Welcome to Inspiring Pet Teaching Ltd. - owned & operated by Linda Ryan.

Who I am: 

I am an ASAB- accredited Certificated Clinical Animal Behaviourist (for cats and dogs), a Veterinary Technician Specialist in Behaviour, and a qualified animal trainer. I am an animal lover, & am passionate about helping pets & their people live their best lives together. I use only positive, evidence-based and ethically sound pet and owner education and training techniques, so as to set you and your pet up to get it right together. Welfare is always at the heart of what I do to help you & your pet. I will always work with you & your pet in a kind, positive, empathetic, professional & respectful way. My aim is to help & support you & your pet.

What I do:
I specialise in individualised behaviour consultations and training for dogs and cats. My focus is on tailored behaviour & training plans and support. One-to-one consultations and lessons are usually online initially, &/or at your home. They may also be at the vet clinic, or in suitable situations or locations - for example a hired venue, a third party location or public space, such as on a walk or in the open outdoors - depending the nature of your behaviour concern and on your pet’s needs.

Here is an overview of my training and behaviour services, and what to expect​ from me. 

I hope you find all the info you need here, but I will be happy to help with questions!

CCAB ​Dog Behaviourist, dog trainer CCAB

A personal hello, welcome & further info from Linda!

CCAB ​Dog Behaviourist, dog trainer CCAB

Hello! I am glad you are here, & I will be happy to support you & your pet!

I am a Veterinary Nurse Specialist in Behaviour, Qualified Clinical Animal Behaviourist & Trainer

I offer Behaviour & Training Support for Cats & Dogs - online across the UK (& beyond), & in person locally

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How I do it:

Initial consultations are likely to be online. Online sessions are very helpful at the beginning (often reducing stress & pressure on pets & clients alike, & allowing for successful initial set-ups, and for us to talk without worrying about the pet's needs or comfort in the initial session). Online sessions work exactly like a face-to-face consultation (where our aim is information exchange, with the focus being largely on human learning - rather than working with pets initially). In advance of our session, I will ask for a lot of information from you, including a detailed behaviour form & videos, to help me help you. Online sessions are particularly useful for cat behaviour cases. We often aim to work with you in person following your initial or triage consultation, +/- arrange online catch-ups - depending on your pet's specific needs. I can consult online across the UK.

Get set up for success:

Working with you with you and your pet one-to-one, whether in person in contextual situations, or online, allows assessment of your pet’s normals, as well as concerning behaviours. This can include how pets live in their own environment & how they are in various contexts, and allows tailoring of an individualised plan to set you & your pet up for success, safety & better welfare. Following your initial consultation/triage appointment, it is common to follow on with practical training or behaviour modification sessions, and provision of ongoing support for you and your pet.

Individualised sessions (as opposed to group lesson) are essential for pets with behaviour problems. One-to-one can also benefit beginners in the learning of "life skills", and early life teaching (socialisation and habituation), i.e. for young puppies/kittens and/or newly acquired pets; also in the continuation or progression of learning for youngsters/adolescents/rescued pets; as well as when helping pets with problematic behaviours. When working with behaviour cases, this will be in conjunction with your vet as necessary. I love to work with people, your pets, & referring vet practices, & am a firm believer that "teamwork makes the dream work"!

Ongoing support:

As behaviour is dynamic, & often multifactorial, I offer blocks of 2-3 sessions initially (as opposed to the "one & done" style) - as experience has taught me that this best supports you and your pet; often there are layers to work through, as we focus on immediate concerns initially, then progress; and - in the majority of cases - follow-up assessment, advice and support is necessary. 

What to expect from Inspiring Pet Teaching Ltd., and what does my fee include:
For your investment of time, commitment and fees, you can expect from Linda:

• A professional, friendly, caring and personal service. I will have empathy for your concerns, and take a supportive, collaborative approach to helping you & your pet.
• Dedicated time, care and attention to you and your pet’s needs during your appointment. 
• Assurance of using up-to-date, positive, kind and ethical methods of training and behaviour change. And a commitment never to use punishment or aversive methods when working with you or your pet.
• Follow up assessments, advice and support, tailored to your pet's needs - with continued interaction with your vet team - as needed over the course of your block of sessions.
• Between two and four hours of “unseen” time in advance of and after your appointments, including:
  • Preparation time before your appointment, +/- provision of email advice &/or resources.
  • Personalised follow-up notes, +/- videos, following your initial session, handouts and up-to-date, reputable-source supplemental reading material.
  • Detailed liaison with your veterinary practice, including a follow-up letter for behaviour cases, and often pre-/-post-appointment ‘phone calls.
• Email support for brief, specific or urgent questions related to your consultation following your appointment and between sessions. 
  • And also up to four weeks following your final session - i.e., should you/your vet team have any quick questions or want to clarify anything.
    
