Testimonials

Read our success stories

Have a read of what some of our many satisfied pet owners have had to say about our services.

If you are one of our clients and would you like to leave us a message like those below, please contact us and we will add it to the list!

‘Manny’- Staffy-cross with Fear Aggression and Noise Phobia

Manny
Manny

“She really took the time to listen to my concerns and observe my dog’s behaviour in order to work out what was really underlying the aggression… I never thought that I could tackle so many other behavioural issues at the same time, but thanks to Joanna this was possible”

“I first sought Joanna’s help because my staffy-cross named Manny suffered with severe anxiety problems, which meant that in certain challenging circumstances this anxiety would lead to aggression due to fear. This was my first and foremost concern when contacting Joanna for the first time.

During my first consultation Joanna was incredibly understanding and patient with both my dog and I. She really took the time to listen to my concerns and observe my dog’s behaviour in order to work out what was really underlying the aggression, and how she could best help us. Joanna’s extensive knowledge and encouragement was instantly refreshing and made me feel as though there was hope in restoring a happy and healthy dog.

She told me right up front that it would take hard work, dedication and time on my behalf in order to achieve good results, but I was ready to try anything and it certainly paid off. I never thought that I could tackle so many other behavioural issues at the same time, but thanks to Joanna this was possible.

Due to his severe anxiety, Manny was placed on medication and also pheromones which noticeably lowered his anxiety levels (within a couple of weeks), allowing him to think more clearly and be able to concentrate on my direction in order to learn and get more enjoyment out of life. Once he was able to concentrate better it was much easier to implement the behaviour modification strategies that she gave us to practice.

Joanna carefully followed my dogs’ progress with follow up phone calls and frequent revisits to ensure everything was going smoothly at home and to fine-tune any training problems we were having. After 6 months of medication and following Joanna’s instructions, I now have a much happier dog that I can interact with better, and who gets more enjoyment out of life. This has certainly lowered the stress in the household and the looming fear of something bad happening as a result of Manny’s aggression problems.

It was so nice to have such a friendly, knowledgeable and positive person to teach me what I needed know in order to better understand my dog and deal with his issues. His response to the behaviour modifications suggested by Joanna were amazing and we haven’t looked back. Thank you!”

– Manny’s mum

‘Jasmine’- Shih Tzu-cross with Separation Anxiety

Jasmine
Jasmine

“In a matter of days I noticed a dramatic reduction in her anxiety and noticed she was much calmer. The training was very straight forward and she enjoyed it very much”

“Before Jasmine was treated by Dr Jo she was an absolute nightmare. She was extremely anxious and became very distressed when I had to leave her at home alone. It was becoming such a problem that I could not leave her at home for long periods and I felt bad every time I left for work.

After the first visit with Dr Jo I felt that I had finally found someone who actually had an interest in Jasmine and wanted to help me with her anxiety.

Jasmine was put on some anti-anxiety medication, an Adaptil collar and was started on a behaviour modification program.

In a matter of days I noticed a dramatic reduction in her anxiety and noticed she was much calmer. The training was very straight forward and she enjoyed it very much.

She has continued to make great improvements over the past few months. I can now happily leave her alone when I have to go to work or leave for longer periods of time. I can’t thank Dr Jo enough for the work and effort she has put in for Jasmine; she is a happier and more easy going dog.”

– Jasmine’s mum, Heidi.

‘Erik’- with Generalised Anxiety Disorder

“Dr Joanna provided a detailed diagnosis and loads of ongoing support… she is friendly and easy to talk to and we have enjoyed her gentle and understanding approach to behavioural problems”

“Erik is a very smart, very active dog who has been prone to anxiety problems all his life. He has always had problems regulating his arousal, he is prone to over-reacting, and he is quite sensitive to some sounds. These problems caused him some troubles, particularly when he was trying so hard to be a good dog, but his emotional response was just too big for him to handle. He was very well trained, but there is only so much that training could do. We engaged Joanna’s services after asking our vet to prescribe Prozac for him. The Prozac dose he was on had helped him a lot, but we were unsure where to go next with it and when.

Joanna really gave us the guidance we needed with Erik’s behavioural medication. She provided a detailed diagnosis and loads of ongoing support, both with his medication and when to dose, and training information. She is friendly and easy to talk to and we have enjoyed her gentle and understanding approach to behavioural problems.”

– Erik’s mum, Melissa

‘Honey’- Border Collie with Dog-Aggression and Noise Phobia

Honey
Honey

“We enjoy our time out walking so much more now.”

Annie approached Dr Joanna because she was concerned about several of Honey’s behaviours. Honey was very scared of storms and other sudden noises, would over-react to benign household noises (such as the cutlery drawer or kitchen appliances) on a daily basis, would often panic when she was put in her crate, was unpredictable around other dogs and sometimes urinated inside the house.

After a consultation (conveniently conducted on-location at her local participating veterinary clinic), Annie was given some strategies that she could use to manage Honey’s problem behaviours. Dr Joanna explained to Annie how she could help Honey cope with thunderstorms and fireworks including how to make the event ‘fun’, how to reduce honey’s perception of the noise and lightning flashes, provide a safe retreat, teach her self-settling techniques and gave her the option of using a sedative if these techniques weren’t successful in preventing or controlling the anxiety. They also discussed how to desensitise Honey to her crate, which she now chooses to rest in without being forced to. Her unpredictability with other dogs was also discussed; have a read of what Annie thinks:

“Dear Joanna/Pet Behaviour Vet, thank you so much for your assistance with Honey’s behavioural issues. Thanks to your help, the combination of medication and training has meant that we have successfully dealt with Honey’s on-lead aggression issues. We enjoy our time out walking so much more now. Thanks again.” – Annie, Honey’s mum.

Due to her high anxiety levels, Honey also required medication for this first phase of her treatment to help improve her brain function and therefore aid in learning. Due to her positive response to the overall treatment program, she is currently being slowly weaned off the medication under Dr Joanna’s guidance, and will hopefully be able to come off it altogether in the near future.

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