Trainer Referral for Behavioral Support

Firstly, thank you for your referrals! We truly value the relationships with our local training community and appreciate the confidence in the services that we provide. Over the past year, we have recognized that the demand for our behavioral support has been such that we are booking out months for these appointments. This is in part because we are not solely a behavior clinic and have limited the time slots available for our extended behavior consultations.

Additionally, we have recognized that we have started to become “the clinic” for any behavior concerns that guardians have for their pets. A percentage of these folks are not actively working or have not worked with an appropriate trainer which makes managing expectations and follow-up more challenging. We recognize the importance of the input of a qualified trainer as an integral part of a comprehensive behavioral modification plan for the best possible outcome.

While we should never take the place of a board-certified veterinary behaviorist (Animal Behavior Clinic & Synergy Veterinary Behavior), we recognize that we serve a role for dogs needing support who may not be able to access specialty services for a variety of reasons. Please also remind clients that Animal Behavior Clinic is available for Vet-to-Vet Consults with any veterinarian about any case. Synergy Veterinary Behavior also offers a similar service with their Bite Sized Behavior Consults for any veterinarian. These are also options for clients who do not want to transfer care from their current veterinarian.

Effective as of May 20, 2024, we are requiring a trainer referral for our extended behavior appointments. As a reminder, we offer this specific appointment once a week only on Friday evenings. We do this for a couple of reasons: less traffic in the clinic and there are no appointments scheduled after. Please remind your clients who choose to utilize our services that we are typically booking out for months. If there is some reason why a case may be deemed more urgent, please indicate this on the trainer referral form below.

We will continue to accept any client for the management of veterinary phobias and handling difficulties in a veterinary setting. The initial consult for these appointments can typically be accomplished in a regular appointment to determine a care plan with appropriate pharmacologics for a future visit for medical care (physical exam, vaccines, diagnostics, etc). These consults do not encompass a discussion of the management of behavioral concerns outside of a veterinary setting, but would be a consideration for discussion at a later date once the client is well-established.

To help us better serve your clients and their canine companions, please see the following:

  • As a rule, referral to any of Portland’s board-certified veterinary behaviorist (DACVB) should be offered as the gold standard of care. If this is not an option for a client, we are happy to see if we can help. Please note that there are cases that we may continue to encourage referral to a DACVB. In cases of human-directed reactivity resulting in a bite, we would kindly request that trainers encourage consultation with a DACVB first and foremost.

  • We are not a referral facility, so if a client wishes to establish with us for behavior support, they will need to transfer ALL care to Brooklyn Yard Veterinary Hospital. Please refer your clients to our FAQs on establishing care and details of our behavior support services.

  • We have found that trainer referrals yield the best behavioral histories and management of expectations! We have created a form for you to give us more information on a particular case in a streamlined fashion (see referral form button)! This is meant to be brief (we are all busy!), but any details would be greatly appreciated!

  • We know that time can be crucial with some of our adolescent patients. If we don’t have an opening available in a timely fashion, please reach out to us directly through our general email.

Thank you for your continued trust in our services and feel free to contact us at hello@brooklynyardvet.com for any questions!