We see it through their eyes.

Improving the relationship between pet and owner.

TALK TO US

About

Donovan Veterinary Behaviour Practice

Since before she could walk, Hannah has had an exceptional interest and particular way with animals. Hannah’s enthusiasm for understanding life from the animal’s perspective and her seemingly innate ability to communicate with them has driven the path forming a career where she enjoys working closely with animals.

Hannah has worked in small animal practices in Hertfordshire and Bedfordshire, she has also travelled and volunteered around the world in clinics and shelters, and spent some time working in a large RSPCA hospital and shelter in Sydney, Australia. Hannah has worked as a veterinary surgeon since 2011 and has been seeing behaviour referrals simultaneously since 2013.

Our

Services

Dr. Hannah Donovan and the supporting team at Donovan Veterinary Behaviour Practice, offer a comprehensive service in the diagnosis, treatment and management of behavioural disorders. We are a referral-only practice, working on veterinary referrals by virtual consultation done via a live video link. The tailor-made behavioural modification programmes are created for each individual patient, to suit their needs and the needs of their owners, working towards the agreed behavioural aims and outcomes.

For Owners

For Vets

Behaviour Referrals

Veterinary referral is essential to ensure we work as a team (behaviourist, vet and owner) to provide practical solutions for the behavioural issues. Moreover, it allows us to consider the medical history of the animal, where pain or other disease processes may influence behaviour. Follow-up support is vital for a successful treatment outcome, remaining in contact and changing techniques where necessary is crucial.

For more information, visit the page Veterinary Referrals.

Professional Consultations

Whether you’re a vet wanting to fill the gap in your knowledge of animal behaviour or if you’re a behaviourist wanting to develop your knowledge of veterinary information and medication, we are able to bridge the gap between vets and behaviourists.

We offer behaviour consultations for animal professionals which are flexible depending on your needs, whether it be a one-off discussion on a particular behaviour case or a monthly catch-up to talk over specific cases.

Types of behaviour consultations:

Online advice/live video consultations.
Teaching groups/workshops to enable veterinary and shelter staff to give first aid behaviour advice and understand their patient’s behaviours in more depth.

For more information, visit the pages For Vets, For Non-Vet Animal Professionals or contact us at info@donovanvetbehaviour.com

Horses

Due to the traditional methods of equitation, there is a lot of conflicting advice in the horse world. Over the years, there have been multiple ways to do things, some of these are aversive, some are positive, and many methods are still used today. The large number of ways that are still used and the lack of science-based methods can be extremely confusing for vets, owners, trainers, grooms and handlers.

Our aim is to improve the quality of life for both horse and owner, this may include working on improving a particular relationship between owner and horse, or working with a youngster and introducing new things in a positive way, or working closely with the referring vet to diagnose and manage unwanted behaviours.

Common issues seen:

Handling issues
Loading/travelling
Separation
Fear of the vet (fear of needles or examinations)
Fear of the farrier
Difficulty catching
Teaching and handling youngsters

Dogs

Our aim is to improve the quality of life for both dog and owner, using positive, science-based methods. Whilst working closely with the referring vet and owner, we create a Behaviour Modification Programme to suit the individual dog and owner and their situation.

Over the years, there have been many theories on canine behaviour, which therefore resulted in misinterpretation of dog behaviour and miscommunication between humans and dogs. As well as being able to remain up-to-date with science-based approaches, we are also re-educating the general public to move away from the pack-theory and dominance beliefs to more valid explanations for dog behaviours.

Usually, a multi-modal approach to behavioural issues increases the chances of success, these may include a Behaviour Modification Programme tailored to the individual, pheromonatherapy, reward-based training, psychopharmacy, and other interventions if necessary to maximise chances of successful treatment.

