If your veterinarian, behavior consultant, or trainer referred you to a Behavior Vet, you need one. At your Initial Consult, we’ll evaluate your situation and suggest the most efficient ways to move forward to help you and your pet succeed.

Behavior Vets are specially trained veterinarians dedicated to treating behavior disorders and improving the well-being of animals – and we’re a rare breed, with less than 100 in the US. We can legally diagnose behavior disorders, assess and treat the medical components of behavior, and prescribe diets, supplements, and/or medications when needed to support behavior modification and training. We’re the psychiatrists of the animal world.

It takes at least 12 years of education after high school to become a Behavior Vet. Board certification requires undergrad (4 years), veterinary school (4 years), internship or practice equivalent (1 year), residency (3-8 years), publication of at least one original research paper, approval of three original case reports by a committee of board-certified veterinary

There are no licensing or certification requirements for animal trainers, making it very confusing to wade through marketing language in order to find a qualified professional. Luckily, we’ve done the work for you. The behavior consultants and trainers on our staff have pursued the highest levels of education and received the highest certifications available in their field. We work as a team to create a customized, evidence-based, Fear Free™️ treatment program for your individual goals.

We use the sciences of learning and ethology (scientific knowledge of species-specific behavior) to help clients improve their pets’ behaviors. Our methods are non-confrontational, humane, and designed to decrease household stress and improve the human-animal bond. If you have specific activities you enjoy doing with your pet, like cuddling together in your bed, be aware that we will work with you to keep the activities you love as part of the treatment plan if at all possible.

Our Behavior Vets have the licenses and post-graduate training to diagnose and treat ongoing medical contributions to behavioral symptoms, including pain, seizures, metabolic abnormalities, hormone imbalances, etc. And they can legally prescribe diets, supplements, and medications to help pets feel better. Together we’ve seen thousands of case. We are the only veterinary team in Colorado that can practice behavioral medicine at this level combined with the integrated support of excellent behavior consultants.

Maybe. Maybe not. The important thing to know is the option is available, we are experienced with using medications, and we can help you decide if this additional treatment option is rational for your individual pet’s symptoms.

When Behavior Vets use medications to support behavior change, our goals are to improve a pet’s quality of life and increase joy. Serious side effects of behavior medications are incredibly rare. If your pet is having or has had side effects from a behavior medication, we can help.

Age is generally not a deterrent when considering adding a behavior medication. Remember, most pets (especially cats and dogs) age much, much faster than humans. When a Behavior Vet is considering adding a behavior medication to a plan, it’s only after assessing all aspects of the case including, but not limited to, the patient’s species, medical status, medication history, learning/training history, current medications whether behavior-altering or not, safety for patient’s species, dose range, ability to acquire the medication, cost of the medication, difficulty administering medication, route of medication administration, duration of medication effects, time to effect, time to wear off, etc. Most of these considerations are invisible to clients because they happen in the Behavior Vet’s heads as they evaluate the case. But these considerations are on their minds, every time.

• YOU! You are an important part of helping your pet. DO NOT send staff members, dog walkers, or friends to represent you at your appointment. Of course, they may accompany you if they care for your pet.
• Your pet on leash or in a carrier​
• Your pet’s favorite treats, toys, or games
• Your pet’s previous training tools (leashes, collars, muzzles, etc.)
• Dogs that have bitten people or other animals should wear a muzzle until they get into the clinic room and the Behavior Vet gives the okay.
• Video of the behavior problem (Do this ONLY if you can get the footage without creating a risky situations for other people or animals.)

You’d be surprised by how much improvement you can see with a few changes to your daily interaction patterns with your pet. You should plan to spend at least 15 minutes/day working on behavior modification games in order to see the best success. Of course, in general, the more committed you are to working, the faster and more robust your improvements will be.

Most families seeking help with Behavior Vets see improvements in the intensity and frequency of their pet’s behavioral issues. However, success is really defined by each individual family. Statistical success rates vary by the patient’s specific disorder, family composition, and the family’s willingness to implement a complete treatment plan. While it does happen, it’s uncommon for patients not to improve or to worsen in spite of treatment.

At your appointment, we will give you our honest professional perspective about your animal’s diagnoses, best treatment plan, and prognosis.

