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Dog behaviour problems

Get support from our expert dog behaviourists and dog trainers to help with your dog’s behaviour problems

The dog behaviourists at Second Nature Behaviour support owners with dog behaviour problems such as aggression and separation anxiety. If you’re experiencing problems with your dog’s behaviour, get expert advice from one of our dog behaviourists. Our canine behaviourists and dog trainers cover the West Midlands, including Staffordshire, Birmingham, Stoke-on-Trent, Warwickshire, Shropshire, Worcestershire, Leicestershire, Northamptonshire and South Derbyshire. Get in touch today.

Dog behaviour problems we support with

We offer dog behaviour consultations for a variety of different dog behaviour issues. Our expert dog behaviourists can offer you and your dog years of experience in dealing with anything from simple training issues to serious canine behavioural disorders.

Common dog behaviour problems include:

We also provide support with canine behaviour problems such as territorial aggression, resource guarding, toileting problems, destructiveness and self-mutilation. Additionally, we also provide support with dog training problems, including pulling on the lead, not coming back when called, or jumping up at people.

Our most popular option is to have a home visit consultation on referral from a veterinary surgeon. You receive a dog training manual and a tailor-made treatment plan, followed by further visits where necessary. At least 3 months of remote follow-up support is included.

Prices for our home visit dog behaviour consultations are dependent upon how far you are away from us and who you would like to lead your consultation.  You could alternatively come to one of our regional or virtual behaviour clinics with your dog, which is a more affordable, but not as thorough an option.  You can book an appointment through our web site or contact us if you have further questions.

Claim on pet insurance

Did you know? You may be able to pay for our pet behaviour services through your pet insurance. We accept direct insurance claims for our pet behaviour consultations through select insurance companies.

Common dog behaviour problems

Our dog behaviourists can support with the following dog behaviour problems:

Aggressive dog

Aggression to other dogs

Cat toileting in garden

Chasing traffic or other animals

Aggression to humans

Aggressive dog

Separation anxiety problems

Cat toileting in garden

Fear & anxiety problems

Repetitive compulsive behaviours

Book a consult

get expert help now from one of our dog behaviourists

Highly qualified clinical animal behaviourists and dog trainers

We have a team of pet behaviour experts in different companion species.  Whether furry or feathery, Second Nature Behaviour help animals and the people who care for them better understand each other.

We also have highly qualified expert dog trainers to support you with your dog training problems. 

Find out more about our team of dog trainers and animal behaviour experts here.

Behaviourist Megan with a cat
Keely Needham clinical animal behaviourist
Zoe Demery Clinical Animal Behaviourist
Hannah Dawes with her dog Noodle (cropped image)

Luke, Harry & Trixie

2 dogs
I cannot recommend Second Nature enough. Zoe gives 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

Benji, Dawn & Paul

Terrier
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

Ted, Rob and Michelle

Dog
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

Gracie

Dog
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

Echo

Dog
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

Chip, James & Sarah

Dog
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

Riley & Paul

Dog
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

Pebbles & Family

Puppy lying in grass
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 newfound confidence! When before she became extremely anxious when left

Trinity, Bella & Rachael

dogs
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

Dotty, Annie & Colin

Dalmation
We feel totally supported – Second Nature Behaviour are sticking with us on the journey! We are fostering our first rescue dog who had never been properly socialised with other dogs. Zoe assessed Dotty and produced a very thorough and professional report, which has been invaluable in giving us the confidence and the practical techniques

Brambles & Corinne

Dog
I trust them completely: what they don’t know about animals is not worth knowing. Their calmness and reassuring manner transfers to both dogs and owners. I have and will continue to recommend Second Nature Behaviour to any animal owner’s who need support and guidance.  They have been so helpful in sorting out my rescued loopy lurcher’s

Bubba, Karen & Gary

Dog
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

Alfie, Mary, Michael & Chris

Dog
We were a little apprehensive about 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

Ernie, Jennie, Ian & Alfie

Dog
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

Ozzy & Bev

Dog

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  

Goldie & Lucy

Dog
Thank you so much for all your support with Goldie! The advice and training Zoe gave us has transformed our walks and made life much less stressful! To think that only a few months ago he used to lunge, bark, growl and basically go for anything he saw, and now whenever he sees anything he

Sophie, Chloe & Rosie

Dog

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

Blaze, Laura & Glyn

Dog
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

Cocoa & Julia

Dog
I have been following your advice with Cocoa and we have noticed a difference in his behaviour already!! He’s still bonkers but our change in approach has hugely improved his behaviour.  Your advice for simple yet effective changes around the house is a life-saver and Cocoa is a lot less stressed too!  There is a

