In the last several cases I've seen with Nancy, the dogs were experiencing some level of pain that was affecting their behavior. While pain isn't always the cause of the problem, whatever it may be, it certainly doesn't help the situation.

For those of you who know me, it may be hard to believe, but I can get pretty irritable when I'm in pain. I'm much more likely to become annoyed and snap at the people I love. When I realize what I'm doing, I think to myself, "now I know how dogs/cats feel when in pain." We just want to be left alone!

Because I'm normally a cheerful person and not a complainer (I hide my discomfort), my loved ones don't understand the drastic behavior change. The same situation is true for animals. They don't talk so they can't tell us they hurt or feel bad. They can hide their pain so well that by the time their behavior does change, they are likely extremely uncomfortable. Sometimes the behavior change is so gradual, it can be hard to recognize that the dog is having difficulty getting up, laying down a lot, or exhibits stiff movements once standing, among other indicators.

That is why it is so important for an Animal Behaviorist to have a good working relationship with veterinarians. Nancy and I work closely with a veterinarian and talented Animal Behaviorist Dr. Jennifer Rommel, DVM. Dr. Rommel is present at some of the sessions. We are so fortunate to have her input to the clients veterinarian on cases in which medical conditions are suspected.

As behaviorists we spend, at times, 2+ hours with a pet. We handle, work with, and observe their behavior close up and at a distance. It is our job to recognize abnormal behavior and report these symptoms to the client's veterinarian. After each case the client's veterinarian receives a case report. One section of the report is devoted to describing behaviors associated with a possible medical condition that only a veterinarian can treat. It is not our job to diagnose a medical condition or discuss medication with a client.

So when you're with your dog watch his/her behavior. If you notice something that seems odd, don't just assume that it's "something he/she just does." Ask yourself, is it normal for a year old dog to spend the majority of his day laying down? Should you worry if your dog limps on occasion? Is it alright that your dog spends the majority of its 45-min walk sniffing the ground and only moving a couple hundred feet? If it sounds odd to you it probably is and your veterinarian should know about it.

Those of you who have read my bio know that my latest project, Scarlett (gorgeous bi-black Sheltie - see photos on Flickr) came with a mess of problems for me to fix. The biggest problems stemming from a lack of socialization with people and dogs, other than Shelties. A behaviorist in training's dream come true, right! While there have been a lot of lows, mostly because I want her perfect like two days ago, some days I'm so proud of her I could burst. It's the burst days that make being a behaviorist the most rewarding and awesome job in the world.

This week I was lucky enough to have 2 burst days in a row. Tuesday, while walking both dogs, a neighbor walked up with his Chihuahua, aptly named Sweetie. Sweetie's owner loves dogs and always wants to pet Scarlett and Cricket. He went to pet Scarlett who, much to my surprise and amazement, for the first time greeted this man in a friendly and relaxed manner. There was not an ounce of fear in this dog who used to hide from people! I beamed as she stood there enjoying the attention of a person other than me. My neighbor couldn't believe it at first. He exclaimed, "she's so friendly!" You've really been working with her!" Half stunned by her perfect response, I replied, "you have no idea."

This was the most honest response I could give. I'm constantly training my dogs. To accomplish the interaction described above, I had her play games with over 300 different strangers, work with visiting friends and family, and hired pet sitters to come to the house just to play with her. It took over a year of intense work, but seeing the look on her face as she happily received attention from my neighbor made me want to laugh, cry, and hug every man, woman, plant, child, and animal in sight (not necessarily in that order). I know she's not cured but gosh that felt good.

My second proud moment happened last night. It was a nice night so I left the door open for the dogs to run in and out from the house, to the backyard, and back again. Scarlett had been relaxing in the cool grass for about a half hour when we all heard a cacophony of barks from the street. It sounded horrible, like the poor dog was terrified out of his mind, lost all control, and was desperate for the eliciting stimulus to go away by any means necessary. The end result was this crazy sounding bark backed by conflicted emotions. Part of him was totally lost it - terrified and the other half was used to defending himself, if you know what I mean (potentially very dangerous dog). In the past, Scarlett would have barked back, upset and agitated in response. She would come when I called her but remained anxious for several minutes following. Can't say I blame her too much. I would be upset and disturbed if a crazy person was yelling and screaming at me from the street!

So what did she do this time you ask? Well she stood up and looked at the house where I was standing at the door. I called her to me once. She stood still, not sure what to do. I called her a second time and she came flying toward me. I had a million cookies in my hand waiting for her. She enjoyed her treats as we walked inside. I gave her more food inside and closed the door. Afterwords she lay down on the floor totally relaxed an unfazed by the whole situation.

This didn't happen overnight either. I've been desensitizing her to dog barks both in and outside (confirming any and all crazy thoughts the neighbors had about me) the house for months. At this point, 90% of the time she won't react to the average bark. As described, this was no ordinary bark so I wasn't sure what she was going to do. Seeing her fly toward me made my heart skip a beat. Teaching a Sheltie not to bark in ANY situation is an amazing feat.

Changing an animal's behavior is an amazing thing. Do you have a burst moment to share? Comment below...