Well, the festive season is well and truly over. The decorations are down, the daily routine is back to normal and biscuit tin is looking empty. It is easy to feel blue in January, but just think – there is a whole year of untapped potential ahead of you! January is the traditional time to take stock and make changes for the better and it can be a cathartic exercise.
Often over the Christmas season the household is in flux, there are guests staying and whole family outings embarked upon. It may be that these highlighted issues your pet has, that in normal everyday life you can work around. It is so easy to just ‘manage’ a problem rather than to try to address its root causes, and before you know it you are jumping through hoops to avoid difficult scenarios and ensure your dog or cat are happy.
But there is nothing like a tactless relative to point out to you your pet’s shortcomings, or for a crowded house to push your cat’s stress levels sky high. The potential for your pet to show you up is endless! Maybe your dog is afraid of children, nervous of crowds, or scared of fireworks. They could jump up, steal food, or be a destructive force when on their own. Or it could be your cat who struggled, weeing in the bath, ambushing visitors or refusing to come out from under the bed!
In the vast majority of cases there are steps you can take to help your pet with problems like these. By identifying what your pet is struggling with and why, a treatment plan can be worked out and put in place.
This will result in a happier pet and who knows – maybe Christmas 2018 will pass off without a hitch!
Wright Behaviour 