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What happens at a free Pre-Consult call?

This is a time for you to get to know your behavior consultant and ask any questions you might have about what training will look like. We welcome any and all questions you might have, your confidence in using our services is important. There are no guarantees in animal training and behavior, but what we can guarantee is transparency and honesty. 

"A gray and white long haired cat with one eye curled up on a cardboard scratcher in front of a bookshelf with books on it"
"A black and tan chihuahua mix sits on a black office chair with wheels looking at a desk with various items on top of it"

What happens during an Initial Assessment?

A lot, actually. It is longer than a standard appointment because we need to share a lot of information. We’ll talk about things like the history of the pets involved, what context you are seeing certain behaviors in, what daily life for the pets look like, etc. We’ll also talk about management strategies, enrichment activities, and training exercises that will form the foundation of your behavior plan. This appointment is mostly talking, and is essential in designing an effective behavior plan. 

Will my appointment be in home or virtual?

That depends on a few factors. Free Pre-Consults are always virtual, and any Separation Anxiety appointments or 30 minute appointments will also be virtual. 

For dog training, oftentimes the Initial Assessment and follow up appointments will be offered in home (in the West Houston area). 

We advise that cat appointments be virtual. The reason for this is to minimize stress and anxiety, and also to make the most out of our time together. If we show up to your home and your cat hides the whole time, we are leaving them in a more stressed state and didn’t get to work with them hands on anyway. For more outgoing cats, they will still behave differently around a stranger than their family, so a virtual appointment is still advised. Don’t worry, a virtual home tour will be part of your appointment because the environment in which the cat lives is important to their behavioral journey. 

"A grey and white tabby cat with green eyes is looking at the camera with a pink tongue sticking out of her mouth slightly"
"A brown and white papillon is sniffing the head of a small brown tabby, both of them laying on a blue and white quilt"

What if I have videos I want you to see?

Every program includes access to a shared Google Drive. If you have videos you want to share at any point of your program, simply upload them to that drive! And don’t limit yourself to just videos. If you have a floorplan, pictures, documents, or anything else you think it is important to share with your trainer, put it in your Google Drive! 

Do I have to live in Houston to work with you?

Absolutely not! Separation Anxiety and Cat consults occur virtually, so you do not have to be local for that. The online booking should make it easy to schedule in your time zone, so there’s no need to be anywhere close to me. Though of course we do love our Houston locals as well! 

"A tan chihuahua looks up and to the right while sitting on a blanket on top of a white couch. The chihuahua is wearing a white and pink dress with dots and ruffles on it. "
"A medium haired black cat is positioned in front of a multicolored, lit up keyboard so that the cat is facing away from the camera."

How can I communicate with you while working with you?

After your appointment you will receive a Google Drive with some documents in it. Your trainer’s contact information will be in your behavior plan document. You are welcome to text or email at any time, but please note responses will be slow or delayed on Fridays and Saturdays, as those are non work days for Ear To Tail. 

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