Testimonials | Second Nature Behaviour | Zoe Demery

Don & Poppy

Tue, 01 Oct 2019 10:07:52 +0100

With a few simple techniques, easily and clearly explained, and lots of consistent practice and hard work, we now have a significantly more relaxed household and two much calmer, happier dogs.

We were referred to Zoe by our vets as one of our greyhounds was proving difficult to settle and was reactive to other dogs, seemed to have some sort of sleep terrors and was generally proving difficult to adjust into our household.

Zoe's clear methods and easy style of communication quickly put us at ease, and helped us to understand both what the dogs were saying to us and what message we were subconsciously sending to them.

We still have occasional setbacks, but because of what we learned over 6 short months with Zoe, we can very quickly reset and get back on track. We recently moved to North Devon and thanks to the improvements in behaviour, we have had the pleasure of watching the dogs running free together along the beach, something that would have been impossible previously.

I would recommend Zoe without hesitation to anyone looking to better understand their dog and improve their relationship with their furry friend.

Thank you,

Richard & Nickie

Sadie, Julie & Mark

Tue, 01 Oct 2019 09:43:15 +0100

You have done everything in a very compassionate and non-judgemental way; an approach that we have really appreciated.

You have provided us with sound advice when we needed it most and have been very responsive and supportive in times of crisis. You took time to understand the character of our dog and followed this with a clearly articulated strategy for improving her behaviour, ensuring that her needs were met as well as ours. Most importantly, you have given us a much greater understanding of our pet’s behaviour so that these improvements will be sustainable over her whole life.

We have really enjoyed working with you. We were at our wits end with Sadie’s behaviour this time last year and, without your support and guidance, would have been in a position where we would have considered re-homing her. We are so pleased with the improvement that you have helped bring about and look forward to many happy years with our lovely beagle.

Thank you so much for everything you have done and for improving our lives with Sadie.

Julie & Mark

Finn & Deborah

Wed, 26 Apr 2017 16:50:37 +0100

Zoe has been really down to earth, approachable, and persistent - even at those times I was ready to give up.

I had a longstanding worry with my male cat urinating in the house and vocalising a lot. I was overwhelmed. This was a complex situation. The home assessment and report was great, and then lots of practical advice, written advice, follow up calls and solutions have followed. The issue is much improved and we continue to talk about ways to make my cat's experience and mine better.

It is an affordable service. I sincerely wish that I would have approached as soon as the behaviour began.

Part of the process is my cat having a health assessment with the vet before her consultation, and this was a wonderful thing because he did have some health needs. Zoe really benefitted from understanding his physical health needs to give us the best advice.

Zoe even helped us to learned clicker training! My cat loves it.

Deborah

Marley and Elaine

Tue, 06 Oct 2015 18:17:44 +0100

It has been a comfort knowing that if I needed any more advice, you were always there.

Marley is doing amazingly compared to how he was, he still sprays on new items when I bring them into the house, but has not sprayed anywhere for many many months.

Without your help and advice, I do believe the stress that Marley had continually caused me would have been too much for me to deal with.

Many thanks once again,

Elaine

Trinity, Bella and Rachael

Tue, 06 Oct 2015 18:17:44 +0100

Zoe changed our lives for the better. We can't thank Zoe enough.

My dogs had started to fight with each other for various reasons. Zoe spent hours with us trying to work out why and how to overcome the problem. Zoe put in hours of work and we put lots of hard work in too with support from Zoe. Whilst we still have a long way to go, things have vastly improved and we can enjoy our beautiful collies again.

Thank you so much,

Rachael

Buzz, Andy & Faye

Tue, 06 Oct 2015 18:17:44 +0100

We were very very happy with the service you guys gave us and have recommended you to a several people. Buzz has made so much progress since we have seen you!

Zoe from Second Nature was very knowledgeable about dog behaviour and has helped our dog Buzz to overcome several anxieties, as well as general training and follow-up advice. She was great with Buzz and picked up on many of his idiosyncrasies, offering excellent advice.

We are really proud of him. We really appreciate the excellent service and care you gave. Thanks again for all your input - we found it very interesting and enlightening.

Best wishes,

Andy and Faye

Blaze, Laura & Glyn

Tue, 06 Oct 2015 18:17:44 +0100

Although it is still early days, Zoe has helped us feel more in control, thereby keeping Blaze in a happier place.

She has given us the confidence to let him approach other dogs where appropriate. Walk times are getting to be more enjoyable and Blaze has made a new friend! The service provided is excellent - we have felt supported the whole time by the contact we have received from you. Can't wait to see Blaze progress further!