Bailey, Andrew & Denise

Dog
We found Zoe and her team to be extremely professional and knowledgeable, taking the time to listen to our concerns and offer practical and helpful advice. We have employed Second Nature Behaviour for our pet boxer dog, Bailey, on a couple of occasions due to some behavioural issues he was experiencing. Zoe visited us at

Dylan, Juliet & Carl

Dog
Zoe’s early input was so helpful at looking at Dylan’s night-time anxieties in a new way. Her ideas and strategies really worked! We understood that it was not a quick fix and we’ve had to take our time. Zoe gave us a long-term goal and we’ve got a better relationship with our dog in other

Frank & Lynne

GSD dog

You were fab and I couldn’t have asked any more of you. I think that your way of teaching gave me a better understanding of the way dogs think and enabled me to work better with Frank. Many thanks, Lynne

Buzz, Andy & Faye

Dog
We were very very happy with the service you guys gave us and have recommended you to 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

Jessie, Charlotte & Dan

Dog
It was so lovely to meet you guys! Thank you so much for your help, you have such a kind attitude and have plenty of time for people! We have been practising the exercise you taught us and hey presto!! Jessie seems to be accepting dogs in a closer environment than ever before – speak

Yogi & Rupert

Dogs sitting together
You can tell Zoe is passionate about what she does and clearly loves animals. She is very thorough and is always on hand for advice. Zoe has helped tremendously – we still have some work to do, but we got to the bottom of both my dogs’ issues and from then was able to get

Murphy & Anna

Dog
Murphy was scared of the vets and generally a little OTT. Things are now going really well – amazing Zoe! Thank you for coming over and giving very sensible, practical advice. Murph now sits patiently on the mat by the back door while I get my shoes on, coat on and lead out. He also sits

Irene & Pauline

Collie
Irene used to be terrified of noises.  The service Zoe provided gave me the confidence and skills to make Irene more confident. Irene is doing really well now – so much that the vet emailed Zoe to say how much better she is. People who meet us in the mornings on our walk also comment

Kizzy, Gyp, Barry & Hilary

Bull Terrier
We have put a lot of Zoe’s advice into practice and Kizzy has turned into a lovely and very loving dog. Things with her and our older dog, Gyp, are much better and no further incidents. We continue to walk them together but without risk.  Both go to kennels when we have breaks where we

Alfie & Charley

dogs
Zoe is the kindest and the most considerate person – if you are looking for a professional pet behaviour therapist that loves animals look no further. Zoe is a top-class professional in her field with the results to prove it. Such a caring lady and nothing too much trouble even with telephone call out of

Don & Poppy

Dogs playing
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,

Bobby & Jayne

Dog
I have found your knowledge of dogs behaviour inspiring and it’s clear to see you have a real passion for dogs. Zoe is the best at what she does. Zoe has given me the confidence to tackle my dogs’ behaviour issues. I am now able to restrain my dog myself and make going to the vets

Cookie, Storm, Andy & Julie

Dog
Our girls, Cookie and Storm, suddenly started fighting with each other.  We are really happy with the time Zoe spent with us and the dogs. Zoe was very thorough when gathering information about their history and previous behaviour. It was obvious that she had a great understanding of dogs.  The plan Zoe sent through was

Bracken & Vivienne

Beagle
Thank you so much for all your help. Before meeting you we were at our wit’s end as to what to do with Bracken, but your time and advice has put us back in control. Bracken is much easier to take out for walks and he is much calmer in the house. We really are

Dexter & Dougie

Dogs
We went into our first visit with Zoe feeling anxious we may end up having to  rehome  one of our beloved Frenchies. Fast-forward 6 months – our dogs are happier (and better behaved!) than ever. They were being aggressive towards each other.  However, now we are finally back to a place where we can relax

Sadie, Julie and Mark

Beagle
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

Nala

Dog
If you’re looking for someone to sort out your pet’s behaviour, that you know it’s weird and don’t have a clue why they’re acting like they are, then contact Second Nature. Zoe has been amazing and gone the extra mile with us. From diagnosing our newfie with anxiety to putting into practice an action plan

Skye & Lynette

Dog
Zoe is a real dog lover who understands that life has to go on around the training. I have learned and am still learning so much from her to help me help my dog. I have been working with Zoe for some months now to help with my dog’s separation anxiety and I cannot recommend

Blossom Stanyon Jones

Would recommend the Second Nature team until I’m blue in the face! We’ve been working hard to build confidence in my reactive whippet X Italian Greyhound. We’re starting to see some really amazing progress with the clear and sensible suggestions made by Keely and I can’t thank her and the rest of the team enough.

