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Page last updated on October 24, 2023 at 1:24 pm

pupBehavior Consulting

Bloomington Animal Care & Control can provide consultations on a wide variety of behavioral issues including, but not limited to:  litter box problems with cats, house training, crate training for dogs, introducing a new companion animal into your home, basic obedience techniques, and separation anxiety in dogs.

Please note that certain behaviors cannot be addressed via phone or email. 

  • Medical issues. Some behavior problems can be a result of or made worse by medical conditions. If you think your pet has a medical need, contact your veterinarian. The Bloomington Animal Shelter cannot give advice on any medical issue your animal may be experiencing.
  • Aggression. There are many reasons an animal may behave aggressively, including fear, food or object possessiveness, territorial behavior or protective behavior. Since aggression is a complex behavior with many factors involved, The Bloomington Animal Shelter staff cannot address most aggression your animal is exhibiting via phone or email. Please consult a behavior specialist or pet trainer to resolve any aggression-related issue.

 

If you are in need of behavior consulting for your companion animal and are a Monroe County resident or have adopted the animal from The Bloomington Animal Shelter, please fill our Pet Behavior Consulting Online Form. Once you have completed and submitted this form, our behavior consultant will review your form and contact you to discuss the issues that you are experiencing with your pet.

If you need immediate counsel, you can reach Emily Herr at 812-349-3873. Her direct email is herre@bloomington.in.gov.

Please see below for helpful hints for keeping your canine and feline friends healthy, techniques for providing a humane approach to training, and approaches to solving common behavior problems in dogs and cats.

 

Resources for common cat behavior issues:

Destructive Scratching 

Aggression Between Family Cats

Undersocialized Cats

Overstimulated Cats

Cat Toys and How to Use Them

Managing Young Cat Rough Play

Litter Box Issues and Urine Marking: 

History of Litter Box Issues

Resolving Litter Box Issues

Urine Marking

 

Resources for common dog behavior issues:

Undersocialized dogs

Canine Rivalry 

Children and Dogs

Crate Training 

Destructive Chewing 

Fearful and Excitement Urination  

Digging Problems

Introducing Your New Dog to Your Resident Dog

Marking Behavior 

Separation Anxiety 

Excessive Barking

Leash Reactivity (Free Online course)