Many owners are willing to pay for an expert solution. Although prices are subject to change, Crowell-Davis says they are kept low specifically because the clinic is an educational institution. Many pet owners are more concerned with the seriousness of the strange behavior than the costs. The behaviors can affect the quality of an animal s life, and sometimes the length of its life. When we have successfully rehabilitated the animal, we ve actually saved its life.
Aggression is the most common problem in dogs referred to the clinic.
Crowell-Davis says dog bites are at epidemic proportions in the United States. Therapy depends on diagnosing the cause of the aggression. This is done by identifying signals of dominance that the owner can safely give the dog to remind the animal who is the leader of the pack. If it is a fear aggressor, we teach it not to be afraid. She says if the aggression is a territorial response, it is necessary to teach the dog that it is the owner s job to decide who gets to come and go.