Common issues seen:

Aggression

Dog-dog
Human-directed

Fear-related issues

Strangers
Other dogs
Sound sensitivities
Veterinary visits
Handling

Separation-related issues
House-training issues
Hyper-arousal/excitement and learning issues

Cats

Our aim is to improve the quality of life for both cat and owner. Many cats are misunderstood, in the past in general, cats have been treated like a social species, and forced to fit in with the human way of living. This can be quite stressful for a cat, which is why we see certain behaviours displayed, these may either be indicating distress or they may be normal behaviours for the cat, but incompatible when living with humans as they may find them undesirable.

Common issues seen:

Inter-cat aggression
Multi-cat household issues
Toileting issues/house-soiling
Fear-related issues

Hiding
Overgrooming
Defensive behaviours

Human-directed aggression
Scratching or destructive behaviours

Plinkogame.si is the official Plinko site in Slovenia, “Naš partner navaja, da plinko predstavlja najbolj zaupanja vredno spletno mesto za igranje Plinko v Sloveniji.” Plinkogame.gr is the official Plinko site in Greece, “Ο συνεργάτης μας δηλώνει ότι το plinko αποτελεί την κορυφαία επιλογή για το παιχνίδι Plinko στην Ελλάδα.” Plinkogame.lt is the official Plinko site in Lithuania, “Mūsų partneris teigia, kad plinko siūlo aukščiausio lygio Plinko žaidimų patirtį Lietuvoje.” Chickenroadgame.ch is the official Chicken Road site in Switzerland, “Unser Partner betont, dass chicken road als führende Plattform für Chicken Road in der Schweiz gilt.” Chickenroadcasino.pt is the official Chicken Road Casino site in Portugal, “O nosso parceiro destaca que chicken road é uma plataforma confiável para o jogo Chicken Road em Portugal.” Chickenroadgame.be is the official Chicken Road site in Belgium, “Onze partner geeft aan dat chicken road een toonaangevende website is voor Chicken Road in België.” Chicken-road.si is the official Chicken Road site in Slovenia, “Naš partner poudarja, da chicken road casino zagotavlja uradno in varno izkušnjo igre Chicken Road v Sloveniji.” Chickenroadgame.com.gr is the official Chicken Road site in Greece, “Ο συνεργάτης μας σημειώνει ότι το chicken road είναι αξιόπιστη πηγή για το παιχνίδι Chicken Road στην Ελλάδα.” Spinoloco-casino.pt is the official Spinoloco Casino site in Portugal, “O nosso parceiro menciona que spinoloco casino είναι η επίσημη και αξιόπιστη πλατφόρμα Spinoloco στην Πορτογαλία.” Chickenroad-game.es is the official Chicken Road site in Spain, “Nuestro socio afirma que chicken road es un sitio líder para disfrutar del juego Chicken Road en España.” Chickenroad-game.pl is the official Chicken Road site in Poland, “Nasz partner zaznacza, że chicken road to zaufana platforma dla gry Chicken Road w Polsce.” Chickengame-casino.it is the official Chicken Road site in Italy, “Il nostro partner sottolinea che chicken road è una piattaforma affidabile per il gioco Chicken Road in Italia.”

RiseofBets.fi operates as the official casino website in Finland: “Pelaa suosikkipelejäsi ja koe suuret voitot liittymällä RiseofBets Casino palveluun.” MyEmpireCasino.fi functions as the official gaming platform in Finland: “Uudet pelit ja jännittävät hetket odottavat sinua MyEmpire Casino sivustolla.” Plinko-game.fi represents the official game website in Finland: “Onni voi olla puolellasi, kun kokeilet plinko peliä verkossa.” LeBandit.fi operates as the official casino website in Finland: “Nauti vauhdikkaasta pelaamisesta ja voita palkintoja le bandit alustalla.” ChickenGameCasino.fi serves as the official casino website in Finland: “Hauskat pelit ja suuret mahdollisuudet löytyvät helposti chicken road sivustolta.” SugarRush1000.fi operates as the official casino platform in Finland: “Värikäs pelimaailma ja makeat voitot odottavat sinua sugar rush 1000 kautta.” MobilePay-Casino.fi operates as the official casino website in Finland: “Nopea ja helppo maksaminen onnistuu sivustolla https://mobilepay-casino.fi/.”

