The Veterinary Behavior Center

07/26/2024

What a great first week of our new Therapeutic Board and Train program in Hawaii! Look at these learners rocking relaxation, loose leash walking, and new enrichment activities! We'll return to the island in November- reach out if you want to enroll your pup!

www.vetbehaviorcenter.com

07/12/2024

We'll be in Hawaii soon! Stay tuned for special events or contact us now to schedule a psychiatry appointment for your pet.

https://www.vetbehaviorcenter.com/hawaii

07/01/2024

Poppy is a patient that experienced a great deal of upset during noise events such as thunderstorms and fireworks. Medication and management have improved her well-being and created a functional outcome for her family.

We hope you have an uneventful Independence Day with your pets, but if you feel they are more stressed than usual, reach out and let's plan for next year!

www.vetbehaviorcenter.com

06/21/2024

Hawaii residents, check this out! Contact us for more information and to unlock your pet's introductory pricing! 🐾

06/14/2024

We hope your pet family is conspiring to have a great weekend! With above-average springtime temperatures in Colorado, families have had to get creative about indoor activities- what are some things you do when it's uncomfortable to be outside?

06/07/2024

We're here to help! Reach out if you need support.

www.vetbehaviorcenter.com or 303-536-1802

06/06/2024

It comes as no surprise how much our team members love their pets! Bigly was adopted from the Humane Society of Boulder Valley in 2019 and is a joy to live alongside! We'd love to see pictures of your pretty kitties!

06/03/2024

It's with much aloha that we announce TVBC is opening services in Honolulu! We've partnered with our colleagues at Alii Animal Hospital to bring psychiatric pet care to the island. Our team will visit Oahu to meet pets in person and offer virtual maintenance between appointments. From specialty behavioral health support to therapeutic Board & Train, we hope to make a positive impact!

For more information or to schedule, call 303-536-1802 or click the Hawaii link on our website at www.vetbehaviorcenter.com

04/25/2024

Once a month, Dr. Fagen and the TVBC team host Nerd Herd, an assortment of local animal trainers and consultants who gather to discuss a research paper and talk about current events. We love this opportunity to build strong relationships with local professionals!

Represented here: Art and Science Behavior Services, In Good Paws Dog Training, Caring Behavior: Animal Education and Training, The Nature of Animals, Humane Society of Boulder Valley, Calvert Dog Academy, Training Wheels, LLC, Foothills Animal Shelter, The Veterinary Behavior Center, Canine Behavior Connection and Wise Whiskers Training, LLC

04/24/2024

New class announcement: From Pulling To Partners!

You notice them all the time - happy, relaxed people on an afternoon outing with their happy, relaxed pup. You feel defeated; if only you enjoyed walks with your dog! You've read a few tips, purchased new gear, and still, you're often dragged around town and ready to throw in the towel. Let us help! Our P2P curriculum is designed to get you back out in the neighborhood with a smile on your face!

Enjoyable walks with your dog start from a place of teamwork; setting the stage for success, and a clear picture of expectations. Walks benefit dogs as an opportunity to practice species-typical behaviors that contribute to their well-being. We benefit, too! We notice nature, exercise, and let our worries fly out the window- if we enjoy a cooperative experience with our dog. However, walks often result in pulling on the leash, which is unpleasant for the dog and human!

In this course, our goal is to create cues and routines so that the dog can check in with their human, walk with slack in the leash, and move with the guardian while passing a distraction. This is not a class about teaching your dog a perfect heel, but rather how you can both enjoy exploring the world together. Are you ready to take the next step in your walking journey? We hope you'll join us!

​This class is designed for dogs 6 months of age and older without significant reactivity issues towards unfamiliar dogs or people. Reactive dogs need pre-approval from the TVBC team to participate.

Open to the public.

Thursdays 6:00pm - 6:45pm MST @ our Boulder clinic
Starting May 30th for 5 weeks

Register here: https://www.vetbehaviorcenter.com/classes

04/22/2024

Final day for Rattlesnake Avoidance Workshop registration! Click here: https://www.vetbehaviorcenter.com/classes

Spring has sprung- be ready!

03/11/2024

Limited seats available for Rattlesnake Avoidance class!

1) Virtual Foundations Session: April 24th, 6pm-7pm MST, important background information and foundational skills that will set you and your canine companion up for success.
2) In-Person Workshop: May 19th, 9:30am-11:30am MST, at our clinic in Boulder. Give your dog the experience they need in a live session with snake skins used as decoys to teach your dog to keep their distance and come back to you.