Best,

Laura and Glyn

Sophie, Chloe & Rosie

Tue, 06 Oct 2015 18:17:44 +0100

I wholeheartedly recommend Second Nature Behaviour. I have marvellous professional advice and support.

Zoe is so committed to helping me and my dogs, Sophie and Chloe. Thank you SO much for your ongoing advice and support. I really feel we benefit enormously from all your expertise.

Best,

Rosie

Ozzy & Bev

Tue, 06 Oct 2015 18:17:44 +0100

I would happily recommend you to any owner with a dog-reactive dog. Your set-up with stooge dogs is excellent. I was very pleased to find you.

You gave good advice for Ozzy’s situation and you supplied some very comprehensive written material to back it up.

Many thanks,

Bev

Ernie, Jennie, Ian & Alfie

Tue, 06 Oct 2015 18:17:44 +0100

We've been delighted with the service. You've tailored your approach specifically to our concerns and have always been available for advice and further support.

We've noticed a huge improvement in Ernie already and have learned through you to recognise his signs of stress and when he needs to be left alone. We still have lots of work left to do, but are confident that we will continue to make improvement following the methods you've given us.

Many thanks,

Jennie, Ian & Alfie

Alfie, Mary, Michael & Chris

Tue, 06 Oct 2015 18:17:44 +0100

We were a little apprehensive going to the meeting with Zoe, but we shouldn't have been as she made us feel at ease very quickly. We were amazed at how quickly Alfie settled. The suggestions Zoe made were easy to follow.

Some of the things we were already doing and others just simple things like closing the kitchen blind have helped enormously. When you have a puppy/dog, you don't realise how easy it is to give out crossed signals and they obviously respond, affecting their behaviour. It was really interesting and once at home and going through the training booklet; well I think it is worth anyone who takes charge of a new pet to seek out advice from a behaviourist like Zoe, because it could prevent many problems from occurring.

We are really pleased we decided to see Zoe and are trying our very best to put in place the suggestions she has made. Alfie's behaviour is improving already, although we realise there is never a quick fix. We wouldn't hesitate to recommend Zoe and the practice to anyone who needed the service.

Best wishes,

Mary, Michael & Chris

Bubba, Karen & Gary

Tue, 06 Oct 2015 18:17:44 +0100

It was very helpful to speak to you. You offered some very good advice, most of which we have put into practice and we really are seeing results.

As you say, it is an ongoing thing, so we still have a way to go, but we have found the whole process very positive and it is definitely something we would recommend.

Best wishes,

Mary, Michael & Chris

Riley & Paul

Tue, 06 Oct 2015 18:17:44 +0100

I must say the advice you gave me was excellent. I would without hesitation recommend you to anybody with a problem dog.

The consultation process I found most useful in setting out the ground rules. I also found the literature to be most helpful for reference.

Things have really improved with Riley on and off the lead - he actually comes back to recall! Although he has progressed a lot, he still has the odd chewing lapse. I don't think Riley will ever be the 'perfect dog', but having him has become so much more pleasurable, thanks to your guidance.

Best wishes,

Paul

Chip, James & Sarah

Tue, 06 Oct 2015 18:17:44 +0100

We found Zoe to be extremely knowledgeable and attentive when it came to talking us through the processes we needed to follow to get our little Yorkie under control.

Very helpful after the home visit with follow-up emails and other offers of help to ensure we had all the support we needed. Would highly recommend to anyone looking for a professional behaviourist.

Regards,

James and Sarah

Echo

Tue, 06 Oct 2015 18:17:44 +0100

I do think that if we had not had help Echo wouldn't be with us today, so this service has been fabulous! With the behaviour plan in place and lots of hard work from us as a family we now have a more relaxed dog.

Echo shows nervous aggression whenever people come near him. The overall consultation process has helped us as a family to understand Echo a lot better and why he acts like he does at times. The behaviour plan is always on hand to help us in certain areas with Echo and it works so long as we all stick to it, which we do.

Without Zoe coming to see us and organising a behaviour plan for our border collie, I feel I would have had to rehome him. We still have a long way to go, but we now know Echo and how he reacts in situations and why so we can quickly defuse it.

A wonderful service from Second Nature knowing we can call Zoe at any time is so reassuring. Thank you Second Nature and Zoe - so friendly and understanding!

Thanks for all your help!

Claire

Gracie

Tue, 06 Oct 2015 18:17:44 +0100

Whilst Gracie is still an anxious dog, she has made incredible progress and if we are completely honest, more progress than we thought she could make.