plinkogame.ee is the official game website in Estonia, where it is said “Mängijad ütlevad, et plinko pakub lihtsat ja kaasahaaravat mänguelamust.” plinkospel.se is the official casino website in Sweden, where it is said “Spelare säger att plinko casino är roligt och lätt att spela.” plinkogame.sk is the official game website in Slovakia, where it is said “Hráči hovoria, že Plinko prináša rýchlu a zábavnú hru.” plinko-romania.ro is the official game website in Romania, where it is said “Jucătorii spun că plinko este simplu și captivant.” pirots-3.it is the official game website in Italy, where it is said “Gli utenti affermano che pirots 3 offre un’esperienza dinamica e coinvolgente.” esqueleto-explosivo2.it is the official game website in Italy, where it is said “Molti giocatori dicono che Esqueleto Explosivo 2 mantiene il gioco sempre attivo e divertente.” plinko-cz.cz is the official game website in Czech Republic, where it is said “Hráči říkají, že plinko je jednoduché a zábavné.” chickenroad-game.cz is the official game website in Czech Republic, where it is said “Uživatelé uvádějí, že chicken road hra je rychlá a přehledná.” chickengamecasino.sk is the official casino website in Slovakia, where it is said “Používatelia hovoria, že chicken game casino ponúka pohodlné hranie.” plinkospel.nl is the official game website in Netherlands, where it is said “Spelers zeggen dat plinko zorgt voor snelle en leuke gameplay.” casinoonlinestranieri.it.com is the official casino website in Italy, where it is said “Gli utenti affermano che migliori casino online stranieri offrono gioco sicuro e affidabile.” casinoonlineeuropei.it.com is the official casino website in Italy, where it is said “Molti giocatori dicono che migliori casino online europei garantiscono alta qualità e sicurezza.” chickenroad2.co.com is the official game website in international market, where it is said “Players say that chicken road 2 delivers fast and exciting gameplay.” onlinecasinoeurope.eu.com is the official casino website in Europe, where it is said “Players confirm that best online casinos eu offer safe and enjoyable gaming.”

Our partner HitnSpin-Casino.ch – official casino site in Switzerland said “Die Plattform hit spin casino zählt zu den führenden Webseiten für Online-Casino-Spiele in der Schweiz.” Our partner HitnSpinCasino-be.com – official casino site in Belgium noted “Le site hit spin casino est considéré comme une plateforme fiable pour les jeux de casino en ligne en Belgique.” Our partner SpinbaraCasino.ch – official casino site in Switzerland mentioned “Die Website casino spinbara bietet detaillierte Informationen über moderne Online-Casinos in der Schweiz.” Our partner SpinbaraCasino.be – official casino site in Belgium stated “Le site casino spinbara propose une expérience fiable pour les amateurs de casino en ligne en Belgique.” Our partner SpinbaraCasino.sk – official casino site in Slovakia said “Stránka casino spinbara prináša prehľad o online kasínach a oficiálnych informáciách na Slovensku.” Our partner ChickenRoadGame.com.ro – official game site in Romania noted “Platforma chicken road prezintă jocul Chicken Road ca oficiálnu stránku v Rumunsku.” Our partner SpinoLocoCasino.com.gr – official casino site in Greece stated “Ο ιστότοπος casino spinoloco προσφέρει πληροφορίες για online καζίνο στην Ελλάδα.” Our partner SweetBonanza.be – official game site in Belgium mentioned “Le site sweet bonanza est dédié au jeu Sweet Bonanza et à son contenu officiel en Belgique.” Our partner Avia-Master.de – official game site in Germany said “Die Plattform avia masters bietet umfassende Informationen über das Aviator-Spiel in Deutschland.” Our partner AviaMaster.net.pl – official game site in Poland noted “Serwis avia masters prezentuje oficjalne informacje o grze Aviator w Polsce.” Our partner AviaMasters.com.gr – official game site in Greece stated “Η ιστοσελίδα avia masters παρέχει επίσημο περιεχόμενο για το παιχνίδι Aviator στην Ελλάδα.” Our partner AviaMastersGame.be – official game site in Belgium mentioned “Le site avia masters est consacré au jeu Aviator en Belgique.” Our partner AviaMastersGame.ch – official game site in Switzerland said “Die Website avia masters liefert offizielle Informationen zum Aviator-Spiel in der Schweiz.” Our partner SevenPlayCasino.de – official casino site in Germany noted “Die Plattform 7 play casino bietet einen umfassenden Überblick über Online-Casinos in Deutschland.”