• For in-person sessions, the time taken to travel to and from your home/the location we have agreed to meet at.
• Passion for & dedication to my work, and commitment to yours and your pet’s progress & success!
• The services of a Veterinary Technician Specialist in Behaviour, who is an ASAB-accredited Certificated Clinical Animal Behaviourist for cats and dogs; & an ABTC-registered Clinical Animal Behaviourist & Animal Training Instructor (for further details, please see: About Linda).
• Many years of study, gaining of knowledge, expertise and experience in working with people and their pets, as a Registered Veterinary Nurse, a trainer and behaviourist.
  
• Between two and four hours of “unseen” time in advance of and after your appointments, including:
  • Preparation time before your appointment, +/- provision of email advice &/or resources.
  • Personalised follow-up notes, +/- videos, following your initial session, handouts and up-to-date, reputable-source supplemental reading material.
  • Detailed liaison with your veterinary practice, including a follow-up letter for behaviour cases, and often pre-/-post-appointment ‘phone calls.
  • Email support for short-answer questions related to your consultation in advance of, and following your appointment, as well as throughout the term of our working relationship.
• For in-person sessions, the time taken to travel to and from your home/the location we have agreed to meet at.
• Between sessions: brief email support and interactions with you and/or your vet team; and also for up to 6 weeks following your final session - i.e., should you/your vet team have any quick questions or want to clarify anything.
• Opportunity to book further sessions to help support your progress, as per your pet's needs & your wishes.
  

For more on caregiver's experiences of what I do & how I do it, please see client reviews, for which I am so grateful!

Training lessons or behaviour modification?

Training, versus behaviour, problems will be triaged based on the nature of the problem, the history received from you +/- on vet input - if in doubt, please just ask!

• Behaviour consultations and behaviour modification training lessons are aimed at:
  • Cat and dogs with behavioural problems, i.e. those which are a problem for the pet, and negatively impact their welfare +/- safety, and/or that of the people/other animals they live with.
    
  • Examples include emotional problems, such as anxiety, fear, phobias, frustration; problems with impulsivity, and/or aggression; situational problems; or those in which the owners are unable to easily resolve or find difficult to cope with; +/- those with medical complications.
    
  • Behaviour cases are only seen on referral from a veterinary surgeon, who I am happy to collaborate with to best help your pet. Veterinary referral is necessary to rule out (or in) any medical influences on behaviour; ensure the pet is well, and free from pain; as well as making sure any problems are managed, and that there is a team/holistic approach to your pet’s care.
• Training/behaviour management assessment/lessons are aimed at:
  • Cat and dogs with problem behaviours, i.e. those which are a problem for the owner.
    
  • Most problem behaviours are normal species-typical behaviours, which humans find intolerable, or would like to train for harmony and compromise in the home environment.
    
  • Examples include proactive/pre-emptive training, such as manners and basic life skills training; puppy/kitten early-learning training, e.g. socialisation, basic training and learning about how to have a happy life in a human world; toilet training; adolescent through to older pet training for a variety of reasons; fun, tricks, husbandry and sports foundations training; training and settling in of recently adopted cats and dogs; trouble-shooting training problems; pre-adoption/purchase puppy/kitten/rescue advice and preparation; and for all/any pets without emotional or behaviour problems +/- confounding medical complications.
    
  • Training cases do not need a referral from a veterinary surgeon, but of course must be fit and well.

For further information, please see: About one-to-one lessons, and our FAQs.

Please find our Pricing Structure Policy here.

Pet insurance claims for behaviour cases:
For behaviour cases (but likely not training cases), if you have pet health insurance which includes behavioural care, as you will be referred by your vet, most will reimburse my fees as I am an ASAB-accredited Certificated Clinical Animal Behaviourist, & am also listed on the Animal Training & Behaviour Council's list of Clinical Animal Behaviourists. Please check with your individual company for their terms & conditions as they apply to your pet. (Your fees are paid directly to me at the time of booking, then you may submit your claim to your insurance company, after our session[s].) I cannot offer direct claims. Fees for behaviour cases include short/single interactions with your insurance company, e.g., for me to complete one form per case, or answer 2-3 brief questions &/or send reports to your insurance company, as needed (extensive or repeated interactions with pet insurance companies will incur an additional admin fee of £55).

