Ottawa Veterinary Behaviour Services

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

Don't hesitate if your pet seems uncomfortable and not themselves. Starting a pain conversation with your vet is so im...
08/12/2024

Don't hesitate if your pet seems uncomfortable and not themselves. Starting a pain conversation with your vet is so important. Pain is a leading contributor to behaviour issues.

Dr. Lisa Radosta discusses the connection between pet behavior and pain, which is often overlooked by pet owners.Many people believe their pets aren't in pai...

We know it's not Monday but this should be said every day of the week! Thanks to American College of Veterinary Behavio...
05/14/2024

We know it's not Monday but this should be said every day of the week! Thanks to American College of Veterinary Behaviorists for this great post we just had to share.

You are doing a good job regardless of where you are in your journey!
03/25/2024

You are doing a good job regardless of where you are in your journey!

03/19/2024

Pet of the Month!

Willow's Story
Willow came to us as a foster from Playa del Carmen, Mexico. She had come into the shelter after being found, tied up and abandoned. She wasn't doing well at the shelter so they needed to place her asap. Willow didn't have any domestic dog skills and struggled with strangers, being alone, noise sensitivity, and was afraid to leave the house. Inside the house with her people, she was starting to open up and trust a little bit, and her silly personality was starting to shine. We adopted her seeing her promise, but geared up for a difficult journey. In the few years Willow has been with us she has transformed. She loves being outside and playing in the snow. In the summers, we had to install a doggy door so she could sunbathe at will. She is incredibly playful, compassionate, kind, and the very best communicator we know! She is starting to make some doggie friends, and even some human friends! She enjoys snuffle balls, croissants, and decimating her toys. She takes her role as bunny guardian very seriously, shooing birds and squirrels from our yard every spring so that the baby bunnies born in our yard are free from interference.

Her journey has been full of so many bumps and hurdles, but also so many successes. Willow's growth wouldn't be possible without the village of professionals and caregivers who see her spirit and love her as much as we do. She inspires us to lead our lives and relationships with kindness and understanding. She reminds us every day of the importance of rest and being present every moment you can.
~ Kayla




Fun Fact Friday Did you know that this look, called whale eye or side eye, is another non-specific sign of anxiety? This...
03/15/2024

Fun Fact Friday

Did you know that this look, called whale eye or side eye, is another non-specific sign of anxiety?

This look is typically pegged as guilty, or taken as a sign that they "know they did something wrong".

The truth is dogs don't identify right from wrong but rather safe from unsafe. It is safe to jump on the couch, it is unsafe to chew the couch. Dogs do not do something wrong deliberately, they don't understand what is expected of them, they are too anxious, they are completely panicked, or they have learned that they get attention from doing something "bad".

The look is just another sign of anxiety, about the situation, a reaction they've gotten, or your dog's internal state. It can be normal in the right context, however if your dog often shows whale eye or frequently shows this in an out-of-context situation keep a look out for other signs of daily anxiety or specific situations that cause your dog anxiety.

Fun Fact Friday! Did you know that a tongue flick or lip lick is a common non-specific sign of anxiety. Watch your dogs ...
03/08/2024

Fun Fact Friday!

Did you know that a tongue flick or lip lick is a common non-specific sign of anxiety. Watch your dogs the next time you see a lip lick and if they aren't in the middle of eating something, the interaction just before the lip lick likely causes your dog anxiety.

Non-specific signs of anxiety are behaviours that are completely normal in one circumstance and likely anxiety based in another situation where that behaviour was out of context.

**LET'S TALK REINFORCERS PART 1**Treats, cookies, ball, toys, pets, praise, sniffing, barking, chasing, biting, chewing,...
03/06/2024

**LET'S TALK REINFORCERS PART 1**

Treats, cookies, ball, toys, pets, praise, sniffing, barking, chasing, biting, chewing, digging. These all sounded like great rewards for dogs (and other pets!) until the last five.These are also reinforcers for your dog, just not ones chosen by you!

There are two main parts to understanding reinforcers in behaviour modification.
1. What does your dog find reinforcing that you can readily use to reward appropriate behaviours?
2. What does your dog find reinforcing about the *unwanted* behaviours that they are doing?

Once we have the answers to those questions we can get started with behaviour modification.

Stay tuned for part 2 of this three part series on identifying reinforcers!

Here are some tips to help troubleshoot your dog's challenging behaviours. If you are struggling with your dog's behavio...
03/05/2024

Here are some tips to help troubleshoot your dog's challenging behaviours.

If you are struggling with your dog's behaviour, contact us anytime. We are happy to help!

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Ottawa, ON
K2P0K8

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+16134545818

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Videos

Welcome to our weekly how to videos! We're going to start with going over our 3 initial behaviour modification exercises. For those existing clients, this will be very familiar! And for anyone new to joining us, these are 3 great behaviours to add to your toolbox to help your dog (or cat!) cope with stressors. #dogbehaviour #fearfuldog #behaviourvet #veterinarybehaviour #doglanguage #dogbehaviourproblems

Pet of the Month! Willow's Story Willow came to us as a foster from Playa del Carmen, Mexico. She had come into the shelter after being found, tied up and abandoned. She wasn't doing well at the shelter so they needed to place her asap. Willow didn't have any domestic dog skills and struggled with strangers, being alone, noise sensitivity, and was afraid to leave the house. Inside the house with her people, she was starting to open up and trust a little bit, and her silly personality was starting to shine. We adopted her seeing her promise, but geared up for a difficult journey. In the few years Willow has been with us she has transformed. She loves being outside and playing in the snow. In the summers, we had to install a doggy door so she could sunbathe at will. She is incredibly playful, compassionate, kind, and the very best communicator we know! She is starting to make some doggie friends, and even some human friends! She enjoys snuffle balls, croissants, and decimating her toys. She takes her role as bunny guardian very seriously, shooing birds and squirrels from our yard every spring so that the baby bunnies born in our yard are free from interference. Her journey has been full of so many bumps and hurdles, but also so many successes. Willow's growth wouldn't be possible without the village of professionals and caregivers who see her spirit and love her as much as we do. She inspires us to lead our lives and relationships with kindness and understanding. She reminds us every day of the importance of rest and being present every moment you can. ~ Kayla #ottawavetbehaviour #behaviourvet #petofthemonth #Willow

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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.

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