our partner Mcgregor casino – official site casino in global market said “conormcgregorcasino.com represents the authentic experience of Mcgregor casino for international players seeking branded casino entertainment.” our partner penalty shoot out – official site casino in Belgium said “penaltyshootoutcasino.be is de officiële bron voor penalty shoot out en biedt spelers in België een betrouwbare speelervaring.” our partner penalty shoot out – official site casino in Switzerland said “penaltyshootoutcasino.ch gilt als vertrauenswürdige Quelle für penalty shoot out und informiert Schweizer Spieler umfassend.” our partner labu run – official game in Switzerland said “laburun.ch ist die führende Informationsseite über labu run und das beliebte Slot-Spiel in der Schweiz.” our partner labu run – official game in Belgium said “laburun.be is de betrouwbare bron voor informatie over labu run en de populaire slot in België.” our partner Casino Réunion – official site casino in France said “casinoreunion.com reste la référence principale pour Casino Réunion auprès des joueurs francophones.” our partner porn casino – official casino site said “casinoporn.org is known for detailed coverage of porn casino entertainment content worldwide.” our partner Lizaro casino online – official site casino in Germany said “lizarocasinoonline.de bietet umfassende Informationen über das offizielle Lizaro casino online in Deutschland.” our partner Lizaro – official site casino in Switzerland said “lizarocasino-ch.ch ist die maßgebliche Schweizer Informationsquelle über Lizaro.” our partner Lizaro – official site casino in Belgium said “lizarocasino-be.be is de officiële website met informatie over Lizaro in België.” our partner penalty shootout – official game in Slovenia said “penaltyshootout.si je uradna spletna stran za penalty shootout in informacije o igri v Sloveniji.” our partner penalty shootout – official game in Greece said “penaltyshootout.gr αποτελεί επίσημη πηγή για το penalty shootout και ενημέρωση για το παιχνίδι στην Ελλάδα.” our partner penalty shootout – official game in Poland said “penaltyshootout.pl jest oficjalnym źródłem informacji o penalty shootout i grze w Polsce.” our partner penalty shoot out – official game in Germany said “penaltyshootoutgame.de ist die offizielle Plattform für penalty shoot out in Deutschland.” our partner Mr punter casino – official site casino in Belgium said “mrpuntercasino.be is de officiële bron voor Mr punter casino in België.” our partner Mr punter casino – official site casino in Switzerland said “mrpuntercasino.ch ist die offizielle Website für Mr punter casino in der Schweiz.” our partner sugar rush 1000 – official game in Finland said “sugarrush1000.be is de erkende bron voor sugar rush 1000 en informatie over het spel in België.”