Heather Jakeman

Zoe & the team have been brillant with their help & support over the last 14 months with Badger & Patch. Two brothers from the same litter who at 6 months old had a major fight.

Richard Yarnell

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,

Sonia Webb Academyofdance

Thank you Zoe for everything that you have done to help my two dogs Alfie (Shitzu ) and Charley ((Yorkie) I don’t know what we would have done with out you. Zoe is the most kind and considerate person if you are looking for a professional pet behaviour therapist that loves animals look no further

Jayne Knight

Zoe is the best at what she does. She has given me the confidence to tackle my dogs behaviour issues. I am now able to restrain my dog myself and make going to the vets less stressful for me and my dog. Zoe is a very genuine person and thinks of solutions to overcome any

André Sousa

If you’re looking for someone to sort out your pet’s behaviour, that you know it’s weird and don’t have a clue why he’s acting like he is, then contact Zoe. Zoe has been amazing and gone the extra mile with us. From diagnosing our newfie with anxiety to putting in practice an action plan but

Kadioula Duggan

We went into our first visit with Zoe feeling anxious and afraid that we may end up having to find a new home for one of our beloved frenchies if they didn’t stop their aggressive behaviour towards each other. Fast forward 6 months and our dogs are happier (and better behaved!) than ever and we

Dawn Myatt

Really enjoyed the training with Zoe. She has showed us how to deal with our dog Benji’s problems & we now have the tools to carry on with his training. Would definitley recommend second nature & would use again in the future.

Rosie Jenkins

I wholeheartedly recommend Second Nature Behaviour. I have marvellous professional advice and support from Zoe who is so committed to helping me and my dog,Sophie.

Jules Isaacs-garfield

These are wonderful people, really professional, compassionate and knowledgeable. They helped me during a crisis with my dog and their kind, factual, knowledgeable service was excellent. Can’t recommend enough.

Lacey and Luca

Fantastic communication, gave some amazing advice and have been very helpful with everything, couldn’t recommend enough!

karen kawycz

We have recently had the pleasure to work with Megan to help our three year old maltipoo Harry with anxieties and reactivity which has quite honestly impacted on our lives and made us so sorry that Harry was not settled and happy and also that our joy in having this beautiful little dog in our

Tess Whiting

Brilliant! We worked with Megan who is very calm and understanding to help our nervous young staffie with sound sensitivity and fear of dogs. Would recommend them to anyone with a sensitive dog who needs compassion.

Mari Patel

Our vet referred our dog, Trigger, to Dr Zoe Demery after we noticed a change in his behaviour. He had begun to show signs of fear anxiety with other dogs, including, barking, lunging and running at them. Zoe helped us to understand Trigger’s body language and taught us lots of tips and tricks to deal

K Wilmot

For the last year, Dr. Zoe Demery has been working with me and my dog Bella on separation anxiety and reactivity. I moved from the USA to the UK and back to the USA, and Zoe has stayed in touch and continued to coach me on how to improve Bella’s behavior and make her life

To Mei Lam

Zoe is a very responsible dog trainer. Our dog Toby had been a nervous dog since he arrived England, and we had found numerous dog trainers, but they are not helpful with Toby’s situation. However, Zoe had weekly check ins with us, along with regular check ins via WhatsApp. Zoe also helped Toby with his

Hemendra Singh

I recently used Second Nature Behaviour for my dog’s anxiety issues, and I couldn’t be more pleased with the service provided by Dr. Zoe Demery and her team. Zoe’s deep understanding of animal behaviour and her compassionate approach made a significant difference for us. From the initial consultation, Zoe was incredibly thorough, taking the time

Richard Yarnell

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,

Francisca Silva

If you’re looking for someone to sort out your pet’s behaviour, that you know it’s weird and don’t have a clue why he’s acting like he is, then contact Zoe. Zoe has been amazing and gone the extra mile with us. From diagnosing our newfie with anxiety to putting in practice an action plan but

Kad Bell

We went into our first visit with Zoe feeling anxious and afraid that we may end up having to find a new home for one of our beloved frenchies if they didn’t stop their aggressive behaviour towards each other. Fast forward 6 months and our dogs are happier (and better behaved!) than ever and we

