Animal Behavior & Healing

06/11/2022

Goku started his journey to recovery when he was adopted by a wonderful couple, following months of street life and near starvation. His new owners decided to start a new life in Maine with Goku and Jack last year! With so many obstacles to over come, Goku has regained his faith in the goodness of people, and has evolved into a fun and playful pup since our time together began almost 6 months ago!
His owners write:
Goku is doing great!! This past month was really busy & social for us. He handled everything like a champion! We are really so proud & thrilled with the progress that he has made so far. He & Omar have been playing fetch a lot recently, which is really sweet & heartwarming. He comes up to Omar for love & affection, even rolls over & shows him his belly sometimes!
He’s made such a big transformation, he’s really almost a different dog. I’d say he’s at a 7 compared to where he was initially. I want to rate higher, but I know that he is not at his peak and that we are going to continue to make progress together. I really can’t thank you enough for your guidance, patience, kind words & encouragement. We came to you feeling completely desperate & hopeless and have now been able to achieve a calm, peaceful environment in our home with a comfortable, and -dare I say – confident dog.

06/11/2022

Winnie has come a long way since we began our work late last year... her owners report she is vastly improved! A final visit confirmed that Winnie has become a more confident, relaxed girl in her new home, and is socializing well! Good work Winnie!
Her owners write:

Working with Gina helped us to better understand and communicate with our anxious dog, Winnie. She knew exactly what Winnie needed and immediately provided us with tools of support. Winnie’s growth would not be where it is today without Gina. We are immensely grateful!

08/15/2021

A wonderful testimonial from Rama's owners this week. It was such a pleasure helping this sweet pup and his family find their best life together!

"My wife and I reached out to Gina for behavioral coaching for our three year old Jack Russell/Fox terrier mix, Rama, as he began to show traits of anxiety, likely stemming from changes to our day to day lifestyle as a result of working from home during the pandemic. We worked with Gina virtually and throughout our three months together she truly got to know Rama and all of his quirks, almost to the point of knowing how he would react in specific situations before they happened. Gina developed a step by step approach to help re develop Rama’s independence and reduce his anxiety levels and worked with us the entire way to implement these changes in both our and Rama’s day to day life. She helped bring more structure and balance into Rama’s life which has led him to be much happier and relaxed, especially around strangers or guests. Gina’s understanding of canine psychology is only rivaled by her kindness. We are so happy we were able to work with Gina to not only help retrain our pup but to also help teach us how to make his life the best it could be! "

08/05/2021

Following her transport from Puerto Rico, and multiple medical issues to remediate, Mabel and her new older brother Murdock are making progress with all the behavioral outcomes we established for the family! Good work Murdy and Mabel!!!

07/05/2021

Perhaps one day if enough of us rise up, silent fireworks will be the norm!

Lots of dogs are afraid of fireworks and other loud noises. Here are a few ways to help your dog get through the 4th of July.

11/28/2020

Revenge .....

10/02/2020

Super excited to collaborate once again with Erica Sloan at Martha Stewart Living on this article discussing how to help your dog overcome separation anxiety, and pandemic related behavioral issues as families return to work and school. Visit the resources page at animalbehaviorhealing.com for a complete report on preparing for your return to work, and preventing the development of separation anxiety!

Make the time you're not around easier for your anxious dog with these tips.

06/24/2020

Animal Behavior & Healing is a certified practitioner with the IAABC, and as such, does not support the use of shock or electronic training devices of any kind. We practice ethical, and scientifically supported behavior change using the well established principles of positive reinforcement in establishing a bond of trust between humans and animals.

The use of shock in training and behavior is not considered a best practice by the IAABC or the Joint Standards of Practice, and is strongly discouraged. Our goal is to eliminate the use of shock devices from training and behavior work, and to do so by modeling, educating, and providing members with...

03/19/2020

Greetings!

Animal Behavior & Healing Announces Remote Behavior Counseling Services via ZOOM

During these unusual times, it is important to take care of ourselves as well as our beloved pets, as we negotiate this new normal in our homes and through social distancing protocols.

In an effort to support those families in need of behavior counseling services for their pets, effective immediately, Animal Behavior & Healing will be able to provide in home consultations and behavior intervention services via Zoom until we are notified of the all clear by state and federal health officials.
We will also be reducing behavior services fees during this period, in line with our travel costs being reduced.

Clients and professional staff may contact us directly to schedule a live consultation here:

[email protected]

We look forward to continuing to work with you all, and supporting healthy outcomes for the behavioral needs of your pets.

Gina Garey, MS CABAC
animalbehaviorhealing.com

03/18/2020

An important message from regarding the safekeeping of your pets during uncertain and trying financial times for many... Keep your pet with you! Resources for feeding routines and places to find support during an economic downturn are presented.
let's keep our beloved family members safe at home, where they belong!



Visit us at: https://animalwellnessaction.org/2020/03/17/keeping-your-pet-with-you-during-coronavirus-crisis/?fbclid=IwAR3NCzXSngkQMbLQthk_w5LGnZtePfg-DA4abyZO4k1BminLHDvMl8pqjec

The global health crisis caused by the Coronavirus should not be allowed to trigger a wave of pet companion relinquishment. “Just this weekend, a man who’d just lost his job relinquished his dog to us,” noted Dr. Annie Harvilicz, the president and chief medical officer of the Animal Wellness Foundation. “We can interrupt the relinquishment process by helping with pet food and medical services, which are the key costs borne by pet owners.”

Surrendering pets to veterinarians and animal shelters is not inevitable during a crisis like this,” says Jennifer Skiff, director of International Programs for the Animal Wellness Foundation, “Pets are family and the best way to keep them safe is to keep them with you. While we are facing uncertain times, there are options for people who are temporarily unable to provide for their much-loved companions.”

The most important thing to know is that your pets don’t have to eat packaged dog and cat food to survive. According to a veterinarian, Dr. Barbara Royal, there are plenty of other options. “When done appropriately, feeding pets our leftovers is fine and can decrease costs. Dogs are omnivores and they can safely eat a variety of things to survive. Cats are obligate carnivores. They need taurine and many vitamins and minerals that are only found in organ meats. Their food should be high in protein and fat and low in carbs.” You can find great recipes for pet food here: http://balanceit.com/ or you can order supplies online at http://www.chewy.com.

Here are some other tips on keeping your pet healthy through these times:

• Preparing home-made pet food
• Seeking temporary help from friends and family
• Collecting food from a pet food pantry or food bank
• Accepting assistance from your local animal shelter before surrendering your pet
• Accepting food assistance from your place of worship
• Asking pet stores if they have near-expiration food available at no cost or a reduced price.

For other tips and information, see our press release: tinyurl.com/wbb8xvy

11/20/2019

Honored to have been asked for my expertise in canine feeding behaviors at Martha Stewart Living! Many thanks to Erica Sloan and Annie Harvilicz at Animal Wellness Foundation for your collaboration!
You can read more in this article, or contact me at Animal Behavior & Healing for assistance with your canine companion when food is an issue!

A veterinary clinician explains this quirky behavior in cats and dogs.