If animals with behavioral disorders are to improve, client understanding and compliance are critical. The strategy to modify undesirable behavior requires the owner to be prepared and capable of identifying each situation that elicits the undesirable behavior, assessing risk, maintaining safety, and substituting a more desirable behavioral response. Therefore, avoiding or preventing the provocative situation, especially initially, is important.
Important prognostic and risk considerations to review with the owner include the following:
severity of the problem
predictability of the problem
ability of the owners to implement initial preventive strategies
expectations as to what might be achieved
pet's temperament
how the pet’s behavior will need to be modified over time
practicality of implementing the program considering the environment, family, and pet
In addition, special consideration will need to be given in cases of aggression to evaluate risk and ensure safety. For guidelines on risk factor assessment, see the European Society of Veterinary Clinical Ethology (ESVCE) website.
