[cookieface]

I contacted a behaviorist to evaluate Tyson and (hopefully) address his fearfulness. She has two options: appointments at her office or appointments at our home. Any recommendations for selecting one over the other?

From my perspective, an office appointment would have the advantage/disadvantage of Tyson actually displaying the behaviors I'm concerned about. Obviously, I don't want him to be stressed or uncomfortable, but I also don't want her to see him at home and determine that there's nothing wrong.

And, if she comes to our house, I'll have to clean.

Any advice or experiences to share?

 

[Dia]

Gee, that's a tough one. I'm not sure what behaviors you want evaluating, but what about a walk/meet in a neutral area? Would Tyson exhibit behaviors you want evaluated in that situation?

 

[Grabby]

Your house. She's a dog person, don't clean. lol Just shut doors and shove stuff in closets.

Seeing Tyson in an environment that he's comfortable in has a lot of advantages. She can get a better idea of his personality when he's not stressed and also get to know you when you aren't solely focused on Tyson and how he's acting. Also gives her an opportunity to get to make friends with Tyson with no distractions. Usually the next appointment would be in a neutral area but that should be her call.

 

[PoppyKenna]

I met my trainer at my house for a consult. Of course, my guy is just as bad at home

It was nice to let her see him and try some things out, but I could also put him away while we talked.
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[cookieface]

Thanks so much. I think I'll email her back, say I'll call for an appointment, and ask her opinion on office vs home while explaining my concerns. It sounds to me that she prefers office appointments, but will do house calls for extreme cases. Someone also suggested I get video of his behavior, so that's another option.

@Dia, it's for fearfulness and beginnings of reactivity.

 

[Dia]

My dog is the same, and the behaviorists all came to my house. But I wouldn't have been able to get him in the door if I'd gone to them, so what would have been the point? We also went for walks, but he behaves differently when someone is walking with us than if its just he and I, so that wasn't ideal either.

 

[Grabby]

Well, if she said she preferred first consult in office, I'd go with that.