Behavioral Counseling
Orchard Park

Helping Pets & Families Live Better Together

Behavior is an important part of your pet’s overall health and well-being. When unwanted or concerning behaviors begin to affect your relationship with your pet, your household, or your community, professional guidance can make a meaningful difference.

At Orchard Park Veterinary Medical Center, our goal is to prevent, treat, and manage behavior concerns while strengthening the bond between pets and the people who love them. We offer behavioral consultations for dogs and cats experiencing mild to moderate behavior problems and provide practical, individualized recommendations for moving forward.

Pet Behavior Consultations

Behavior concerns can take many forms, and there isn’t one solution that works for every pet. Our team takes the time to understand your pet’s history, environment, behavior, and the circumstances surrounding the problem.

Common concerns may include:

• Separation anxiety
• Destructive behavior
• Excessive barking or vocalization
• Digging
• House soiling
• Urine marking
• Aggression or fear
• Excessive licking or grooming
• Repetitive or compulsive behaviors
• Other behaviors that interfere with your pet’s quality of life
• Looking Beyond the Behavior

A change in behavior isn’t always simply a training issue. Pain, illness, anxiety, and other underlying medical conditions can sometimes contribute to behavioral changes.

As part of the evaluation, our veterinary team works to identify or rule out potential medical factors that could be contributing to your pet’s behavior. Understanding the why behind a behavior allows us to develop a more effective approach to managing it.

Positive, Personalized Behavior Modification

Our approach focuses on understanding your pet and reinforcing behaviors we want to see more often. Through positive reinforcement and behavior modification techniques, we can help you address unwanted behaviors while creating a more positive environment for your pet.

We know that changing behavior takes time, consistency, and patience. Our goal is to give you practical strategies that fit your household and help you and your pet make meaningful progress together.

Veterinary Behavior Expertise

Our team is proud to include Katherine Houpt, VMD, PhD, DACVB, a board-certified veterinary behaviorist, as part of our behavioral care resources.

For pets with more advanced or complex behavior concerns, your veterinarian can help arrange a referral to the appropriate behavioral specialist.

When Behavior Changes, We’re Here to Help

You don’t have to navigate challenging behavior on your own. If your pet’s behavior is affecting their well-being or your relationship with them, talk with our team about whether a behavioral consultation may be appropriate.