Engage Veterinary Behaviour and Training

Engage Veterinary Behaviour and Training Hi-I am Dr Cate Webb-an experienced Veterinarian, Behaviour Vet and Dog Trainer with 15 years experience.

I have a Membership of the ANZCVS (Australian and New Zealand College of Veterinary Scientists) in Veterinary Behaviour.

A significant proportion of my patients with anxiety problems or showing aggressive behaviours suffer undiagnosed muscul...
06/08/2026

A significant proportion of my patients with anxiety problems or showing aggressive behaviours suffer undiagnosed musculoskeletal pain or discomfort.

Where possible, I will examine the musculoskeletal system at the home visit. I will also watch your dog move and look for gait abnormalities.

This lovely girl has always been too tense for an examination at her vets, but was comfortable for me to manipulate her front limbs and spine. My examination has uncovered some discomfort that we will follow up.

06/08/2026

I just need to share this - because she is adorable 🥰

06/08/2026

Sometimes I recommend head halters for leash walks. This is usually when the dog is larger and strong and the client needs a little more help to turn the dog if they need to move their dog away from a trigger.

If wearing a head halter I want the leash to be loose, and the dog to be near the owner’s side.

This owner has a beautiful relationship with her Rhodesian Ridgeback cross, and has been enjoying daily walks for over a year now after a struggle with leash reactivity to neighbourhood dogs.

06/08/2026

Chalk and cheese to his “sister” Golden Retriever. But with the same great owner 😊. This big beautiful German Shepherd was very outwardly focused on walks… with lunging at kangaroos (many where he lived), and dogs.

One of the first steps was building his engagement with his owner… and the outward focus and reactivity has significantly decreased quickly.

06/08/2026

What a lovely young Golden Retriever I had the pleasure of meeting last month. So eager to learn and engage with her owner, who has already done a wonderful job with her early training.

In general, I think of walks as 90-95% “with me” walking - not heeling but not pulling. 5 -10% is practicing engagement. I love 1 2 3 treat to scaffold heeling engagement.

06/08/2026

I saw this little guy today – a 4½-year-old Moodle.

Walking on lead wasn't his primary presenting problem, but it was part of his overall behavioural picture.

Imagine this little guy pulling like a sled dog for 20–30 minutes on every walk for the past four and a half years. Sometimes he pulled so hard he was almost walking on his back legs.

We went for a short walk at the end of our consultation, which had focused on several other higher-priority behavioural concerns. At the start of the walk, he was quite anxious and over-aroused. His owners could barely get his attention as he headed straight to the end of the lead and thought, *"Go!"* He wouldn't even eat high-value chicken or cheese.

We changed a few things, including swapping to a 5 metre lead, which allowed him to reach the places he wanted to sniff at his own brisk pace without needing to pull to get there.

Within minutes, he was choosing to engage with his owner in this simple backwards walking and sit exercise.

This exercise was originally presented by veterinary behaviourist Dr Sophia Yin many years ago, and it's also something I've used through my own dog sports background.

Look at this handsome fella! A recently rehomed Working Line German Shepherd who needs some help with his leash walking ...
08/07/2026

Look at this handsome fella! A recently rehomed Working Line German Shepherd who needs some help with his leash walking and some fence and critter reactivity. He’s a very friendly boy and he’s landed on his feet in his new very loving and committed home. I think he is just gorgeous 😍 My second German Shepherd was this colour - it’s called bicolour - but she was much smaller.

08/07/2026

Sometimes work just doesn’t seem like work…A visit to Sandgate Beach with my favourite patient Molly.

26/06/2026

From Too Enthusiastic to Thoughtful 🐾

Three weeks ago, I met Max, a gorgeous 7-month-old Labradoodle who was finding it hard to interact appropriately with the other little dog in his household. Like many adolescent puppies, he was simply getting a little too enthusiastic!

Today, Louis earned his supper by helping Max practise calm, appropriate social skills on lead and off lead. We worked on giving each other space, checking in with their humans, and happily coming away from each other when called.

I was so impressed with the recall Max’s family has been practising over the past three weeks. It meant both dogs could easily be called away from each other whenever needed, making the whole session relaxed, safe and enjoyable.

It’s wonderful to see how much progress young dogs can make when owners put in the work. Social skills aren’t just something dogs “grow out of”—they’re something we can teach, practise and reinforce.

Well done, Max! ❤️🐶

What a gorgeous little Border Collie! I could have snaffled him back home. So, so smart and so much fun to work with. He...
26/05/2026

What a gorgeous little Border Collie! I could have snaffled him back home. So, so smart and so much fun to work with. He just needed some help learning how to cope when people or dogs approached directly while he was on lead, as he was getting a bit overwhelmed.

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Brisbane And Toowoomba
Toowoomba, QLD

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+61456957096

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