainer, your primary care veterinarian, our veterinary behaviour services and any other specialists your dog needs to thrive.

Need a referral to a trainer who is in-line with our approach? Send us a message and we'll make sure to connect you.

07/29/2025

As a society, we've been conditioned to think that it's normal if a cat seems to be in a bad mood all the time. We're here to tell you - it's not. ❌

Yes, some cats are more reserved and others are more social, but no cat should be permanently grumpy. If your cat seems this way, it's worth investigating further to see what is going on that is causing them to feel that way. Because cats deserve it. 🐈

Address

Ottawa, ON
K2P0K8

Telephone

+16134545818

Website

http://ottawavetbehaviour.ca/

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STRENGTHENING THE BOND BETWEEN YOU AND YOUR PET

Need help with your pet’s behaviour? Dr. Michelle Nicholson is a veterinarian with a special interest in Veterinary Behaviour Medicine. Her mobile practice brings veterinary behaviour care out of a clinic setting and into your home or other familiar environment for your pet.