Gracie came to live with us from the Retired Greyhound Trust. Gracie was finding life very difficult as she was incredibly anxious and her inability to sleep through the night, cope with anyone other than us coming to the house and her extreme nervousness on encountering other people on walks was making us doubt if we could keep her. This was extremely upsetting for us as she is a very loving dog. As a result of Gracie’s issues and the stress it was causing her and us, we were referred to Second NatureBehaviour by our vet.

Zoe visited us at home and spent over three hours observing Gracie and talking with us about our experiences with her. This consultation was very successful and almost over-night enabled us to improve the ways we approached and helped Gracie, through:

Diagnosing Gracie’s condition as generalised anxiety disorder and gaining a full understanding of the implications of this condition;
Working in partnership with our vet to create a clinical as well as a behavioural plan;
Teaching us how to “address” Gracie in order to reduce her stress levels – this technique we were able to share with visitors and had a great calming effect;
Using treats to reward small steps forward that quickly grew into lasting improvements;
Recognising some of Gracie’s stress triggers and developing a regime that reduced them / where possible avoided them; and
A behavioural programme that helped Gracie during stressful times.

Gracie has now been part of our family for 15 months. There is still a lot to be done to continue to help Gracie, but thanks to Zoe’s input, when she is at home with us she is now a happy, playful, confident and very affectionate dog. During walks she is nowhere near as scared of traffic, people, noises as she used to be, and no longer 'freezes' as she used to at times.

The coaching we have had from Zoe through the initial visit and follow up has given us confidence that we can, over time, continue the progress Gracie has made so far to help her live an even fuller and happier life.

We would absolutely recommend Zoe to anyone who has an animal struggling with behavioural problems, as the progress we have seen Gracie make is wonderful, and has made our lives much better, too.

Thank you,

Anette and David

Ted, Rob and Michelle

Tue, 06 Oct 2015 18:17:44 +0100

Really pleased with the outcome and what an enjoyable experience meeting with you - Ted has calmed down a lot now!

It's great that I can cuddle Rob now without worrying! Ted is much calmer when people visit, but we're still working on him tolerating strangers approaching me. Nonetheless, on the whole fantastic!

Thank you for all your help!

Michelle & Rob

Benji, Dawn and Paul

Tue, 06 Oct 2015 18:17:44 +0100

We have really enjoyed the behaviour consultation process. Zoe has shown us how to deal with our dog's problems. We now have the tools to carry on with his training.

The walks with Zoe in particular have provided what we need to stop Benji’s chasing. We know it is going to be a long process for Benji's problems, but we now know how to go about trying to change the behaviour with consistency. We know that it is fear that is making Benji chase. We would definitely recommend Second Nature and would use you again if required in the future.

Many thanks for your help,

Dawn and Paul

Luke, Harry and Trixy

Tue, 06 Oct 2015 18:17:44 +0100

I cannot recommend Second Nature enough. Zoe gives my both my dogs so much care and attention.

I have two German Shepherds who are extremely anxious around other dogs. Zoe accompanied me on dog walks to give practical help and advice for challenging situations! She is great at giving tips and tricks, training suggestions and food recommendations for my boys. Not only is Zoe amazing with the dogs but she is a lovely person to work with and made me feel at ease. The best service you can get for a reasonable price.

Thank you Second Nature,

Trixy

Pebbles & family

Tue, 06 Oct 2015 18:17:44 +0100

Pebbles is just wonderful! Thank you ever so much for your help and support - we couldn't believe the improvements with her after just one week.

Now a few months later we are pleased to report that Pebbles has made remarkable progress - we have a newfound confidence! When before she became extremely anxious when left alone, now we find Pebbles will often settle down on the mat or sofa and just wait quietly. We have returned to her being pretty calm and relaxed, although on one occasion she did put all the sofa cushions on the floor first to make herself more comfortable! Whilst on her walks she is now getting plenty of run-time on the training lead and loves to play fetch games. Socialising with other dogs is increasing and Pebbles seems much more comfortable with all kinds of breeds now. Pebbles loves people and she is also improving when we have visitors. There is still more work that needs to be done for her greetings, but she has definitely improved in this area.

All in all, we are so pleased with Pebbles' progress! Your visit came at a crucial time and helped us focus on what steps we needed to take first, so thank you. We seriously couldn't have wished for a better service! We were honestly at our wits end and at a loss with how to cope. From day one of meeting you, we felt reassured and more confident in understanding Pebbles' needs and how to integrate her into family life.