Ninety percent of dog owners complain that their dogs have behavior problems (Campbell 1986; Adams and Clark 1989; Vacalopoulous and Anderson 1993), and behavorial issues are at the top of the list for relinquishment of pets to shelters. The staff at Heritage Pet Hospital wants to help you save the relationship with your pet by offering behavioral counseling. We employ a number of Certified Veterinary Technicians that have a passion for animal behavior and they can counsel you through problems including inappropriate urination and defecation, separation anxiety, aggression issues, excessive barking, fears and fobias, and any other problem that may arise. We also have a list of behavior specialists that we can refer you to. Our staff understands that sometimes certain behaviors can be a sign or symptom of an underlying medical problem. We always start with a thorough physical exam and possible diagnostics to rule out these possibilities first.

The doctors and staff at Heritage Pet Hospital believe strongly in promoting positive and pleasant experiences for your pet while here at our clinic. We do not believe in the old fashion way of struggling with your pet to force a procedure, but instead, find a way of doing a procedure so that your pet (and you) remains calm and comfortable. We understand that all pets are individuals with differing preferences. For example, some pets like their nails trimmed while in a technician's arms. Others perfer to be on the floor standing or sitting and even others prefer to have their owners present. While others do better with their owners absent. We will put time and effort into making your pet's visit as pleasant as possible, to ensure that they enjoy visiting our clnic and think of us as a fun place to be! Ensuring your pet's comfort and enjoyment, increases our ablility to prevent and treat illnesses because we are able to handle them more easily to obtain samples and to perform procedures. We encourage all of our patients to come in for a visit anytime, just for fun! Doing this on a regular basis will help us to build a bond with your pet and make going to the vet a fun and rewarding experience.