Register here: https://www.vetbehaviorcenter.com/classes
Open to the public - all levels.

Limited to 6 dog-person full participant spots - $219
Unlimited auditors (virtual and in person options) - $119
Instructor: Amy Creaven

02/20/2024

Last call! Our 6 D's of Relaxation virtual class for dogs begins this Sunday!

Register here: https://www.vetbehaviorcenter.com/classes

02/16/2024

Rattlesnake Avoidance Class announcement!

Warm weather is right around the corner, and you’ll be out and about with your pup! Don’t let the fear of a snake encounter keep you off the trails! Hike safely and soundly knowing that your dog knows what to do (and what not to do) if a rattlesnake crosses your path.

Join us for this 2-part class where you will learn about snake behavior and safety, in addition to skills that you and your dog will develop together such as shaping awareness, and pairing the scent, sight, and/or sound of a snake with a learned signal to come back to you. The goal is for your dog to reflexively move away from snakes- we’ll help you accomplish this in a fear-free, reward-based way!

1) Virtual Foundations Session: April 24th, 6pm-7pm MST, important background information and foundational skills that will set you and your canine companion up for success.

2) In-Person Workshop: May 19th, 9:30am-11:30am MST, at our clinic in Boulder. Give your dog the experience they need in a live session with snake skins used as decoys to teach your dog to keep their distance and come back to you.

Register here: https://www.vetbehaviorcenter.com/classes

Open to the public - all levels.

Limited to 6 dog-person full participant spots - $219

Unlimited auditors (virtual and in person options) - $119

Instructor: Amy Creaven

*No snakes or dogs were harmed or will be harmed in the production of this workshop.

02/12/2024

6-week virtual Relaxation class begins Sunday, February 25, 4:00 p.m. MST. Hope to see you there!

Learning to self-regulate is critical for everyone, including our canine companions, and the ability to relax is a skill that takes time to develop. Relaxing on cue, and for an extended period of time, lowers heart and respiratory rates, and soothes a stressed-out mind. This virtual group class is designed for 6 dogs and their families to gather in a supportive environment and learn our 6 D’s relaxation protocol designed by Dr. Ariel Fagen, DVM, DACVB.

In this image, Zuri relaxes on her mat between Nosework activities, a stimulating environment for many dogs.

Register here: https://www.vetbehaviorcenter.com/classes

02/06/2024

Meow!

Are you curious as a cat? In this five-part virtual series, you will gain information and skills about all things feline! Designed for cats of all ages, our curriculum focuses on five major themes: creating a robust and enriching home environment, interactive and passive playtime and exercise, carrier or confinement conditioning, cooperative nail and coat care and medication delivery, and harness training. When you understand how cats learn, and you possess the skills to shape behavior with positive outcomes, these activities can be used independently for recreation and healthy habits or can be reached for when you need to problem solve a behavior of concern. Expert litterbox management, environmental strategies, and general quality of life enhancements accumulate to position you and your cat(s) to reach for the stars, or at least the highest perch in your home!

Week 1: How cats learn and how to teach them, structuring your home for a happy cat, litterbox organization and maintenance, and accessing resources

Week 2: Play! Interactive and passive play, including cat superhighways, and product recommendations, understanding predatory behavior

Week 3: Carrier conditioning, and all types of confinement tolerance, including introduction to a pet stroller

Week 4: Cooperative nail care, grooming, and medication administration (emphasis on desensitization and counterconditioning and low stress events)

Week 5: Harness and leash training, including how to evaluate if your kitty is the adventurous type, and product reviews

Starts March 7 for 5 weeks, 6:00 - 6:45 p.m. via Zoom

Register here: https://www.vetbehaviorcenter.com/classes

01/25/2024

Want to work for a mission-driven, nerdy and proactive team in sunny Boulder, Colorado? Passionate about helping pets and people live their best lives? We are hiring for a Veterinary Practice Manager and a Certified Veterinary Technician position. Come join us!

Additional information and applications here:

Take a look at the current openings at The Veterinary Behavior Center

01/18/2024

Despite it having been 7 degrees out for the past two days, spring is actually around the corner. And TVBC has their spring classes up and open for registration. We've got some great virtual offerings this year for CATS and DOGS! And more to be posted soon. Sign up and tag anyone you know who might be interested!

