Why pre-pet counselling by dog trainers and vets is on the rise in UAE

Why pre-pet counselling by dog trainers and vets is on the rise in UAE

Professionals like dog behaviourists offer these sessions to tackle issues like pet abandonment

Dog behaviourist and dog trainer Sonja Jashanmal says spending time with the pet is very important

By Anu Prabhakar Published: Thu 16 Feb 2023, 9:07 PM

Sonja Jashanmal recalls the time a family approached her for help. “They were thinking of buying a Labrador puppy for their three kids,” says Jashanmal, who is a dog behaviourist and dog trainer at Dogversation. But while talking to them, she instantly spotted a few red flags. “It turned out that the father would be at work all day. The stay-at-home mother was not genuinely interested in getting a dog and mainly wanted to please her kids, but the kids had school and after-school activities all day,” she says. “So when I explained to her that she was going to be responsible for feeding, walking and training the dog and that the kids will be able to help out occasionally, they made a decision against getting a dog.”

Dog trainer Alexandra Sullivan says that people in the UAE get too influenced by movies and buy the more ‘trendy’ breed

Such professionals have been offering pre-pet counselling sessions in the UAE, during which they get into the