'How I became an animal behaviour expert, and what my work involves'

Donna Green is an East Devon based, professionally qualified pet behaviour expert. She offers dog training and animal behaviour advice to help owners understand their pets better and tackle behavioural problems. She told Sidmouth Nub News about how she came to her present role, and some of the common issues that lead to pet owners needing her services.

After leaving the WRNS in 1998 I followed my love of animals and qualified as a Veterinary Nurse. It is a job I love, and this is where I developed an interest of behaviour after nursing patients with differing attitudes to a visit to the veterinary practice.

After some careful research I enrolled on a Certificate in Animal Behaviour at Southampton University. On completion of this I continued studying with a Post Graduate Diploma in Companion Animal Behaviour Counselling and then finally a Master's in Clinical Animal Behaviour, graduating from Lincoln University in 2013.

I am a provisional member of the Association of Pet Behaviour Counsellors, which gives pet owners the satisfaction of knowing that they are using a professional.

One area of interest is puppies and starting them on the right road, so I attended the Life Skills for Puppies training course and am now delivering this course to puppies and their owners.

Unfortunately, there are few employment opportunities, so most people are self-employed and have another job alongside; for me I am a lecturer in Veterinary Nursing.

What sort of problems are commonly seen in animals?

Behavioural problems and training issues are closely entwined and are used together to manage problems. Most behavioural issues cannot be cured but are managed throughout the animal's life.

Common training issues in dogs include:

•Pulling on the lead

•Jumping up at people (this is important as can be labelled as a dangerous dog)

•Lack of recall

Most training issues occur as there has been a lack of teaching by the owner and so a lack of learning by the dog.

Common behaviour problems in dogs include:

•Separation anxiety, especially with the craze of lockdown puppies. This is often seen as a close attachment, but once left alone the dog is put into a negative state. This is a serious condition and can have serious consequences for the dog and the household.

•Shy or fearful behaviour, commonly due to lack of socialisation as a puppy. This can lead to aggression which can be serious if not appropriately addressed.

•Housebreaking issues, dogs still toileting in the house

•Digging inappropriately

•Barking, an important communication behaviour but can become a problem

Common behaviour problems in the cat include:

•Inappropriate scratching, this is a natural behaviour, but owners tend not to agree when it is their sofa.

•Inappropriate toileting (usually occurs in multi-cat households). This is usually due to a lack of resources (food, sleeping, litter trays) which leads to an increase in anxiety. People may like to keep more than one cat but need to remember that as a species this may not work as

Why it's important to use a professionally qualified practitioner