How do I book?
When you are ready to book, please let me know, & check availability, so as we can arrange a mutually convenient date and time to get started. Then, please return this brief online form (which includes paying a non-refundable/non-transferable administration deposit. This is not an additional charge, & will be subtracted from your fee [due at the time of booking, along with your full/detailed Registration-History form]). 

I will then send you a Booking Confirmation Email. This will include a New Client Registration-History Form (to complete comprehensively and return); as well as payment details; +/- a Veterinary Referral Form (i.e. if your pet needs behavioural help and referral). This is all due at the time of booking, including your full fee, & the form/videos require some time, lots of detail & your input to complete. I will then review & collate everything in advance of us meeting, so as to be ready to help you & your pet.

How long are sessions, & what's the schedule?

Initial consultations take ~2-3 hours, depending on the nature of the case. Subsequent follow-up sessions may be online, in your home or “on location” in a third party space, depending on your needs. Follow-up sessions usually take ~0.75-1.25 hours - depending on the case. I see new cases on Monday & Wednesday mornings, & do follow-up sessions on Tuesdays & Thursdays mornings.

Prior to your appointment, you may find this information helpful.

Professional collaborations:
As a veterinary professional, I am a firm believer that "teamwork makes the dream work"! I feel that – no matter how qualified, experienced, knowledgeable and ethical our practices, none of us can always have all the answers all the time, and that often combining skills and working in a multidisciplinary way creates the best possible outcomes for the pets in our care. I am always glad to collaborate with my referring veterinary colleagues to ensure great case communication and that we are addressing your pet's needs as a whole.

Additionally, as medical conditions are frequently part of behaviour cases, and as we sometimes involve behavioural medication in order to offer great quality of life to pets, I also have established some professional collaborations for further input when appropriate to individual cases (with prior discussion with you & your vet). These include:

• A Veterinary Behaviourist colleague, who is also a Certificated Clinical Animal Behaviourist, and shares a similar approach and ethos to me. As an additional, “tertiary” service, when it would be appropriate to the case, they can offer input on cases.
• A Chartered Veterinary Physiotherapist, who works in a welfare-centred, low stress and patient friendly way, who can be invaluable in the assessment and management of cases where pain may be a component, or where physical therapies may benefit the patient. This goes hand-in-hand with careful guidance and input from myself and can be very successful.
• A Veterinary Surgeon, who has additional qualifications and experience in the assessment and management pain conditions, physical rehabilitation, and also in the use of complimentary therapies.
  

All of this is aimed at maximally benefiting your pet, with collaborative input which dovetails into the veterinary and behavioural care options that we can offer you, provided in a compassionate, joined up and efficient way. 

Other things to know:

Whether working on training or behaviour cases, your first assessment/consultation will be broken down into 2 or 3 sessions (depending on your preference &/or the needs of your case). Initially, we will spend some time talking (often online initially). We will begin by discussing your specific goals or issues of concern, and you will learn about your pet's behaviour, and training in general, thus helping you and your pet be successful together. An essential part of the process is your detailed history form, which will be sent to you to complete and return to me in advance of your first appointment. 

In subsequent - often practical - lessons (which are always likely to be indicated, as training and behaviour change is a multi-step, layered process), you will learn how to set your pet up for success, often teaching them new skills, s/he will learn to learn with you, and we will progress towards your goal, tailoring lessons to your specific needs. Your involvement and input into the behaviour change/training process is essential (and - of course - there are no "quick fixes"!).

For more info on how to choose an ethical training professional, or how behaviourist’s fees are reached, please see links.

NB! If your pet has any previous, pending or current legal proceedings, police investigations or orders, or your dog is subject to any conditions under the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991, it is vital that you disclose this in advance registering with me.

I am here to help you & your pet - get in touch!

If you have further questions, please just ask: linda@inspiringpets.com - I shall be happy to help. And, for more info on Inspiring Pet Teaching, please visit www.inspiringpets.com, see our FAQs, and like/follow our Facebook &/or Instagram pages. 

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Last updated Jul '24

This web-page/document & all of its content is intended for the recipient only. It is copyright 2024 Linda Ryan, trading as Inspiring Pet Teaching Ltd..  Please do not reproduce or share any part of this form or its content.

Thank you!