Mindful Mentor Behavior Consulting

03/05/2026

Is your puppy crying in the crate and everyone says to just ignore it? Sometimes that noise is separation anxiety — not misbehavior.

New on the blog: simple steps to recognize early signs and help your pup feel safe when alone.

Read more: https://wix.to/3v2196J

Your puppy is crying in the crate, and everyone has advice: ignore it, wait it out, they’ll grow out of it. But sometimes persistent whining isn’t attention-seeking—it’s anxiety. Learning how to recognize early separation anxiety and respond appropriately can make all the difference in helpi...

05/26/2025

🚀 Exciting News! We’re launching a weekly webinar tailored just for YOU! Join us as we explore YOUR cases and learn together. Click here to learn more: https://wix.to/BSp7PY4

We're launching a weekly webinar to discuss YOUR cases. Click to learn more.

01/05/2025

People are often surprised when they hear that I address cat behavioral challenges as well as dogs. While I do meet with more dogs than cats, I absolutely love working with cats. I think they are often underappreciated and tend to be complex, intelligent, and wanting in care from both the public and professionals alike.

This is an article I wrote a while ago, but have only just added to the Online Library. It is certainly not all inclusive, but I hope it will serve as a good starting point for cat owners hoping to improve the lives of their kitties.

https://www.mindfulmentorbehavior.com/post/environmental-set-up-for-happy-cats

05/09/2024

Phew! I know I've been silent on social media for a while. It's been a crazy few weeks. I'm trying to transition my Client Resource list from PDFs on my Google Drive into articles and videos that can be accessed directly from my website.

In today's upload, we'll take a look at using "capturing." I love this technique for teaching "down" to "difficult" dogs. Lots of dogs struggle to learn how to lie down effectively and I've found this technique works great with most of them.

You can also use capturing to teach a "speak," "Look at that," "leave it," etc. Capturing is fantastic for building your repertoire of trained behaviors AND training good decision making skills.

Capturing is a training technique that rewards naturally performing behaviors and puts them on cue.

04/18/2024

In today's article, we'll explore some of the scenarios that make sense to use medication. Remember that products and medication should be used in conjunction with appropriate management and behavior modification. Very rarely will medication "fix" the problem. It is simply a tool.

Products and medication might be mentioned as part of your pet's behavior therapy plan, but how do you decide if its right for you?

03/08/2024

This is my dream job 😍

03/05/2024

This is such a great article. I'm really honored to work at, and with, several fantastic Fear Free Clinics in our area. The difference is palpable.

https://www.dogster.com/lifestyle/fear-free-veterinary-clinic?fbclid=IwAR2DH-lyUWyFpSG1Gg6dhIinZ96uAAvE0S6XuU_xpxIN3KqnntdwdCROwMI

The Fear Free movement hopes to make vet visits a stress-free experience for dogs -- and it's gaining traction nationwide.

03/02/2024

I've recently done away with the "Treatment Option Counseling" and replaced it with a "Discovery Phone Call" (which, I may or may not have stolen from a colleague...). With this option, you automatically set up a FREE 15 minute phone call with me.

Schedule here: https://MindfulMentorBehaviorConsulting.as.me/discover

For the Client...
It helps them decide if they want to work with me and obtain some peace of mind that this IS a problem with which I can help. It's also an easy way for the public to get some quick, but accurate, advice as needed.

For Me...
It helps me reach more people that would need behavioral support, but might not be comfortable dropping $200 on a consult right away. Plus, I can answer some quick questions for new adopters or pet professionals.

Let me know what you think!

03/01/2024

I had a fantastic time today meeting with the folks at Staples Mill Animal Hospital. Not only did I get to meet up with a lot of "long, lost" colleagues, but we also had a lot of fun exploring the world of veterinary behavior.

I'm looking forward to finalizing the plan for me sharing their space in the near future. If you're looking for a progressive, Fear Free clinic in Woodbridge, VA look no further!

Thanks for having me 🥰

02/25/2024

Phew! First Webinar complete.

Thank you everyone who was able to join me to learn about what's involved in Veterinary Behavior Therapy. I hope you each took at least one thing away.

For those that missed it, don't worry! We still have another date coming up on March 2nd. Same time, same place. Though it's RACE and AVMA approved for both veterinarians and their licensed technicians, pet lovers from all walks of life are welcome 😘

https://MindfulMentorBehaviorConsulting.as.me/RACETherapy2

02/17/2024

TW: Abuse

Animal behavior professionals often focus heavily on dogs, leaving cat owners to fend for themselves. As we say in veterinary medicine, "cats are not small dogs!" We take that philosophy to heart. Cats are unique creatures that deserve our respect and care. Sometimes, that means providing behaviorally support.

Some of my favorite cases are what we call "Intercat Aggression." This is a catch-all term that refers to fighting between cats that live in the same household. While the occasional conflict is normal between any social animals, it is not normal for one cat to constantly bully another.

I want to put this in perspective for a minute. If we envision the same interactions we see in our cats as if they were humans in the same context, we would all be very concerned. One individual shoves them away from their dinner, refuses to let them sit at the dinner table, verbally abuses them when they don't follow some ridiculous rule, and periodically chases, shoves, and hits the victim. This is physical, emotional, and psychological abuse that is entirely unacceptable.

So... why is it okay for our cats?

I think it comes down to availability of resources. New pet owners are appropriately distraught by these interactions between their cats, so they reach out for help. But.. who can help them? Having worked in general practice for many, many years, most veterinarians will blow them off. They'll say "cats will be cats" or give them some vague advice about Feliway and enrichment. When this doesn't work and they don't get any more advice, the family feels dejected and lost. Many will try to convince themselves that what they see really IS normal. Due to, essentially, learned helplessness, the family is desensitized to the problem. There's nothing they can do.

On the other hand, I love working with these cats. Identifying personality profiles make it really helpful in addressing each cat's specific needs and supporting both the bully and the victim cat. Yes - both parties need help.

The moral of the story: Don't feel like you need to deal with this alone. I can help and I have endless, creative ways of addressing all sorts of problems. Contact me today and see how I can help!

[email protected]