Loose Leash Walking - for a lifetime of pleasant strolls
Relaxation - emotionally downshift your dog on cue
Kit & Kaboodle - help your kitty live their best life

Veterinary behaviorists are trained in all species, not just dogs and cats. Nothing gets us more thrilled than the chance to use our unique skills to help animals in human care from all sorts of backgrounds. See what our expertise can bring to your animal care program.

01/15/2024

TVBC is now hiring for both a Practice Manager and a Veterinary Technician. Know someone who might be interested? Tag them in the comments. Job postings here:

https://veterinarybehaviorcenter.bamboohr.com/careers/23?source=aWQ9MjY%3D

https://veterinarybehaviorcenter.bamboohr.com/careers/24

Want to work for a mission driven organization committed to partnering with clients to treat psychiatric and behavioral disorders in animals? Working primarily with dogs and cats and their people, our team provides cutting edge veterinary behavioral medicine in Boulder, Colorado. We are looking for....

01/15/2024

We are hiring! Know someone who might be interested? Tag them in the comments below.

How would you like to work for a focused, energized and mission driven specialty veterinary clinic? The Veterinary Behavior Center is seeking an experienced Practice Manager to support our growing business! Trade in your countless hours of crisis management for a proactive and creative position aime...

06/30/2023

Wishing all of our animal patients and their pet parents a relaxed, uneventful, and happy Independence Day weekend!

06/26/2023

Frenja wants to remind everybody to start gathering comfy items to create a safe space for your pets on Independence Day!

TVBC will be closed on July 3 and July 4 so please reach out to us before Friday if you need a prescription refill. You got this!

05/12/2023

We've had unusual stormy weather in Colorado this week! Reducing sound stimulus for Poppy helps her cope in conditions that cause her to become anxious. Here, she models Mutt Muffs for dogs. This product, along with a safe space and medication, create a functional level of comfort for Poppy and her parent. Reach out if you believe your pet would benefit from support during noisy seasonal events!

https://www.vetbehaviorcenter.com/

04/14/2023

Exciting news! Dr. Fagen and her family welcomed twins, Ayla and Rafael, on March 9! They surprised us with a visit this week and we're smitten!

Photo: Dr. Feldman holds Ayla, and Dr. Jones snuggles with Rafael 💕

04/07/2023

From our colleagues at The Center for Canine Behavior Studies; a request for participants:

04/05/2023

The Veterinary Behavior Center is excited to offer Brent's Pets Pizzazz snuffle mats in two sizes for dogs and cats! Made in Boulder, Colorado with love!

The small size is great for travel- it measures 9.5" x 5"- never leave home without it!

The larger one measures 11.5" x 12"- great colors available and such fun for your pet!

03/20/2023

Yay! It's officially springtime! Anybody else conditioning their kitty to a harness? Bigly is excited to have safe access to his back yard and made an instant favorable association with his new gear. Let us know how it's going for you!

02/14/2023

When we say we LOVE animals, we mean it! Hope you and your Valentine are having a lovely day! 💕

Images: TVBC's Wheat Ridge Animal Hospital team being silly, Cosmo posing for his Valentine picture, Poppy demonstrating how handy it is to be conditioned to a favorite "mat", baking dog treats at our Boulder location, and Aspen tickled with her pretty rose!

02/07/2023

A treat for your Valentine! Loose Leash Walking class from the comfort of home!

We’re throwing away the old model of expecting dogs to heel by your side, and instead, teaching them signals and skills that promote an understanding of what to expect when the leash is attached. Maybe you’re going on a neighborhood walk where you want your dog to sniff, meander, and have agency over the direction, speed, and duration of their time spent outdoors. Perhaps you are attaching a long line and hope they investigate every shrub, creek, and sound. Or, there will be times you want to signal to them that the expectation is that they pace themselves and keep some slack in the leash because you’ve entered a building, are participating in a group activity, or have asked a senior family member to join you- these situations require different skills!

We can help you figure out all the subtleties and variations in the tools that you use, how you set the stage for the type of walk you wish to have, and reduce the amount of frustration you experience when your dog has one goal- pulling straight ahead!

This class is designed for dogs 6 months of age and older.

Online! Open to the public.
Series of 4 classes, 45 minutes each, $99
February 16 and 23 & March 2 and 9

Register: https://vetbehaviorcenter.punchpass.com/classes/12552353

01/17/2023

While Sarah built a rat playpen in the middle of her living room, Zuri had a treat party while she explored the new feature. Supporting our dogs when changes occur helps them develop positive associations with the new "thing". Now, to inform Zuri that she will be evicted when the rat party begins! 😍