We guarantee that we treat our clients professionally, respectfully and honestly, and we treat our patients compassionately and humanely. But, no ethical animal behaviorist guarantees success because behavior is much too complex and variable to do so. In fact, it’s so concerned professional organizations have ethical codes against guarantees.

Good question! We won’t know until we sit down and really get into the details of the previous plans you’ve tried. We may suggest few or small changes (sometimes these can make a big difference) or we may recommend a completely different plan. It’s possible the previous information you received makes good scientific sense, but the plan was incorrectly or incompletely implemented for a variety of reasons.

If you’ve implemented other behavior modification techniques and things aren’t better, we’re here to help. We can develop new options or refine previous strategies that just need a little tweaking for improved success.

We can also discuss any barriers you may have faced in trying to implement previous plans. Behavior modification plans can feel overwhelming and confusing. In addition, you may have been asked to try techniques that don’t feel comfortable for you. Let’s talk about it, look at the science, and see what we can do together!

Initial consults are more like family counseling than seeing a dog trainer. We are going to learn everything about you and your pet, working in concert with you to develop a plan that is best suited to your needs and goals. We will start with management strategies so that your pet can’t continue to practice unwanted behavior and may start a simple training exercise or two. After this, the bulk of hands on training will happen during treatment sessions with our behavior consultants.

If you have trouble implementing behavior modification techniques on your own, don’t feel bad – lots of clients do. It can be intimidating to learn a new skill, especially when some of that learning happens in public with your pet. You wouldn’t expect yourself to make a 12-course meal in classical French style for 50 if you’ve previously only made brownies from a box, would you?

Our Certified Behavior Consultants are our support team. They will work with your Behavior Vet, and with you, on implementing behavior treatments so you can see the most improvement possible in the least amount of time. They can even do the majority of the training for you! At Behavior Vets, it’s a team effort! We’re here to support you every step of the way.

Yes, we offer behavior training services in your home! However, we do not offer veterinary services in-home. Veterinary services are offered in our clinic or through our Behavior Vets 4 Vets program. For in-person appointments with our Behavior Consultants/Trainers, contact the office nearest you (www.behaviorvets.com) Many clients feel that if you can’t see the animal in his/her environment, you won’t be able to arrive at an accurate diagnosis. But you’d be surprised by what we can accomplish with in-clinic appointments. If you provide a detailed history, some video, and a sketch of your floor plan we will most likely be able to get you the same outcome as if your pet had been seen in your home. If you are outside our usual house call areas and prefer not to come into the clinic, check out our virtual training options. No matter where we meet, we can help!

All the time! To solve behavior issues, it’s necessary for Behavior Vets to work in conjunction with exceptional behavior modification trainers. This is so important to us, we have our own Certified Behavior Consultants on staff! If you already have an existing or referring trainer, we will encourage you to continue working with them as long as their methods are conducive to our treatment plans. We are happy to share our notes with your trainer to ensure maximum improvement in your pet’s case!

For patients without a referring trainer, our Certified Behavior Consultants can help. They are the best of the best, and they work closely with your Behavior Vet to help you and your pet see progress quickly. Appointments are offered at our Training Center (155 E. 2nd St.) or in your home.

We’re thrilled to see other species! Behavior Vets are trained to treat behavior disorders in all species including pocket pets, birds, zoo animals, exotic pets, horses, pigs, cows, sheep, goats, etc. You’ll need a special history form for your pet. Call us to schedule an Initial Consult and we’ll get you on your way to a better relationship with your special friend.

If you have a medical emergency, you should call your regular veterinarian or a veterinary emergency provider.

True behavior emergencies are very rare and can be stabilized by most veterinarians in primary care or at emergency centers. If you need emergency help with a behavior problem, you should contact your primary care veterinarian or nearest emergency veterinarian.

If you need urgent behavioral support and have never seen a veterinarian at Behavior Vets of Colorado, call 720.484.5000 and let us know you need an Urgent consult. We are happy to see if you, if we can make the schedule work. Since Urgent appointments require us to juggle the staffing and appointment schedule significantly, there may be an additional non-refundable deposit to confirm.

Medications can be filled through Behavior Vets, our online pharmacy Covetrus, or at your local human pharmacy using a written prescription.