8 Things You Should Ask An Ethologist

Pets are more and more cared for, and therefore to take care of their health there are more specialists for them. For example, a few decades ago, a vet was enough. Today there are veterinarians, surgeons, and even pet psychologists. And lately we are hearing a lot about a profession, the ethologist.

To know what we can ask an ethologist, we must first know what this profession is and what it consists of.

What is an ethologist

As in our case and we have commented at the beginning, for pets there are veterinarians, which could be similar to a general practitioner, and there are specialists for depending on the type of condition our pet is experiencing.

The ethologist is the one who studies, examines and diagnoses behavior problems in pets. There are many others who have taken a course for an amount of money in one day, and they give “advice” on what to do and how to do it.

However, an ethologist is a professional who goes to your house, looks at the environment in which the animal lives, its medical history and even conducts interviews with the owners. In this way you can make a diagnosis of the behavior of the animal to know if it is caused by the environment or something more or less serious.

Once a diagnosis is reached, a treatment that can consist of several parts, such as pharmacological or surgical, is prescribed, not forgetting that of behavior modification. The latter should not be confused with training, since this is based on teaching the animal to obey, while behavior modification is done to eradicate bad behavior or teach others to help overcome any problem that the animal has.

What to ask an ethologist

Knowing what our dog wants, how and when he wants it is a mystery to everyone because our pet cannot speak. We can guess what goes through his little head, but we can never be one hundred percent sure that we are right.

Due to the behavioral problems of some dogs, doubts arise among their owners. Therefore, let’s see what questions to ask an ethologist and what his answers would be.

What should I not do if my dog ​​is aggressive?

As we have said before, asking for advice over the phone from those who call themselves professionals in the field is not the solution. A professional ethologist will not answer your questions over the phone, since they must go to the home and examine the environment in which the animal lives. Still, this is a part of what you should not do:

• Don’t provoke it
• Don’t expect it to fix itself
• Impose yourself and show him that you are the leader of the pack
• Don’t hit or punish him
• Try not to reinforce their aggressiveness
• Don’t forget that an aggressive dog is a risk

What should i do if he is aggressive?

This is what an ethologist would tell you:

• Stay safe
• Avoid aggressive situations
• Teach him to earn things, especially with his good behavior
• Create a routine of activities
• Positive reinforcement

What do I do if my dog ​​is aggressive towards my child?

All of the above can help you, although it is necessary to know the situations in which the animal becomes aggressive with the boy. Depending on these, one or the other guidelines will be followed.

Why are you staring at me?

You may have noticed that this happens after having made changes of home or abrupt changes such as a divorce or the departure of the children. Although they are good, they can affect our pet.

It is not capable of assimilating them on its own and looks for the support of its owners.

How do I control it when visitors come home?

This is one of the biggest concerns for pet owners. However, it is one of the easiest cases to control. For example, according to a specialist ethologist, diverting his attention. This can be playing with him while someone else opens the door.

These are some of the most common questions to ask an ethologist. And remember that an ethologist is a specialist who has a career and goes through consultation like any other doctor. Opting for cheaper options can sometimes make things worse.