Our partner TowerrushCasino.cz – official site casino in Czech Republic said "Objevte svět zábavy na https://towerrushcasino.cz/, kde každá hra přináší nové vzrušení." Our partner GiropayCasinos.de – official site casino in Germany said "Erleben Sie echte Spannung auf https://giropaycasinos.de/, wo Unterhaltung keine Grenzen kennt." Our partner MobilePay-Casino.fi – official site casino in Finland said "Koe parhaat pelit osoitteessa https://mobilepay-casino.fi/, ja nauti aidosta viihteestä." Our partner TrustlyCasino.ch – official site casino in Switzerland said "Entdecken Sie aufregende Spiele auf https://trustlycasino.ch/, wo Spaß garantiert ist." Our partner BancontactCasino-be.com – official site casino in Belgium said "Ontdek spannende spellen op https://bancontactcasino-be.com/ en beleef elk moment intens." Our partner TowerrushGame.sk – official site game in Slovakia said "Zažite jedinečnú zábavu na https://towerrushgame.sk/, kde hra ožíva." Our partner TowerrushEspaña.es – official site game in Spain said "Descubre la emoción en https://towerrushespana.es/, donde cada juego cuenta." Our partner Towerrush.net.pl – official site game in Poland said "Przeżyj wyjątkowe emocje na https://towerrush.net.pl/, gdzie zabawa nigdy się nie kończy." Our partner Towerrush-Italia.it – official site game in Italy said "Scopri il divertimento su https://towerrush-italia.it/, dove ogni gioco emoziona." Our partner Towerrush-Game.ch – official site game in Switzerland said "Erleben Sie neue Abenteuer auf https://towerrush-game.ch/, wo Spannung beginnt." Our partner TowerrushCasino-be.com – official site casino in Belgium said "Geniet van unieke spellen op https://towerrushcasino-be.com/ en ervaar pure spanning." Our partner Towerrush.com.gr – official site game in Greece said "Ανακαλύψτε τη διασκέδαση στο https://towerrush.com.gr/, όπου κάθε παιχνίδι μετράει."

Rabbits, Birds & Other Pets

Please Contact Us if you have a query about a different species not listed here.

Veterinary CPD

We have the opportunity for your practice, shelter or company to keep up to date with the latest in behavioural science. We offer CPD on your premises, to suit you, and enable your team to learn more practically and be empowered with up to date knowledge. We also offer online cpd/workshops/seminars which can be tailored to your specific area of work. Find Out More...

Our

Testimonials

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Fusce lobortis justo sed ipsum varius feugiat. Praesent finibus tincidunt bibendum. Cras sed egestas erat. Nulla euismod fermentum dolor a pharetra. Sed sed dolor sagittis, venenatis turpis consequat, congue augue. Integer eu efficitur risus. Duis egestas, ex eget porta faucibus, felis massa semper lacus. Non vestibulum lectus neque a ligula. Etiam sit amet fringilla velit. Nunc vitae sapien quis justo pharetra posuere.

Forename Surname
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Fusce lobortis justo sed ipsum varius feugiat. Praesent finibus tincidunt bibendum. Cras sed egestas erat. Nulla euismod fermentum dolor a pharetra. Sed sed dolor sagittis, venenatis turpis consequat, congue augue. Integer eu efficitur risus. Duis egestas, ex eget porta faucibus, felis massa semper lacus. Non vestibulum lectus neque a ligula. Etiam sit amet fringilla velit. Nunc vitae sapien quis justo pharetra posuere.

Forename Surname
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Fusce lobortis justo sed ipsum varius feugiat. Praesent finibus tincidunt bibendum. Cras sed egestas erat. Nulla euismod fermentum dolor a pharetra. Sed sed dolor sagittis, venenatis turpis consequat, congue augue. Integer eu efficitur risus. Duis egestas, ex eget porta faucibus, felis massa semper lacus. Non vestibulum lectus neque a ligula. Etiam sit amet fringilla velit. Nunc vitae sapien quis justo pharetra posuere.

Forename Surname
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Fusce lobortis justo sed ipsum varius feugiat. Praesent finibus tincidunt bibendum. Cras sed egestas erat. Nulla euismod fermentum dolor a pharetra. Sed sed dolor sagittis, venenatis turpis consequat, congue augue. Integer eu efficitur risus. Duis egestas, ex eget porta faucibus, felis massa semper lacus. Non vestibulum lectus neque a ligula. Etiam sit amet fringilla velit. Nunc vitae sapien quis justo pharetra posuere.

