Professional Collaboration for better client outcomes
with a Dynamic Dog Functional Assessment
Whether you are a trainer, veterinarian, dog walker, groomer, day care attendant, or pet sitter, you have a front row seat to all things dog, and you are in a great position to notice if something just isn’t right with a dog in your care. Maybe they have a behavioral issue that is negatively impacting your ability to care for them or the owner has mentioned that their dog seems “off” in some way, but they don’t know what it is.
As a Dynamic Dog Practitioner, I have been taught the skills to identify potential signs of discomfort (no diagnosing!) and relay them to the vet so that the owner and dog find relief sooner. We look at everything in the dog’s life so we have the whole picture as we objectively assess their posture, gait, the way they move while going about their usual day: eating, drinking, walking, running, pooping & peeing, playing - EVERYTHING!
On the left side of the photo, a German Shepherd with head and shoulders visible with ears up and mouth slightly open, lying on a yellow, high-pile chenille mat, with his right front paw in the left hand of a person out of view except for their right foot with a grey, mid-calf high snow boot with black laces
Training & behavior pros
Collaboration not competition
You have been working with a dog whose behavior does not seem to be improving and may be getting worse, but there’s no obvious sign that the dog is struggling with pain or other underlying issue. Or maybe you can see that something is “off” but you aren’t sure what.
I will team up with you as an addition to your training & behavior services (not instead of!). You’ll continue working with the dog owner to manage the dog’s behavior while I conduct the assessment. This is a big win for the client & their dog!
Behavior in and of itself may be the only sign that a dog is struggling with an underlying issue such as pain, including, but not limited to, reactivity, aggression, separation anxiety, fear, touch & handling sensitivity, resource guarding, noise phobia, hyperactivity, pulling on leash.
See below for the process I follow for the Dynamic Dog Functional Assessment.
In a warmly lit veterinary clinic, two women veterinarians are seen interacting with a cheerful golden retriever. Both professionals, clothed in neat scrubs and with stethoscopes around their necks, lean over to affectionately pet and examine the dog.
Veterinarians
A Dynamic Dog Functional Assessment Report can provide you with important information about what may be happening with your patient that you don’t see in the clinic because it takes place where the dog is most comfortable - at home.
Dynamic Dog Practitioners are canine behavioral, movement, gait, and posture experts. But a Dynamic Dog Functional Assessment is so much more than a gait & postural assessment.
We look at every single aspect of a dog’s life and provide you with an objective, in-depth report backed up by visual documentation so that you have all the information you need, and we leave diagnosing up to you, the medical professional.
See below for the process I follow for the Dynamic Dog Functional Assessment.
A smiling woman dog groomer, clad in a dark green scrubs, is smiling and standing behind a freshly groomed, scruffy, terrier-type dog, who is brown with white on their muzzle. The dog, with its fur still damp, is wearing a blue harness and has a happy expression with soft eyes that are brown, mouth open slightly, and ears perked up.
Dog walkers, Groomers, Day Cares, Pet Sitters
Something seems off about a dog in your care, but you aren’t sure what. Maybe their behavior is concerning and you aren’t sure you can continue working with them. Or maybe you see an issue with their movement, posture, or gait. You are in a great position to share what you are seeing with your client and let them know there is help out there.
A Dynamic Dog Functional Assessment is the best way to provide your client with an objective assessment backed up with documentation that they can share with their dog’s vet and get the help they need.
See below for the process I follow for the Dynamic Dog Functional Assessment.
A Dynamic Dog Functional Assessment is very different from most canine behavioral assessments.
ALL aspects of the dog and owner’s day-to-day life are taken into consideration from their behavior, to what they eat, to the way they move, sleep, play, and their routine.
Dynamic Dog Practitioners understand the impact that emotional and physical health may have on a dog’s behavior. Everything is connected, and that is why we insist on a FULL and DETAILED assessment when working with a client and their dog.
What can your clients expect on top of the standard behavior assessment?
The Dynamic Dog Functional Assessment Process
Step 1: Initial Consultation with the dog’s owner
This takes place on Zoom. Lasting 1.5 - 2 hours, I take a look at what life is like for the owner and their dog. I want to learn EVERYTHING, which often leads us down previously unexplored territory.
Step 2: Data Gathering
Additional information in visual form - photos and videos of the dog doing various activities of daily life so we can assess any physical issues.
Depending on the dog and where the client is located, this can be done solely by the dog’s owner or I can assist them in person.
Step 3: Evidence Analysis
Once all data is gathered, I spend a few days going over all the data & information given to me in the consult and from the photos and videos so I can build the full picture of what is going on with the dog.
Step 4: Report for the Dog’s Veterinarian
I then construct a comprehensive, to-the-point report for the dog’s veterinarian with corresponding evidence to provide them with important information they can use to formulate a diagnosis and treatment plan to lessen the impact on the dog’s behavior.
Please note: I do not diagnose any medical issues. I gather information and evidence to support any of my findings, and then objectively present everything to the veterinarian as an aid to help figure out what is going on with your client dog.
Click here to read a recent study by Daniel Mills in the UK, Pain and Problem Behavior in Cats and Dogs.
