What To Expect During & After Treatment
Initial Treatment
So I probably will not have met your dog beforehand if I have it would have been in a setting completely different to the one they are meeting me in now.
As you would have read elsewhere on the website my ethos is all about choice led treatment. Therefore it is invitable that I will hardly have any 'hands on' time with your dog. I will be visually assessing your dog, making a plan and mind map and if your dog allows me I will perform on a hands on assessment but that is only after your dog begins to trust me. I have been taught techniques to begin to establish that bond with your dog.
This is a completely new experience for your dog so it is to be completely expected that your dog may behave in ways that you have never witnessed before.
Please do not be disheartened and disappointed if this first treatment does not go how your expect or if your dog does not settle - it is common and I am used to it.
Future Treatments
So I have already met you and your dog so by now your dog will beginning to trust me and allow me more 'hands on' time. They will know that I will not chase around them after them or hurt them, they may like what they feel, they may not like what they feel but know it helps them. Your dog will show me where they want treatment and where they don't, usually guarding an area that may be sore.
A future treatments I would hope that you would be seeing a difference in your dog whether behaviourally, physically or just having a bit more energy.
Displacement Behaviour
So what is displacement behaviour and how does it factor here? Displacement behaviour is a psychological process your dog may or may not go through during treatment, in fact you may have witness these behaviours when out on a walk and you have come across someone your dog is unsure off, a cycle, a tractor - in fact displacement behaviour can occur anytime the dog is unsure. Essentially displacement behaviour will happen because the dog is uncertain of what is happening and will attempt to distract by appearing busy or indeed putting themselves into a position where they are 'cute' or 'wants a tummy tickle' or will become 'busy'.
Displacement behaviour is incredibly common which is why practicing choice led treatments the dog will come to trust me and have control of the situation.
Some typical examples of displacement behaviour are:
scratching when there is no itch
self grooming when there is no need
yawning when the dog is not tired
licking of lips when nothing tasty is around
sniffing of a room when there is nothing to sniff
shaking
Having said all that some of the above could also be a reaction to the treatment and therefore provoking a physical and neurological influence!
So displacement behaviour may occur during treatment or immediately after I have left during the period in which you dog is progressing what has happened.