About petsandtheirpeople: Dr Sara Davies BVMS MRCVS ABTC-VB, a veterinary behaviourist offering online consultations, courses, and CPD across the UK, Channel Islands, & Isle of Man

Sara Davies, the vet behaviourist, and Rita the dog, relax and watch TV

Dr Sara Davies BVMS MRCVS ABTC-VB, working for pets and their people...

...though not here. I am watching Wimbledon on TV . Meanwhile, Rita has found the most comfortable spot...

So this is me...

Hello, I am Sara Davies, a vet behaviourist with some 30 years+ of professional dog and cat experience. I live in South Devon, but work online covering the whole of the UK, the Channel Islands, and the Isle of Man. Through my services and courses, my mission is to advocate for the welfare of pet dogs and cats by:

"Bridging the gap between veterinary medicine and behaviour to facilitate ethical and effective case management, and problem prevention, in dogs and cats"

I am what you might call a ‘seasoned professional’. As I enter the latter third of my career, my mind has drifted to the bigger picture – what can I do to improve the lives of dogs and cats in greater numbers, rather than individually? Thus, my courses have evolved, starting with my somewhat unusual fascination with pseudopregnancy in dogs. These will expand over the coming months and years, covering topics relevant to veterinary professionals, behaviourists, dog trainers, and pet owners/carers.

Sara Davies, vet behaviourist and Tor the Flat-coated Retriever.

My friend's Flat-coated Retriever, Tor, wants in on the Wimbledon action.

I've been framed! By a Flat-coated Retriever, guess who...

That said, there is still a need for individual casework, and experienced veterinary behaviourists are in short supply in the UK. To fulfil this need, I no longer accept cases that a non-vet behaviourist could deal with on their own. I only take cases where the input of a veterinary behaviourist is essential.

For example, a dog or cat where a medical issue is known to be causing or suspected of causing a behavioural issue. Or it may be the animal has co-morbidities clouding the diagnostic and treatment waters. Or perhaps a case requires psychoactive medication, but the primary referring vet is undecided and needs some advice.

I also have a particular interest in treating pseudopregnancy cases in entire/intact female dogs, and in treating and preventing persistent pseudopregnancy in spayed/neutered female dogs (also known as chronic pseudocyesis or chronic false pregnancy).

Despite my years of education and experience, I do not rest on my laurels. Currently, I am almost halfway through a Master’s Degree in Advanced Clinical Practice (MVetSci), which I am studying online and part-time through Edinburgh University (apologies to Glasgow University, where I attained my veterinary degree, you will always be my first love, and the more beautiful).

Glasgow University, far more picturesque than Edinburgh, and the alma mater of Sara Davies, vet behaviouist.

Professional experience:

• 20+ years as a dog and cat behaviourist (2001 to present) • Presented numerous webinars for the Association of Pet Behaviour Counsellors (APBC) and others. Earlier iterations of ‘Phantom Pregnancy – the silent killer’ became the ‘best seller’ for each hosting organisation (2017 to present) • 20 years running puppy training and socialisation classes in Brixham, Totnes, Torquay, Dartmouth, and online/outdoors during the Covid pandemic (2002 to 2022) • 2 years teaching adults in animal care-related further education courses at South Devon College (2000-2002) • 9 years in small animal veterinary practices (1993 to 2002); almost 5 years full-time in Manchester, the rest part-time in Plymouth

Current education:

• Since September 2023, I have been studying a Master’s Degree in ‘Advanced Clinical Practice’ (MVetSci), through Edinburgh University. I chose this particular course because it is aimed at working vets (part-time and online with relevant subject modules), can be done fully taught (no dissertation) and, apart from 3 compulsory modules, the rest is a ‘pick and mix’, meaning you can build your own master’s based around your areas of interest. My areas of interest are canine and feline internal medicine, companion animal behaviour, dog and cat welfare, and ethics. Thus far, I have completed the 3 compulsory modules (Evidence-Based Veterinary Medicine in Clinical Practice, Professional and Clinical Skills for Advanced Veterinary Practice, and Standard Diagnostic Testing in Companion Animals) and 5 optional modules (Canine Endocrine Disorders, Chronic Pain and Advanced Analgesic Principles, Ethics for Veterinary Clinicians and Researchers, Feline Medicine 1, and Gastroenterology). Each module is 10 credits at level 7 (10 credits equate to 100 hours of study); in all, I need to complete 180 credits (to a high enough standard) for the MVetSci award. • As a veterinary surgeon, a member of both the Association of Pet Behaviour Counsellors (APBC) and The Canine Behaviour and Training Society, and a veterinary behaviourist registered with the UK's Animal Behaviour and Training Council (ABTC), I am required to do at least 35 hours of continuing professional development (CPD) each year. I have well exceeded this total every year since 2010.

Qualifications & certifications:

• Certification at Level 2 as a ‘Fear Free Certified Professional’ (2018) • Certification at Level 1 as a ‘Fear Free Certified Professional’ (2017) • ‘Certified in Training and Counselling’ (CTC) through Jean Donaldson’s Academy for Dog Trainers; graduated with honours (2016) • Certification by City and Guilds in ‘Further Education Teaching’ (Stages 1 & 2, Level 4) (2002) • Certificate in ‘Training for the Future: Running Successful Puppy Socialisation and Training Classes’ through the Centre of Applied Pet Ethology (COAPE) (2002) • Advanced Diploma in the 'Practical Aspects of Companion Animal Behaviour & Training' through the Centre of Applied Pet Ethology (COAPE) (2001) • Bachelor’s Degree in 'Veterinary Medicine and Surgery' (BVMS) through Glasgow University (1993). At graduation, I received the ‘Dr Ian Lauder Prize for the student with the most marks in the small animal clinical component of the final professional examination in Veterinary Medicine’.

Professional memberships:

• Member of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (MRCVS), 1993 to present • Full member (VB) of the Association of Pet Behaviour Counsellors (APBC), 2011 to present • Registered with the Animal Behaviour and Training Council (ABTC) as a veterinary behaviourist, 2015 to present • Member of The Canine Behaviour and Training Society (TCBTS), from 2025

Relevant Q&A, given the industry:

• Are you a qualified vet? Yes, I am. I am a member of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (MRCVS), and have been since 1993. I am licensed to practice veterinary medicine in the UK, the Channel Islands, and the Isle of Man. Whilst I no longer work in general practice, my work in veterinary behavioural medicine is still regulated by the RCVS. • Are you a qualified behaviourist and dog trainer? Technically, there is no such thing, as there is no government regulation within the profession and therefore no regulated or standardised route to become a practitioner – it is ‘the wild west’ out there. That said, those of us committed to our profession (educated and skilled practitioners) join professional organisations such as the Association of Pet Behaviour Counsellors (APBC), and have put ourselves forward for voluntary regulation by the Animal Behaviour and Training Council (ABTC). • Are you a behavioural medicine specialist? No. Only vet behaviourists that are recognised by the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS) as behavioural medicine specialists can call themselves that, and I am not; only a handful of the UK’s practising vets are, and most work at universities or for animal charities. The use of the word ‘specialist’ is strictly controlled in the UK vet profession, as it should be. Interestingly, those outside the veterinary profession can call themselves what they like, including a ‘behaviour specialist’, due to the lack of government regulation of the behaviour and training professions.