Teaching pets to behave

For many people, a dog is like a close friend or a young child. So it's not surprising that they want to take very good care of their pet.

In the past, taking care of a dog might just mean vaccinating and curing him when he got sick. Now it's not only a physical check-up but also a course to build habits and manners.

"Veterinarians nowadays not only take care of the physical health of animals but we also treat their behaviour and develop good habits," says veterinarian Dr Thepsirin "Naem" Makbunsri.

On one side, Naem works as an ordinary veterinarian - curing sick animals on a night shift or a day shift. But on the other side, she is a veterinary behaviourist.

A vet behaviourist's mission is to diagnose and treat behaviour problems. As a specialist in dogs, Naem finds a solution to the dog's problem: fighting other dogs, fear of fireworks or biting people when let outside the house.

Her work starts after talking with the dog's owner about undesirable behaviour. She has to find a way to cure a current bad habit. But for young puppies, she teaches owners how to raise and train their dogs properly.

Dog behaviour is like homework that she has to analyse and solve.

"In some case, it is quite easy to train a playful and active golden retriever dog whose character is similar to mine," she says. "But for another it may take me a lot of effort and hard work because each dog has different behaviour. "

Some dogs' habits take time for observation. If the vet ignores even something small, she may not find a correct solution.

"There was a golden retriever who was afraid of a leash around his neck and would not walk while his owner really wanted to take him for a vacation," she says. "After an hour of observation, I found that dog likes to run. So I ran with him for almost an hour until he did not feel that a leash was disturbing and annoying,"

Naem said she gradually decreased running speed and distance until the dog could walk with the leash.

Later, she got feedback that the owner finally had a good vacation with him.

"I think it's my duty to make owners happy when they spend time with their four-legged friend. And when both owners and dogs understand each other, they have a wonderful time," says Naem.

However, the task to change or improve dog's behaviour does not lie only on the shoulders of the vet. She needs help from others.

Now working at an academy in the Thonglor area for the development of dog behaviour and character, Naem says she has to work side-by-side with trainers and dog owners. She will never let owners leave their dogs alone with her and a trainer during a few months of training. The owners need to attend the training sessions as well.

Some owners do not understand what she is doing and she has to take time to explain.

"Owners needs to participate in the training of their four-legged friend. If they do not join, the dog will never behave when they are at home. Some owners also feel worried when they have to change some behaviour. The owners feel they love their dogs and raise them properly. A dog isn't just a pet living in house but a member of the family."

There is still no specialised course in dog behaviour offered in Thailand. Knowledge of a dog's behaviour normally occurs from working experience and learning by doing. With her personal interest in psychiatry, Naem decided to complete a master's degree at Chulalongkorn University and adapt it to her current work.

"A dogs is similar to a little child. If we want them to be a good person, we need to implant good things into them," says the 30-year-old vet behaviourist.

As a single child in a family who had a dog as a younger sister since she was young, Naem says she involuntarily feels a bond of love with dogs. It is an advantage in working as a pet behaviourist because the bond is the first and most important basis for this career.

"They can make me smile everyday. They may come to me with a sickness or behaviour problems but once they go home with physical strength and joy, I feel my heart bloom. That's enough for my career," says Naem.

But love alone is not enough for this type of work. The vet also has to be patient and calm.

"I may have to answer questions all day and return home mute in the evening," Naem says with a laugh.

Questions such as "Why does my male dog lift his leg to pee?" or "Do we have to clean his ears?" may be repeatedly asked by one owner after another. For some vet behaviourists, these are simple things they expected everyone to know.

"Some new vets may turn moody because they never expected to deal with people. They just want to be close to animals," says Naem. "But you have to keep in mind that if they knew that, they would not come to see you in the first place."

Story: Suwicha Chanitnun

Photographer: Wanchai Kraisornkhajit