Assessments

Mindful Mentor is proud to serve all of Northern Virginia. We offer in home and virtual behavioral assessments for dogs and cats. Regardless of the behavior problem, we are confident that we have the tools to work with you on a practical and realistic therapy plan.

Before We Meet

Families are asked to schedule a no charge, 15 minute Discovery Call so we can discuss your concerns and our group's approach to behavioral therapy. We'll go through your concerns, expectations, projected follow up, and fee structure.

Conditions We Treat

Dogs:

Reactivity on walks and home
Stranger Danger
Aggression
Anxiety, vocalization, whining
Separation & confinement anxiety
Difficulties at the vet or groomer
High energy, mouthiness
Difficulties training

Cats:

Peeing or pooping outside the box
Fighting between housemates
Play related aggression
Excessive energy & destruction
Overgrooming/barbering
Eating non-food items

The First Session

Families will need to complete some basic paperwork before their initial assessment (links below). This includes a comprehensive behavioral questionnaire and basic consent forms. Our first appointment is mostly a “Meet & Greet.” We’ll explore your concerns, discuss your goals, then work with you to develop a therapy plan that fits your lifestyle.

Aspects of Therapy

Physical Health

We work closely with your veterinary team to rule out any underlying medical issues that could be contributing to, or potentially even causing, the behavior problem.

Management

Manipulating the environment to prevent unwanted behaviors from occurring in the first place.

This reduces everyone's stress, stops the practice of bad habits, and creates a foundation on which new skills can be built.

Behavior Modification

Specialized training techniques designed to develop coping skills, change underlying emotional states, and train alternative, more appropriate, behavioral responses.

Related Article: Introduction to Behavior Modification

Medication & Supplements

Some pets may benefit from the use of products and medications to help reduce overall stress. This allows them more time to think, process, learn, and make good decisions.

Related Article: When do we use medication?

Discovery Call

Case Example

Take a look at one of our cases to see how we operate.

Lady Bug, or "Bug," was a 12 week old, spayed female, mixed breed who needed help with her excessive fear outside and intense energy inside.

She refused to walk out the door so needed to be carried, would quickly pee, then frantically try to get back inside. She couldn't go for walks because she either froze and lay down or panicked and tried to run away.

When inside, Bug was a destructive chewer who needed constant play and interactions.

Given her age, Bug likely has a biological component in addition to poor socialization.

We explored underlying physical ailments and found she frequently has diarrhea.

Her behaviors are very intense and constant. The family has little baseline on which new skills can be built.

The two young children in the family complicate therapy due to their own excitability and cognitive development.

Bug has excessive energy, but due to her fear outside, providing enough outlets can be challenging.

Switch diet to Gastrointestinal Biome, a prescription food with pre- and probiotics, to support normal GI function and development.

Start gabapentin twice daily to provide immediate relief of anxiety and any underlying GI discomfort.

Start sertraline (generic Zoloft) twice daily as a long term anti-anxiety treatment.

Implement a plethora of mental enrichment games including the use of feeder toys for all meals, 2-3 stuffed food toys per day, play time, and positive reinforcement training.

Implement a strict schedule that is posted so the family can see it. Plan for play time, chewing time, and resting time.

Her GI health improve significantly within 5-7 days. She had no more diarrhea occurred and her appetite was good.

Her excitability and inappropriate chewing lessened significantly, though she still need guidance on what items she was allowed to chew.

She began taking naps on her own and was able to entertain herself when the family was busy with other tasks.

Within 2-3 weeks, she was able to go for short walks in the neighborhood.

She developed "Stranger Danger" towards people entering the home at 10 months old, so her therapy plan needed adjusting periodically as she aged.

Lady Bug

What to learn more?

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Discovery Call