As I use Zoom for much of my consultation process, I speak to many people who are, understandably, sceptical about using it.

I, too, was extremely cautious about it, having completely dismissed it before March 2020.  When lockdown came, I had no option but to use it and it was a steep learning curve.  In those early days, I wanted to meet on Zoom each week with each client I was working with to ensure things were progressing as I would want.  When guidelines allowed, I chose to meet some of them at their home and out on walks to check that the impression I had formed of them via Zoom was the same as face-to-face. 

Therefore, several hundred dogs later, I have been extremely impressed with the advantages of Zoom, which is why I continue to use it. 

I don’t need to see the unwanted behaviour of the dog or cat to know what to do about it. Most of the time, I don’t want to see the unwanted behaviour.  Every time your pet repeats these behaviours, it is creating more of a habit.

Advantages of Zoom

For the dog

• The dog does not need to have a visitor in their home which many dogs find stressful and difficult to cope with. 

• We are able to put them only into situations which they can cope with and learn to make the right decisions. When we want to meet, we can do, but structuring things so that your dog has the opportunity to practice the behaviours we want.

• I can observe the natural behaviour of the dog, without them being distracted by my presence.

• We can teach the techniques without the trigger being present, so that your dog understands the skills and can learn to put them into practice in real life situations. You wouldn’t have wanted your first driving lesson to be on the M62.

• I can see the home environment, when needed.

For the cat

• Zoom is so very helpful for consultations involving cats.  Instead of cats hiding away from me, I am able to see the cat moving around, interacting with you etc.

• I can see the home environment, position of beds, trays, doors etc.

For the people

• As I am not travelling so much, the waiting time to see me is much less than if I had to drive to everyone.

• This also means the cost is less.

• People are not worried that their dog may embarrass them, bite me or behave in some way they are anxious about.  Therefore the family is more relaxed and able to get the most from the meeting.

For cases involving separation anxiety

• If needed, I can ask the owners to leave the room and I can observe the dog.  For reasons outlined above, this is not usually needed, but can be helpful as we progress.

Practicalities

• I am speaking to many different owners / families each week as we work with their dogs and cats.  There is no way I could be in close contact with so many without Zoom, so Zoom enables me to give a better service to everyone I am working with.

• This way of working, involving several Zoom sessions, means that we don’t need to try to go through everything in the first appointment.  We can work through one stage at a time.

• Progress can be at a pace that suits the pet and family.

• As Zoom enables us to have several meetings, it is less problematic if one family member is unable to attend one session.

Disadvantages of Zoom alone

Nothing is perfect and sometimes Zoom meetings alone do not give the full picture. 

It can be frustrating and sometimes I feel I see the situation from the point of view of the family, not the dog or cat. 

The fact that I miss meeting lots of lovely dogs and cats is a factor for me, but not one I should base my business decisions on.

Therefore we use alternative methods.

Videos of the dog or cat, probably showing normal behaviours rather than the unwanted behaviour, can be helpful and are welcome at any time.  We can watch and rewatch videos, and are able to highlight subtle body-language cues which could be easily missed in real time.

We arrange face-to-face meetings at any point. These can be in your home, or for dogs, on a walk, at my field, a rehabilitation session, or a visit to the vets or groomers.

By this stage, I have the advantage of knowing more about your pet, and we can structure the session so that your dog or cat practises the good behaviour rather than repeats the unwanted behaviour.

Therefore, I am completely happy that Zoom gives me the best way of working with you and your pets.