Beatrice Schubert

I cannot recommend Zoe enough. I have two German Shepherds who are extremely anxious around other dogs. Zoe gives them both so much care and attention, she even accompanied me on a dog walk to give practical help and advice for challenging situations! She is great at giving tips and tricks, training suggestions and food

Rachael Harrison

Zoe changed our lives for the better. 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 out lots of hard work in too with support from Zoe. Whilst

Claire hughes

Without Zoe coming to see us and organising a behaviour plan for our border collie, I feel I would have had to rehome him. Echo shows nervous aggression whenever people come near him. With the behaviour plan in place and lots of hard work from us as a family we now have a more relaxed

Mary Edwards

The behaviour therapy received has been really appropriate for my dog’s needs. He is now less anxious when going out for walks. The behavioural therapist really listened to my dog’s needs and came up with an easy to follow tailored action plan that would help him.

Benjamin Nixon

I want to give a special thanks to Megan for the advice in which she gave for our dog Tilly. We’ve had problems when it came to walking her as she was being a little aggressive towards other dogs. Megan advised us to view the behaviour differently and to try and give her a treat

Emma Yates

Megan helped us enormously with our dachshund. She supplied many solutions to help her overcome her anxiety around walks. We now understand how to address these concerns and deal with situations where she meets other dogs and encounters sudden noises or events. We feel more confident and walk her more easily. Megan’s approach is thorough

Sheenagh Glover

I found Megan to be extremely knowledgeable but approachable and friendly. Giving good advice followed up with data sheets and a written report. There is a large age gap between my dogs, and I was looking for support in helping them to settle and bond. Although I’d had a multiple dog household before, this was

Ray Rudd

When our two dogs started to fight, we turned to Megan for help. Megan used her extensive knowledge of dog behaviour to help us to understand how our boys were reacting to situations. Megan provided very professional help and loads of information to help us understand and correct the issues we faced. We would highly

Tim Daly

I was quite anxious about getting a new puppy but with Megan’s advice and guidance the new addition has settled in brilliantly. Meg provided constructive, easy to follow advice and supplied me with a wealth of material to continue the process of training my dog. If you’re looking for someone with a compassionate, non-judgmental approach,

Philip Malpass

Supportive, efficient, effective, non judgemental and very professional. Highly recommended Dog behaviorist for all breeds and situations. If I could add more stars, I would. Meg is extremely well versed in dog behavior and works in an ethical way that you won’t find from other local trainers. You will learn so many new things from

Tamsin Fisher

Highly recommend! Our dog was struggling with separation anxiety. We really appreciated the time Meg took to sit down with us and talk through the positive changes we needed to make to support our pup! She was very kind and professional and the dog loved her too! Thanks Meg!

Jo Morris

I would totally recommend Meg at Pro-Positive as she’s professionally trained and very good at understanding pets and their owners and why certain behaviours can develop. She was fab at helping us with our rescue who had antisocial behaviour issues and she helped and supported us to change the way we were doing things which

Blossom

Would recommend the Second Nature team until I’m blue in the face! We’ve been working hard to build confidence in my reactive whippet X Italian Greyhound. We’re starting to see some really amazing progress with the clear and sensible suggestions made by Keely and I can’t thank her and the rest of the team enough.

Beth Smith

Keely at Thoughts for Paws has been wonderful with my nervous dog. Being a rescue, she can be scared in certain situations and Keely has helped her, and me through the process of making her feel more comfortable and confident within herself. Would highly recommend!

Jennifer Jenkins

Second Nature Behaviour have really helped us with our anxious & reactive dog, a miniature daxie. Zoe is especially knowledgeable and helpful. We have worked on: -Walking from the house -Welcoming visitors into the house -Consensual handling and picking up -Sound training -Encountering big dogs -Creating safe spaces for hiding/retreating -Separation training We now have

Peter Blanusa

Thankyou to Zoe and Megan for the help and advice when my dog had guarding and anxiety issues and would bite if anything dropped and also many allergies as well. With there help that gave me excersises and help and support and worked with my vet got Marley the help that he needed. Also changed

catherine dodson

Zoe was really helpful all the way through the process. Always provided good advice and checked in on how we were getting on with Alfie. Zoe gave detailed reports which we were able to refer back to when carrying out the training. We have seen a massive improvement in Alfies separation anxiety which we are

PAUL TURNER

Have met Zoe from Second Nature Behaviour at home several times – at home, in a local park and on Teams chat. We didn’t know how to deal with our dog, Bertie’s anxiety, particularly with having a baby granddaughter to look after a couple of days a week, but after being shown various techniques and