The missing puzzle piece to understanding your dog’s behaviour.
Here’s the truth.
If you have been struggling to work through challenging behavioural concerns with your dog - training that feels like it “doesn’t work”, regressions, set-backs, and frustration after frustration - it’s not because you aren’t working hard enough.
It’s because you haven’t explored if hidden pain is getting in the way of behavioural success.
This is where I come in. Let’s break it down…
Pain impacts what our dogs do.
Just like how I am an absolute nightmare when I have a headache (IYKYK) dogs who are sore, stiff, itchy, queasy, or generally uncomfortable are more likely to display aggressive, frustrated, over-aroused, compulsive, or reactive behaviours. Research shows that up to 80% of behavioural cases may an underlying pain component.
However, unlike us who can take an Advil or tell our doctor what’s hurting, our dogs don’t have the ability to communicate or advocate for themselves in the same way. Instead, they learn how to compensate for pain by adjusting their posture, gait, activities, and - you guessed it - their behaviour.
Unfortunately, it’s hard for us to always tell when something is wrong - the signs can be subtle and may not be visible in a routine vet exam. Just because a dog isn’t limping or they don’t yelp, doesn’t mean they aren’t feeling uncomfortable. This misunderstanding means that pain often remains hidden for our dogs, we end up mistaking pain for a “behaviour problem”, and we get trapped in a cycle of never-ending training that frankly, doesn’t work.
Separation anxiety
Resource guarding
Aggression concerns (biting, growling, lunging, etc)
Fear and anxiety
Noise phobia
Excessive pulling on leash
Stalling or “stubborn” behaviours on walks
Inability to settle and mouthy, jumpy, humpy behaviours
Potty training regression
Hesitation around harnesses, grooming, the vet, or the car.
Did you know?
Common behavioural “problems” may actually be signs of discomfort.
Can you relate?
You’re spinning your wheels
You’ve been training for a long time but nothing seems to stick. It’s one of those “1 step forward, 3 steps back” kind of things. You want to help your dog but things feel overwhelming and like you’ve exhausted all your options.
Something feels off
You’ve noticed something weird about how your dog moves and you brought it up to your vet, but you’ve been given the “all clear”. You still can’t shake the feeling that something isn’t quite right for your dog.
You’re super curious
You’ve always been interested in learning as much as you possibly can about your dog and you haven’t explored this avenue yet.
You want to do it right
You’ve heard about the importance of ruling out medical concerns and pain before starting training but feel overwhelmed at where to start.
Get to the bottom of what’s going on and get on track for lasting behavioural success with a Dynamic Dog Assessment.
The Dynamic Dog Assessment
-
Step 1: Deep Dive
We start off with a 90-minute Zoom consultation where I learn everything there is to know about your dog - behaviour history, daily routine, and all the little weird things they do. We leave no stoned unturned as we gather clues that can show us how they’re really feeling.
-
Step 2: Data Collection
I send you off on a treasure hunt with a list of photos and videos of your dog’s posture, gait, and daily activities to gather for my analysis. Some will be staged set-ups where we ask your dog to move in certain ways and others will be you capturing videos and photos of them moving naturally day-to-day.
-
Step 3: Analyze
I study all the information and put together a detailed report including a full gait and movement analysis and marked up photographs and videos. This report can then be shared with your dogs vet and other professionals on their care team to aid in assessment and treatment plans.
-
Step 4: Follow-Up Support
Once the report is completed, we meet on Zoom for a 60-minute follow-up call to discuss the findings. The report is written in “vet-speak” so I break it all down for you, discuss next steps, and review strategies to implement right away. I can continue to liase between your dogs care team as needed and support you as you navigate next steps.
“The Dynamic Dog process finally connected the dots for me. Seeing Blitz’s posture, movement patterns, weight shifting, and compensations through a detailed lens made everything make sense. I learned that many of the behaviours I was struggling with weren’t “training problems” — they were likely rooted in physical discomfort. It helped me better understand Blitz’s communication and gave me a clear picture of what might be going on beneath the surface. It was validating, eye-opening, and honestly a relief to have real clarity”. - Tara and Blitz
Dynamic Dog Assessment
An industry-leading comprehensive exploration of your dog’s behavior, mobility, and daily activities to identify potential discomfort and its impacts on behavior.
What’s included:
1:1 initial 90-minute virtual consultation
4 weeks of unlimited WhatsApp support throughout the data gathering process
5+ hours of photo, gait, and movement analysis done by me
A comprehensive written report with corresponding photo and video evidence detailing your dog’s functional assessment and recommendations for next steps for your vet.
1:1 60-minute virtual follow-up consultation to review findings
A follow-up plan for you that provides next steps for addressing health and behaviour needs
Liasing with other your vet and professionals as needed
Investment: $425CAD+ GST
Following payment you will be able to book your initial consultation and you will also receive your welcome letter.
You’ll walk away with…
Undeniable evidence so you can confidently advocate for your dog at the vet.
Relief knowing you have the information and tools to help your dog now and in the future.
No-nonsense next steps because you and your dog deserve a clear, concise action plan.
A better understanding of your dog so that you know how to spot signs of discomfort in the future.
The missing puzzle piece that will help you find lasting training and behaviour plan success.
Continued support because behaviour and pain journies take a village. Shoot me an email or book a follow-up anytime.
FAQs
-
Dynamic Dog is an industry-leading one-of-a-kind organization based in the UK that provides dog behaviour professionals with gait and movement analysis in addition to intensive education about the overlap between pain and behaviour. Admission is on an interview-only basis and graduates must complete a rigorous 6-month training program with multiple case-studies to graduate the program.
-
From initial consultation to follow-up session to review your report, this process takes about 4 weeks. In addition to our 90-minute initial consultation and 60-minute follow up session, you can expect to spend a couple hours total gathering pictures and videos of your dog and sending them to me. It takes me about a week to complete the report once you’ve sent all photos and videos my way.
-
YES! Dogs behave differently at the vet for a wide variety of reasons and the stress and adrenaline of being at the vet’s office can change how a dog acts. This assessment is a great tool to help you advocate for your dog at your vet’s office if you feel like there’s still a missing piece that’s being left out, particularly if handling is especially stressful for your dog.
-
YES! The beauty of a Dynamic Dog Assessment is that it is 100% hands-on and you do the data gathering yourself. The report will then be sent ahead of time to your vet so you can game plan about the best next steps with as much information ahead of time as possible.
-
Generally no - don’t worry, I give you lots of instructions about how to take them yourself! - but If you are within the Edmonton-area I can assist with taking the necessary photos and videos for this process. There are some that must be taken by you within the dog’s normal life but I can handle the trickier footage such as gait videos. Adding on this service is $150 for a ~1 hour photo-shoot at your place.
-
Hello fellow dog pro! Yes! Absolutely you can - if you have clients where you feel like there may be some underlying pain/discomfort, you can absolutely refer to me. I’m happy to liase with you and any other professional on a client’s care team throughout the process.
Feel free to shoot me an email at littleweirdolizf@gmail.com to connect about a client.