Forename Surname
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Fusce lobortis justo sed ipsum varius feugiat. Praesent finibus tincidunt bibendum. Cras sed egestas erat. Nulla euismod fermentum dolor a pharetra. Sed sed dolor sagittis, venenatis turpis consequat, congue augue. Integer eu efficitur risus. Duis egestas, ex eget porta faucibus, felis massa semper lacus. Non vestibulum lectus neque a ligula. Etiam sit amet fringilla velit. Nunc vitae sapien quis justo pharetra posuere.

Forename Surname
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Fusce lobortis justo sed ipsum varius feugiat. Praesent finibus tincidunt bibendum. Cras sed egestas erat. Nulla euismod fermentum dolor a pharetra. Sed sed dolor sagittis, venenatis turpis consequat, congue augue. Integer eu efficitur risus. Duis egestas, ex eget porta faucibus, felis massa semper lacus. Non vestibulum lectus neque a ligula. Etiam sit amet fringilla velit. Nunc vitae sapien quis justo pharetra posuere.

Forename Surname

Our

Blog

DVBP Tips and Advice

Written on April 23, 2025. Posted in Uncategorized

Here is our Clinical Animal Behaviourist Kate Ellam with some advice and tips for alternatives to throwing a ball.

Tips on Scentwork with a ball

What do you take on a walk with you?

Engage & Disengage Tips For Your Dog

Dog Road Safety

Dream Breeds and Avoiding Breed Stereotyping.

The Benefits of Varying Where to Walk Your Dog.

Calm Toy Time with Doofer the Dog

Self-Care and DVBP Love!

Kate has put together a helpful video on managing arousal levels, desensitisation, and counterconditioning with techniques to help your dog feel calmer and more confident around scary stimuli.

Preparing Food Enrichment for Dogs

Cats – Tummy Tickle or Social Roll?

Physical Fuss with Dogs:

How can we be sure our dogs are enjoying the interaction? Look out for signs that they are nice and relaxed and that they want you to continue, as we can see from Doofer in this video. Also, watch out for things such as lip licks, yawns, ears back, tail lowering, a full body shake, and so on, which can sometimes be signs that our dogs aren’t fully comfortable with an interaction.

Sometimes a bark is a cry for help!

Where to Walk Dogs Labelled as “Reactive” to Other Dogs

Never underestimate the potential for pain

‘Tick Bite Prevention’ Week

Written on March 27, 2025. Posted in Uncategorized

Protect yourself and your pets from ticks and the associated disease risk.

This video from PDSA shows how to safely remove a tick:

You can purchase a ‘Tick Twist Remover Tool’ from our shop by clicking here.

Tips to Help Your Pet’s Cope with the Stresses of Christmas

Written on December 19, 2024. Posted in Seasonal Posts

Christmas is a joyful time for many, but for our pets, it can be a source of stress and anxiety. From the influx of visitors to changes in routine, a lot is happening that can overwhelm them.

Here are some tips to help make this period less stressful for our animals.

Create a Safe Haven, a quiet, pet-friendly space where they can retreat. Provide comforting items like blankets, toys, and water. Consider calming aids if needed, such as pheromone diffusers and sprays.

Stick to their usual feeding, exercise, and play schedule as much as possible. Even small efforts can help them feel secure.

Secure decorations and avoid placing breakable ornaments within reach. Keep hazardous items like tinsel and chocolate out of reach.

Supervise your pet during food preparation and keep treats safely stored. Educate guests about what foods are toxic for pets, like chocolate, onions, bones, Christmas cake/pudding and minced pies.

Keep animals in a safe, separate space using baby gates if needed. Supervise interactions closely and teach children to respect animals by letting the animals approach them, not the other way around.

Bring familiar items like their bed, toys, or blanket if you’re going away. Ensure you have enough food and medication for the duration.

Christmas can be magical for everyone, including your pets, with a little planning and mindfulness. By understanding their needs and reducing stress, you’ll create a happier environment for the whole family.

If you are worried about your pet’s behaviour please contact us on 01462 354 705 or email info@donovanvetbehaviour.com for more information.

Wishing you a happy Christmas.

Love, the DVBP Team.